Garden Of Delights

With their newest high jewellery collection, Le Jardin de Chaumet, the iconic French jeweller pays homage to the breathtaking beauty of nature with a fresh and contemporary twist.

- Renée Batchelor

Connoisseurs of high jewellery will tell you that beyond the artistic and technical side of its creation, it is the poetry of each piece that truly elevates it to an art form. For the French jewellery house Chaumet, founded in 1870 and perhaps best known for its connection to French royalty, it is about the marriage between seeming contrasts: a rich heritage combined with contemporary brilliance. And beautifully fluid, lifelike pieces that belie the dazzling technical skill and innovation behind them.

Its newest high jewellery collection Le Jardin de Chaumet is no exception. Divided into different collections including "Wood & Undergrowth," "Flowers" and "Fields," the approach to capturing the earth's delights in bejewelled brilliance is naturalistic but always exquisite. Sprinkles of diamonds dance like dew drops on the House's beloved diadems while statement necklaces bear fresh and contemporary inspirations like the bark of a tree, jaw-dropping gemstones and more unexpected floral inspirations than what is normally seen in high jewellery. There is a sense of refinement as well as newness to every piece as well as a lightness achieved through balance and sheer technical brilliance. We spoke to Ehssan Moazen, Chaumet's creation studio director, to find out all about the new collection.

What is Chaumet's approach with each new high jewellery collection? As the creation studio director, do you and your team look at archives?