The topology of a jewel drawn with an ink brushstroke – Patrice Leguéreau steps into Coco Chanel’s modus operandi

the Director of Chanel’s Fine Jewelry Creation Studio describes the journey that led him to Collection N°5 Grasse, its jasmine and May rose fields, and the pink, red and yellow tones of the Mediterranean

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Oot » :g« :f nt:f «ht,. His intention was to let the outlines of the number guide his hand in 16346 A1 660 7 A74 4 4 24 15 A74 3868A , 0A A70A A064 7h8 6 0u0h 561 0 h 21 42A81 A1 the world of jewelry. The outcome became the motif template for a collection celebrating the

A7 0 8r46 06h 15 70nel N°5 perfume. It is Collection N°5, and its maè « « tp»a»s:f « 8 the 55.55 necklace adorned with a 55.55-carat D color Flawless Type IIa custom-cut diamond.

,46bo640b 8 8 A A70A A74 24 A60; A1 4 703 A1 70r4 0 74280; 2bA 1A 0 8 7;4 4 460;3 2bA but an elongated version that would replicate the bottle’s stopper shape. It was made possible by acquiring and working on a 170-carat rough 380 1 3 561 u7827 ;07830684 21b;3 2bA the perfect shape and ideal size of 55.55 carats. b s s « ;ossoe oO s « ;ossg« m«:t » :m« diamonds represent drops of perfume, and they are suspended using the fil couteau technique s t«: » oO nog ,, Leguéreau explains. Some additional diamonds have been cut-to-size to fit the design. Tapered baguettes 516 A74 A17746 0 3 A74 0 6;4 15 A74 11AA;4 8;71b4AA4 u78;4 strands of bezel-set round diamonds hint at the art of ;:h th :n«: the hand-sealing of the

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0 3 42b643 u8A7 0 u0s A0 7 14068 6 A74 31bble C. b ot its quality in terms of gemstones :f t:Os»e:f» am s « f« rg: « «masoeau«» s « oe:n« so é :gg ;d as»«gO, ,46bo640b affirms. b ae:naf« of« e:»s«tma« « «fs«t« :tohf of« n«e»sof« s :s cohg e:tr s a» milestone – the first collection dedicated to a perfhe«,

Gabrielle Chanel had held the number five as a symbol of purity ever since her time spent at the Aubazine orphanage. Over six years, it was there that she would walk along paved routes towards the Cistercian abbey to perform her daily prayers. The stones in these pathways were grouped in fives. Years later – a story that everyone knows by now – working with Russian-born French perfumer Ernest Beaux on creating her first perfume, she elected one sample as her favorite, one that happened to be numbered five out of the ten that the perfumer had presented to her. The perfume had found its name, and it marked the debut of aldehydes in perfumery. b « e:f c o t«:s« é .tf«»s «:hw : ;««f «wm«tae«fsafn cas

:g « d «» ;«Oot« « e«s :;ta«gg« , :f«g af f « : st:i«gg« ;«dof s « t sa ,at g« c «t« « t« :gg« s :s s « ea fan s »hf g:r«» :f tai«t» c«t« «wh afn «wst«e« Ot«» f«»» »oe«s afn « c:fs« so «f :m»hg:s« af é ;d h»afn :f af t«:»« :g « d « :eohfs s :f h»h:g,, journalists Olivier R.P. David and Jeanne Doré explain in their article about aldehydes.

By letting his imagination flow, Leguéreau steps into Gabrielle Chanel’s modus operandi. b »stai« so afl« s :f :tsa»sa aemhg»« afso s « afO:f d oO «: mtol« s :» ommo»« so lh»s

t:cafn l«c«g» f«ws so «: os «t s:tsafn oOO cas : t«:sai« htn« a» c :s tai«» e« :f as-» a «fsa :g so oc :;ta«gg« , :f«g h»« so st:f»g:s« : of «ms afso :» eh :tscotr» :» ghwhtd

as«e»,, he says. Some high jewelry collections see him travel to the geographical sources of inspiration, his sketchbook in hand. Scotland and the ninety-seven-mile River Tweed for the Tweed de Chanel high jewelry collection; the city of Venice, its lagoons and palaces for Escale à Venice; and for Collection N°5, Grasse, whose jasmine and May rose fields supply the core ingredients for the perfume formula. In late August 2018, Leguéreau traveled to the town accompanied by Olivier Poge, the House perfumer, to witness the jasmine harvest. b c:fs« to smell, touch and view the raw materials found in the flower fields: the flowers, the dirt, the «g«e«fs» s :s e:r« s « m«tOhe« oemg«w s c:» :f ommotshfasd so g«:tf :;ohs gaia«t on«-» t«:sai« mto «»», 74 shares. «We wanted to express the fluidity of the perfume in the metal :f »sof«cotr

The octagonal shape is rendered in rock crystal or in diamond-paved white gold, ,td»s:g pieces. It is even further celebrated in the construction of the cocktail rings, whose goldwork replicates facets. The black seal with the double C logo that covers the neck of the perfume 11AA;4 0A A74 10 4 15 u7827 A74 A17746 8A 8 21 b643 1h 0 8 6;4 2862;4 16 1403 15 1 hs

a;;of 0 3 a:eof pieces. Little white pearls and round brilliant-cut diamonds dot the :lohtp r46 81 15 A74 A17746 516 A74 h;;gd pieces.

