The earthy hues of a dried riverbed he encountered – and the fact that the channel was once a sourcing ground for alluvial gems – inspired Jorge to pair brown river pebbles with diamonds in the same colour for earrings, rings and bracelets. The smooth surface and speckled tones of the pebbles provide a distinctive contrast to the regal sparkle of the brown diamonds.

Boucheron is another garnering a lot of attention for the high jewellery collection it unveiled during Paris Fashion Week 2024 for spring/summer, held in late January. The house launched the latest instalment in its Histoire de Style category, a 24-piece collection titled The Power of Couture.

The Bow necklace features 435 pieces of frosted rock crystal cut into narrow tubes and set to resemble the texture of grosgrain ribbon – with the artisans of Boucheron managing to convey the softness of fabric through diamonds and crystal.

The maison looks far and wide for inspiration, referencing different cultures and elements of the natural world in its designs, with the mysterious allure of the sea the starting point for the Yfalos necklace. At the centre of the necklace are two cabochon-cut turquoise stones, while ribbed coral beads accentuated with smaller turquoise beads and emeralds sit on both sides of the necklace, and white diamonds intertwine through this vibrant mélange of colours and textures.

“Working with lines, volumes, colour palettes, inspiration from nature and world cultures … we explore so many territories to push the boundaries of creation and discover new horizons,” said Jacqueline Karachi, director of high jewellery creation at Cartier, at the time of the launch.

Piaget is famous for its deft handling of feathers in high jewellery, such as the delicate feather marquetry featured in a necklace from its Wings of Light collection. Recently, the house unveiled the Extravagant Touch watch from its Solstice collection, a stunning timepiece featuring marquise-cut sapphires, emeralds and diamonds set on either side of the black opal dial, and decorated with two natural feather compositions in matching colours by French artist Nelly Saunier. The feather compositions are complemented by a cluster of white diamonds, and the whole bouquet can be removed from the watch and worn by itself as earrings – an imaginative design twist from the maison.

“To achieve this boldness, this ‘extraleganza’, as we say – a contraction of elegance and extravagance – we play on unexpected encounters, unexpected twists,” said Stéphanie Sivrière, creative director of jewellery and watches for Piaget.

“It can be between two colours or two materials – here, the soft and luxurious feathers are both toning down and enhancing the beauty of the stones. The duet of the ephemeral and the permanent is also very intriguing.”