Precious Paintings

High jewellery is one of the last few bastions of gouache painting, a traditional craft that's as much a design tool as an art form.

- STEPHANIE IP

Gouache: The word itself describes nothing more than a type of paint that's water-based and opaque, used since the 18th century to create art and illustrations. But speak of gouache in a high-jewellery context, and it becomes more than just paint or a technique. Jewellery design dates back to the Renaissance, but the technique of gouache in the design of jewellery has thrived only since the late 19th century. In high jewellery, gouache is an art form that encompasses a designer's dream, a craftsman's blueprint and a collector's treasure.

Adopted by jewellery designers as part of the design process, a gouache painting marks the point where art and design merge, where a creative vision is born and the jewellery-making process begins. A gouache painting is a rendering, an illustration of jewels at a scale of 1 to 1 to convey the vision of the designer to the craftsmen who create the actual jewellery piece.

Unlike watercolour, gouache is opaque and allows colours to be superimposed without the different layers coming through. Because of the paint's opacity, white can be used as a colour too, which is essential in order to show the effect of light on stones, facets and diamonds. Thus, gouache has the unique ability to convey the different colours of gemstones, the textures of gold and all the precious details that constitute jewellery.