Expression is second nature as Van Cleef & Arpels leads the way in floral and animal motif trend

Trends don’t just pop up overnight – they evolve. And in the ever-changing world of jewellery design, creative minds are expressing themselves in a myriad of ways.

Perhaps because they handle the most beautiful and precious of natural materials, jewellery designers often draw inspiration from nature. Wearable art depicting flora and fauna is making an impact right now, reimagined using an array of colourful gems.

Naturalism is raised to a high art form by the great names in jewellery, and few houses offer a glimpse into the natural world as exquisitely as Van Cleef & Arpels. Among the jeweller’s impressively vast archive are two pieces that not only draw from nature but also resonate with one of the biggest trends of the moment – the brooch.

The Oiseau d’Or clip from its Quatre Contes de Grimm series – based on the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales – depicts a mythical golden bird in yellow sapphires, spessartine garnets, onyx, diamonds and a dose of whimsy. The Panache Mystérieux brooch is two exquisitely delicate feathers in sapphires and diamonds, using the house’s iconic Mystery Set technique.

A contemporary designer noted for her nature-inspired creations is Cindy Chao. The Taiwanese jewellery artist, long a favourite among serious collectors, interprets nature in her own inimitable style, and her eponymous Cindy Chao The Art Jewel collection relies heavily on nature, translating everything from dragonflies to pea pods into breathtaking pieces.

Boucheron also has some extraordinary, even poetic, depictions of nature. Lierre Givré means frosted ivy and in a marvellous necklace, Boucheron uses cacholong, a kind of milky white opal, and pavé diamonds on titanium to evoke a wintry scene. The Nuage de Fleurs is an extravagantly beautiful concoction of pink tourmaline, mother-of-pearl and diamonds on rose gold.

The love of organic forms has sparked a complementary trend towards freedom in shapes, with pared-down silhouettes. Precious metal jewellery in sculptural forms has a minimalist appeal that is timeless yet contemporary.

This developing trend is part of a “perfectly imperfect” movement jewellers are refining. We see it in the use of irregular pearls, sometimes with gemstones inset; we see it in metal jewellery with a molten effect.