Zhou Dongyu
These women are proof that diamonds are a girl’s best friend
Believing snakes to possess protective properties, Boucheron’s founder gave his wife a serpent-shaped necklace for their wedding anniversary back in 1888. The maison, now under the watchful eye of creative director Claire Choisne, has since reimagined the brand’s famous serpent motif, which is the centrepiece of its Serpent Bohème collection worn by Chinese actress and Golden Horse Award winner Zhou Dongyu. Zhou, one of the brand’s ambassadors, is best known for her roles in Under
the Hawthorn Tree (2010) and Soul Mate (2016). More recently, she starred in Better Days
(2019) alongside Jackson Yee.
BRIGHT BLOSSOMS
Both Van Cleef & Arpels and artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet share a love for the magic that is nature itself; the two are known for their bright, whimsical creations regardless of the mediums they use—making them the perfect match for such an artistic collaboration as the series of short films and images that pay tribute to the graphic petals of the Frivole creations. Navet, who was also the winner of the 2017 Van Cleef & Arpels’ Grand Prix Design Parade Toulon, envisions a world in full bloom—rendering a joyful sketch of pastel drawings which were used to decorate the maison’s boutique. The Frivole 2021 series introduces six new additions, with mini and small models of earrings, bracelets and pendants in rose gold and diamonds, plus a Between the Finger ring that unfurls with the very same flower motif.
Elizabeth Taylor
This actress’s private collection was one of the world’s most important, thanks to generous gifts from her on-off husband Richard Burton. “I feel as though I’m only the custodian of my jewellery,” she remarked in her book
Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry.
“When I die and they go off to auction, I hope whoever buys them gives them a really good home.” After Taylor’s death in 2011, her collection went to auction through Christie’s, amassing US$144 million, making it the most valuable sale of jewellery in history. Bravo.
Queen Elizabeth II
It’s no surprise that Queen Elizabeth II has inherited some extraordinary jewels, which have been passed down through a long line of British monarchs. Her most famous piece, of course, is the Imperial State Crown which she wore alongside a diamond necklace for her coronation. The former was originally made for the coronation of her father, King George VI, in 1937. Set with 2,868 diamonds in silver and gold, the headpiece also features sapphires, emeralds and pearls.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s jewellery made headlines in 2010 after a three-strand set of simulated pearls that were valued at about US$65 sold for US$211,500. Many of her pieces were sold by an unidentified British collector who purchased them at a Sotheby’s auction in 1996, two years after her death. Several jewels were gifts from Kennedy Onassis’s first husband, John F Kennedy, before she was widowed in 1963, including a Tiffany & Co gold brooch that JFK gave to her a few days prior to his being sworn in as US president.
María Félix
This Mexican actress had a penchant for extravagance and famously commissioned Cartier to create one-of-a-kind animalinspired jewels. In 1975, the maison handcrafted a superb necklace for Félix, which depicts a pair of emerald-studded and diamond-drenched crocodiles. The story goes that Félix, known for playing femme fatale roles, marched into Cartier’s Paris boutique with a baby crocodile, demanding the jeweller replicate the animal’s face, body, legs and tail for the piece. Talk about a woman who knows what she wants.
Wallis Simpson
In 1936, when King Edward VIII chose to marry his twice-divorced American girlfriend Wallis Simpson, he was forced to give up the British throne. The couple would later become famous for their high society parties and lavish lifestyles, and this included Simpson’s opulent taste in exceptional jewellery. After her death, her beautiful collection made history in 1987 at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva. It fetched an eye-watering US$50 million, which at the time was a record for a singleowned jewellery collection. Fun fact: Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins were among the buyers.
TIME TRAVELLER
Hemmerle, which incorporates antique objects and cutting-edge materials into its creations, is known for exceptional design and craftsmanship. This year, the German jeweller celebrates 30 years of its iconic Harmony design with a pair of earrings and a bangle using a brand-new technique that has taken hundreds of hours to master. Copper is placed on top of silver, which is melted at such an intense heat that the two can be rolled into an innovative base material. A sophisticated silhouette is shaped into an open-ended bangle that wonderfully pays tribute to the original creation from 1991.
COME CLOSER
The Possession collection by Piaget is beautifully made, dusted with diamonds and encrusted with various ornamental stones, including malachite. Choose from the collection’s audacious rings, which feature rotating bands that are paved with diamonds or other precious gems, and open-set bangles that look especially good when stacked.