In Full Bloom

On the balcony of the Château de la Messardière, and with uninterrupted views of the turquoise waters of St Tropez in the South of France, Louis Vuitton revealed its new Blossom High Jewellery collection. Maina A. Harjani writes. 102

ouis vuitton hosted the launch of its Blossom High Jewellery collection in the grounds of the lavish Château de la Messardière in St Tropez coupled with an elegant alfresco brunch session overlooking the blue-green shade of the Southern Ocean. A blooming centrepiece of seven spectacular necklaces, including approximately 60 new rings, bracelets and sets of earrings, was displayed in coral-decorated showcases for the official inauguration.

The Blossom High Jewellery collection, based on the Maison’s Monogram Flower motif, which was designed by Georges Vuitton in the late 19th century, does not shy away from its roots, but instead embraces its simplicity. The blossoming flower bud in various stages of growth has been dissected and repeated across the collection to enhance the one constant at the heart of every design: its gemstone.

The brand’s iconic Monogram Flower is reinterpreted through its shape, breaking the elements and layering them in new and fascinating ways. While the motif is also a priority in each piece, the stones have been collected over a period of seven years, some of which include a flamboyant bright 7.13ct mandarin garnet, a 53.01ct black opal with kaleidoscopic qualities, and a 29.75ct tsavorite, which has a rarely seen bright green colour and which originates from a mine recently discovered in Merelani, Tanzania. The precious and ornamental gemstones have been chosen with great precision, attention to detail and

care to produce the high-quality items in this collection.

The Louis Vuitton flower adapts magically to every new design, shaped exactly the way it is or splintered carefully between two sections, rippling outwards while producing seismic waves. On a pendant, one of its petals merges with a 43.05ct beryl with a reminiscent blue-green shade, while the other three petals are created from baguette-cut diamonds and perfectly calibrated chalcedonies.

Contrasting materials and colour combinations are used to complement the gemstones and, at the same time, help to bring out the robustness of each one: matte against shiny; opaque next to crystalline. Always the same yet never identical, the abstract flower is rendered even more precious by sophisticated juxtapositions of jewellery-making techniques, sculpturing, gem cutting and Grand Feu enamelling—some of the common qualities of the Blossom High Jewellery collection. The volume of these shapes is offset by long, flowing chains of black onyx and diamonds to name just a few of the stones.

The intuitive eye will also observe a “V”: a design feature unique to Louis Vuitton and one of the Maison’s iconic motifs after the Monogram Flower. The Blossom High Jewellery collection sees a consistent V design, even if subtly, in most of its items carved with diamonds, mother-of-pearl or enamelled to perfection.

The deconstruction of the perfect designs balances the mathematical precision of each shape with contours, sudden arches, uncommon materials, deeply resonating colours and unmatchable craftsmanship. At the peak of its metamorphosis, the Monogram Flower stands tall among Louis Vuitton’s high jewellery and the Blossom High Jewellery collection certainly speaks for itself.