Chanel already launches more fine jewellery than virtually any other brand, so when we visited the London boutique recently and were shown the Gallery collection, it came as a surprise. Brand new for 2017, a new range of Gallery jewels will hit the shops every two years, and if the inaugural designs are anything to go by, it’s going to be a massive hit.
Heavily indebted to the decade in which women were liberated to earn their own money and buy jewels for themselves, the 12-piece Gallery collection makes a 70s statement with its colourful and graphic lines. Sunny yellow gold forms the outline of each jewel, filled in with splashes of red or green. Elsewhere, rutilated quartz, a semi-precious gem with gleaming golden inclusions, adds a groovy optical effect to the collection.
Divided into four mini collections, My Green, My Red, My Chain and My Golden Link, the yellow gold bringing out the vibrant hues that light up my favourite pieces. Faceted olive-green tourmalines and stripy green malachite are an intense presence in the three My Green jewels, while ruby-red Hyceram® – a hard-wearing, scratch-resistant new material that mimics the properties of ceramic – lends a glamorously glossy look to the My Red ring and cuff.
Keen Chanel observers will recognise the two motifs that hold the capsule Gallery collection together. The chunky gold chain that dangles from earrings and wraps around the finger, neck and wrist in the My Chain jewels is the same chain from which Chanel’s legendary 2.55 handbag swings. And giving these jewels their geometric rigour is the octagonal shape that mirrors the dimensions of Place Vendôme, where Coco Chanel owned an apartment and today stands a Chanel jewellery boutique. It’s a motif that you probably recognise – it forms the stopper on a bottle of Chanel No.5 perfume and is echoed in the case design of the bestselling Première watch – but here it makes a much bigger, bolder statement.
Will part two of the Gallery collection continue with the 70s vibe? We’ll have to wait two years to find out. But if you’ve embraced this season’s flares and pussy-bow blouses and are searching for some fine jewellery to finish off your look, Chanel’s Gallery collection is the answer.
