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Pooja Agarwal

Why nothing says natural luxury like pearls

Piaget’s Wings of Light pearl jewellery, combining Akoya white pearls and pink freshwater pearls combine with red spinels from Tanzania, pink sapphires and pink spinels. Photo: Piaget

From Chanel to Dior, why brands are looking to the harmony of mother nature in these stunning high jewellery collections

Johnny seeks diamond expert’s advice on Meaghan’s ring

Expert opinion is important, but in the end, the groom-to-be has to listen to his heart when choosing the perfect engagement ring for the women in his life. Illustration: SCMP
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How the sea and its secrets have inspired luxury jewellers

Piaget Sea Temptation earrings. Photo: Piaget

‘Mother nature is our best designer’, Tiffany & Co. founder Charles Lewis Tiffany once said – as these aquatic-themed high jewellery pieces prove

Luxury in May: Our pick of what’s hot this month

Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s redesigned living room. Photo: Mandarin Oriental

Check out the latest releases from luxury French skincare range La Prairie, upmarket Swiss jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, French menswear brand Berluti, Malaysian developer KSK Land and high-end British speaker manufacturer KEF

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Vacheron Constantin launches the Égérie watch collection for women

The Égérie by Vacheron Constantin. Photos: Vacheron Constantin

The Swiss watchmaker’s classic pink gold or steel cases are set with diamonds, and available in 35mm and 37mm

When secret watches meet high-end jewellery

Pendant watches, like Bulgari’s Monete High Jewellery Pendant Secret Watch, are making a comeback. Photo: Bulgari

These luxury timepieces blur the boundary between necklaces and watches, bringing back a style popular in the early 20th century

How tiaras went from fairy tale princess to holiday party wear

Chaumet’s Joséphine Aigrette Impériale diadem, with pink sapphire and tsavorite garnets – would you wear it to an office party? Photos: Handouts

Long the preserve of royals and regal weddings, tiaras are suddenly an everyday sight at galas and parties – we survey the best luxury headpiece designs to ensure you stand out from the crowd

Would you pay US$5.7 million for a pearl necklace?

The Chanel Broderie Byzantine bracelet is one of many high jewellery pieces using pearls. Photos: Handouts

Cultured pearls are being used by luxury brands to create gorgeous earrings, necklaces and other pieces, and one strand just fetched US$5.7 million at auction

Why do high jewellers like LV and Cartier want Kashmir and Burmese sapphires?

Louis Vuitton’s Le Royaume bangle is an example of high jewellers using sapphires to create luxury pieces. Photos: Handouts

At the Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction by Christie’s a pair of earrings went for US$320,513 and a brooch went for US$4.33 million

Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Graff and others make emeralds a trend

Emeralds are big this season and luxury jewellers such as these by Graff are making high jewellery using the bright green gemstone. Photos: Handouts

Emerald cut, cabochon cut and beads made with emeralds – luxury jewellers such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Graff are creating statement pieces for the latest trend

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How a hidden Versailles bedroom inspired Dior

Boucheron Arcades ring in white gold, set with a 0.77-carat square diamond and mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds

Private passageways and boudoirs inspired Dior, and a fascination with Russia famously inspired Chanel, but now many high jewellers are drawing richly from history to craft new collections

From Van Cleef & Arpels to Graff: nature’s place in luxury jewellery

Graff’s pink and white diamond lovebird brooch is part of its range of animal-inspired designs. Photo: Graff

Nature’s treasures flourish as fashion houses embark on a whimsical exploration of plants, animals and marine life

Goodbye, gold: why luxury brands use space-age alloys for high jewellery

Chopard’s Red Carpet collection floral ring in titanium, a space-age alloy prized for its strength, light weight and colour treatment properties.

Hong Kong designers Wallace Chan, Cindy Chao and Edmond Chin are pioneers in the use of titanium, regarded as the ‘perfect material’

Serpents and secret watches — the most glamorous high jewellery from Baselworld

Bulgari High Jewellery Serpenti watch, with an 18-ct rose gold bracelet, was inspired by the creative excitement of the 1980s.

The year’s Baselworld watch show, as usual, heralded the cutting edge directions for the year

Flawless versus natural inclusions – which gems are more valuable?

Bulgari’s Wild Pop High Jewellery necklace features emeralds

Do inclusions and flaws in natural gemstones add value to a stone, even as flawless lab-grown gems hit the market?

Why Cartier, Chopard and Qeelin like semi-precious gems

Qeelin’s Wulu pendant – which combines the bold auspicious red colour, and the ancient Chinese gourd-shape symbol, resembling the lucky number 8 cut out in red agate – symbolises twice the blessings.

Vibrant creations by top jewellery houses Bulgari, Dior and Piaget feature semi-precious gems that can have as big an impact as diamonds

Jewellery maisons mix best gems with quirky materials

A ring from the Koi collection by Italian jeweller SICIS Jewels, inspired by an ancient Chinese legend of a carp turned into a dragon by the gods.

Bold and creative jewellers introduce Haute Joaillerie to connoisseurs in ways unimaginable; as they devote themselves to exalting the beauty of alternative materials

Coloured diamonds are gaining popularity

Diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia are coloured by a rare geology, mining experts say.

Connoisseurs know their real value. Inspired by their vibrant colours, jewellers create exquisite pieces

Why Asian jewellery designers are earning international esteem

Wallace Chan’s Sea of Joy｜brooch.
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Avant-garde jewellers take a shine to the shimmer, light and strength of titanium

Chopard Co-President Caroline Scheufele joins Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei in creating the Silk Road Collection.

Why transformable pieces are the ultimate high jewellery

Multiwearable pieces inspire a seemingly endless range of imaginative constructions, such as this Cartier necklace and a tiara.
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