Piaget have always been makers of extravagant watches and more recently jewels, that don't hold back in terms of design, be they horological marvels or dazzling diamond-set rings. This year Piaget revisits its history with a wide range of pieces inspired by the Yves Piaget Rose. Voluptuous, sensual and exuberant, this is how Piaget has always interpreted one of nature's most beautiful gifts, opting to make the flower not into naturalistic jewellery but highly stylised and expertly realised works.
Yves Piaget scion of the founders of this Swiss watch and jewellery house, describes what the Rose means to Piaget: "The rose is the most universal flower. For me, it brings to mind childhood, and my first love for the wild roses called Sweet Briars, which grow wild at 1,100 metres. It was when I left La Côte-aux-Fées to go to Neuchâtel that I discovered nursery roses… In 1982, when the rose peony was christened the Yves Piaget rose, it was an extremely emotional moment for me. To celebrate this joy daily, all you need is a little row of a dozen rose bushes."
The rose itself was cultivated for two years in the rose garden of Geneva's Parc des Eaux Vives and in 1982 won three prizes including the Coupe du Parfum-Rose d'Or. Now, on its thirtieth birthday this collection celebrates this beautiful bloom with watches, necklaces, pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets all displaying a wide variety of interpretations of the rose. From the more simple pink gold pieces, such as the Piaget Rose neck-chain in pink gold, set with six brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.24 ct) to the magnificent Piaget Rose Limelight Garden Party necklace in white gold with 670 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 38.48 cts) and 26 pear-cut diamonds (approx. 9.88 cts), the rose is celebrated in precious stones.
There are also some supremely colourful pieces such as the Piaget Rose Limelight Garden Party necklace in white gold with (and I do suggest you take a deep breath): 396 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 23.97 cts); two oval green tourmalines (approx. 9.59 cts); one cushion-cut green tourmaline (approx. 10.92 cts); two pear-cut pink tourmalines (approx. 7.91 cts); two cushion-cut pink tourmalines (approx. 33.89 cts); two cushion-cut mauve spinels (approx. 4.75 cts); two round pink spinels (approx. 8.51 cts); two oval pink spinels (approx. 8.45 cts); one cushion-cut pink spinel (approx. 2.91 cts); four oval aquamarines (approx. 27.81 cts); two cushion-cut aquamarines (approx. 12.99 cts); one pear-cut aquamarine (approx. 19.25 cts); one oval green beryl (approx. 6.81 cts); and one pear-cut green beryl (approx. 13.39 cts).
Similarly this variety extends to the timepiece. The Altiplano's simple rose is quietly seductive next to the ornamental luxury of Limelight Garden Rose Party Watch, with an impressive 68 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 8.7 cts) and white gold bracelet set with 253 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 8.5 cts).
For the voluptuous, sensual and jubilant Rose Piaget needed a model to match the inspiration which they found in the Israeli model Bar Rafaeli, showing she's the perfect complement to this Rose collection.
