Favoured by monarchs, movie stars and moguls for over 200 years, Chaumet is one of the sacred names of the Place Vendôme jewellery houses. Chaumet’s rise to fame began in 1780 when Marie-Etienne Nitot, the founder of the Maison we know today as Chaumet, received sumptuous jewellery commissions to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte’s marriage to Joséphine. Since then, Chaumet has nurtured and delighted a roster of prestigious clients who turn to this jeweller for custom-made tiaras and haute joaillerie as well as more everyday jewels along with watches for both men and women.
With a pedigree so deeply rooted in France’s history, Chaumet represents the best of the nation’s savoir faire, design, craftsmanship and a magic French ingredient: a dash of je ne sais quoi. So if this holiday season you are contemplating indulging your beloveds, you could do little better than entrust your list to the specialists in making princesses, emperors and maharanis sigh with delight.
(1)
Joséphine Rondes de Nuit diamond sautoir
£52,020
Inspired by the Empress Joséphine, known for both her style and love of jewels, the Rondes de Nuit jewels capture the elegance of the First Empire with a modern touch. This long necklace, or sautoir, is as alluring as anything Napoleon’s brides could have wished for. The pear-shaped white gold pendant set with diamonds shimmers with every move of the body and, thanks to the adjustable clasp, it can be worn high, low or draped seductively down a bare back.
(2)
Joséphine Rondes de Nuit diamond earrings
£13,530
Earrings are a failsafe Christmas gift as no sizing is required and it is a well-known fact that women can never have too many of them. These white gold Joséphine Rondes de Nuit drop earrings are simple enough to wear everyday. Wear the hair up and the top-quality diamonds will catch the candle-light at the dinner table and shine out across a crowded room. These earrings are a perfect balance between “Oh, you shouldn’t have” and “I will never take these off” - and that is the very best reaction to any gift you can hope to get.
(3)
Liens Lumière automatic watch in pink gold
£25,100
There is something about an all-gold watch that goes beyond the ounces of precious metal, diamonds and mechanics. To have your wrist entirely clad in silky-smooth links of gold is not just reassuring but a glowing reminder of the love bestowed in the gift. The Chaumet Liens Lumière watch in rose gold lives up to its name, radiating light from its iridescent mother-of-pearl dial, diamond-set bezel and rippling golden bracelet. If you want to say I love you every minute of every day, month and year, this watch will do the talking for you.
(4)
Jeux de Liens turquoise necklace
£1,030
With the lightest of touches, Chaumet conjures up head-spinningly valuable jewels as well as simpler, more wearable everyday pieces. The Jeux de Liens necklace is a perfect example of this Parisian jeweller’s versatility, turning a bow, arguably the simplest of motifs, into a stylish yet informal adornment. This cute little pendant is perfect for young women or the young at heart, and I can’t think of a woman who would not be delighted to find a Jeux de Liens jewel under the tree.
(5)
Limited-edition L’Épi de Blé ring
The L’Epi de Blé or wheat ring by Chaumet is as much a sculpture as a jewel. This modern interpretation of the ancient symbol of plenty becomes a statement ring with a very contemporary look for today’s goddesses. Both the design and craftsmanship are so refined that yellow gold and diamonds mimic newly harvested wheat casually caught between the fingers. Wheat has long been a motif at Chaumet, and this ring is directly inspired by the 1811 wheat sheaf tiara created for the Empress Marie-Louise.
