Flowers have long been a symbol of purity, taking various shapes and moods in jewellery over the years, inspiring some of the most creative pieces.

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Caroline Scheufele, artistic director and co-president of Chopard, has devised a range of orchid-inspired jewellery in the new Red Carpet 2019 collection. Curiosity about her surroundings has led to other nature-based pieces focusing on plants and animals.

The Frivole collection by Van Cleef & Arpels features novel designs. The flower motif is made of three heart-shaped petals with a round brilliant diamond in the centre. Two Butterfly Between the Finger rings are another nature-inspired piece by the French maison.

Chanel’s 50-piece, 1.5 1 Camélia 5 Allures high jewellery collection, launched this year, revisits Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s emblematic flower. Chanel once said: “My [jewels] are flexible and detachable [ …] You can take apart the jewellery and use it to match a hat or fur. In this way, the set of jewellery is no longer an immutable object. Life transforms it and bends it to its needs.”

Animal talk

Jewellery takes sculptural forms as animals are brought to life. Graff offers a range of animal-inspired brooch designs, with the lovebird being the house’s best-loved muse.

Marine life is the inspiration for Taiwanese designer Cindy Chao’s Emerald Anemone earrings, which are part of the Cindy Chao The Art Jewel’s Aquatic Collection.

Nature has flourished at French maison Boucheron, dating back to Frédéric Boucheron’s first creations 160 years ago when he was captivated by the iridescent beauty of the peacock feather. Somewhere between realism and fantasy, the feather reveals its appeal in the Plume de Paon collection in morganite and diamonds.

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De Beers launches the Portraits of Nature high jewellery collection, where the Greater Flamingo set is inspired by the bird’s feathers; the Monarch Butterfly by iridescent wings; the Knysna Chameleon by the polychromatic reptile; the Electric Cichlid by the colours of the shimmering fish, and the Chapman’s Zebra by the animal’s unique monochrome markings.

Natural forms

The secret of nature lies in its myriad colours, inspiring abstract organic pieces.

“We have been inspired by the way the colours of some of nature’s most fascinating creatures interact with light and create incredible chromatic effects,” says François Delage, De Beers Jewellers CEO. “Fancy coloured polished and rough diamonds in various hues are showcased in the brands’ “most extensive collection to date”.

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Graff introduces the Solar collection this year, taking inspiration from the sun’s rays.

Australian jeweller John Calleija creates Argyle Dreaming, a US$1.1 million necklace and ring that pays tribute to the ancient landscape and colours of Western Australia’s east Kimberley region. It was unveiled by mining company Rio Tinto recently.

“Encapsulating a rich history and an extraordinary provenance, Argyle Dreaming is a contemporary treasure and an heirloom for tomorrow,” says Alan Chirgwin, vice-president, sales and marketing of Rio Tinto.

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