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1 3 , 4A 8 48A746 u78A4 16 78 : 61;3 A1 0224 Ab0A4 A74 A60 8A81 561 1 4 A1 A74 1A746 , b«i«td t«:saof »s«e» ohs oO :f a «: :f s « n«e»sof«» :t« s «t« so »«ti« s :s a «: fos s « os «t c:d :tohf a» e«:f» s :s c« : :ms s « n«e» so s « «»anf s « »:s«ggas« n«e»sof«» af ot «t so :ggoc hfgaeas« t«:saiasd,, Leguéreau observes. There, the bottles melt into abstract floral tassels or strands – the evocation of perfume and its botanical ingredients.

This theme is defined by using specific goldwork and stone setti 6 A1 02784r4 A74 8340 0

44 8 A74 .s«tf:g too 034 15 A074643 106b4AA4 4A 1 2b6r43 608; 516 A74 A17 15 A74 digit, which morph into a duo of round diamonds, which in turn merge into a sea of snow-set brilliants as one progresses down the bottom loop of the number five. For the .s«tf:g 78424 0 564 th 15 380 1 3 2bA 8 764r0;4 A 0 85 1 41 4 703 70:4 A164A746 0 b;A8Ab34 15 06quise, round, pear and emerald-shaped diamonds, flinging them out like a throw of the dice into random rows. The number five, and the 10.03-carat D FL Type IIa diamond above it, are the figurative components in the .s«tf:g « rma« «. In the Knotted N°5 creations, the 3868A 8 0 4sA4 81 15 A74 11u u74640 8A 8 708643 u8A7 0 6877;8 6 45542A 516 A74 é tom pieces. «The pieces that are created around the number five bear a couture look; that is why, in some renditions, the number five turns out to be a ribbon. This encapsulates the freedom of movement with which I initially sketched the number five on paper».

With an emphasis on Grasse, the city on the French Riviera famous for its perfume tradition, garlands of blooms in various sizes are set with white diamonds in yellow or white gold.

« :d o»« series is inspired by Rosa Centifolia, whose lushness is rendered by staggered and creased gold leaves, some set with precious gems on the sides. The base of each leaf is 4A u8A7 78 : 0777864 561 306: A1 70;4 0nd this suggests burgeoning colors. Each rose

561 A74 68 6 161127 0 3 430;;81 15 A74 42:;024 8 4A u8A7 0 ( 21;16 );0u;4 16 A46 0;;h Flawless diamond in its center, while little white pearls have found their way onto the flanks of the ring.

The N°5 perfume is a blend of various flowers – rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lily of the valley

0 3 868 ;0h4643 1r46 0 u06 u113h 10 4 15 r4A8r46 0 30;u113 r0 8;;0 0 146 0 3 70A271b;8 – and here this is represented by warm Mediterranean tones of red, orange, pink and yellow, 1h 6b184 A170z, spessartite garnets and yellow sapphires. The og «f ht»s og «f agg:n«

0 3 gh» afn agg:n« 4684 64764 4 A A74 A064 15 71u A74 7465b 4 A608; 614 561 A61 6 to evanescent. Case in point with the latte6 8A 7615b 81 15 21;1643 64 0 3 b 4 15 :lohtp conveying the way perfume droplets are suspended in the air. b s c:» e: « h»afn ofi«fsaof al joaillerie techniques, the emphasis being on the harmony between the pattern, colors and shapes. For the initial sketch for this theme, I used liquid ink of orange, red and yellow that I

: fos h»« Oot : c ag« :f Oohf »has:;g« Oot s « of «ms :» s « a «: oO tom» :mmga«» »aea g:tgd so : tom oO afr :f : tom oO m«tOhe«,, Leguéreau says. This correspondence between the idea and the finished item becomes even clearer when placing any of the gh» afn agg:n« pieces on top of their foundation sketch. Credits go to the Maison’s gem1;168 A 516 1b628 6 the matching camaieu of colored stones. b O doh s afr oO as m«tOhe« :f l«c«gtd » :t« s « same attribute: they are worn directly on one’s skin».

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