With each successive year since Louis Vuitton's first high jewellery collection in 2008, the Parisian luxury house has exceeded expectations with ever more ambitious and awe-inspiring jewellery. Virtuosity is a journey of thrilling freedom unleashed by the expectational craftsmanship and savoir-faire of Louis Vuitton's atelier. Scouring the globe for rare stones, the light of master gemstones shine out like beacons in these elaborate and sophisticated jewels.
Statement necklaces are the mainstay of the Virtuosity collection that takes us into a new realm with twelve themes totalling 110-pieces, that celebrate protection, exploration, architecture, and travel, with subtle nods to the design cues of the house. Think elements of the famous trunks such as handles, nails and the famous Damier pattern that run through the two chapters called 'Mastery' and 'Creativity'.
The creative team at Louis Vuitton has chosen a strong narrative for the Virtuosity high jewellery collection and the first world of 'Mastery' has seven themes. The ‘Savoir’ suite harnesses the talismanic power of the triangle. The lead necklace features a hypnotic 30.56-carat black Australian opal, symbolic guardian of the house's precious knowledge, flanked by the house's V motifs. Like Vuitton's iconic trunks, the jewel is a keeper of secrets, repurposing the house's heritage motifs with details such as the graphic use of the 'V' and diamonds set to mimic the nails on the rounded edge of the trunks. A 28-carat Zambian emerald drop can be detached and worn as a pendant on a chain, and rows of beads contrast with the graphic triangular construction of the necklace.
The 'Protection' jewels feature gold roundels set with heraldic patterns with either pigeon-blood rubies or diamonds at their centre. The supple links of the main necklace mimic leather trunk handles, and diamonds are custom cut into a 'V' shape to contrast with the silky softness of pearls.
Masculine strength meets feminine softness in the 'Keeper' suite of genderless jewels with a Victorian air, brought up to date with technically advanced gold structures and fluid movement. ‘Keeper’ is rich in ancient symbols and messages, such as the all-seeing eye created with a 10.12-carat antique Sri Lankan cabochon-cut blue sapphire nestled amongst diamonds in a fully diamond-paved rope choker. The 'Keeper' family includes keepsake brooches, bracelet watches, bracelets and medallions with chrysoberyl, grey diamonds, and a mysterious colour-changing alexandrite. Even more dramatic is the 5.02-carat fancy dark grey-blue diamond that adds to the air of timeless wisdom with its otherworldly shift from blue to grey by night.
The apprentice's journey to 'Maestria' is the pinnacle of technical perfection expressed in seven jewels characterised by sophisticated diamond settings woven like a rich fabric. The high-collar necklace has a dazzling pattern of diamond shapes set into rows like a mosaic of light punctuated by three Colombian emeralds, the largest of which weighs 8.88 carats.
The tempo increases as we arrive at ‘Monumental’, which adds the drama of colour with emeralds, black opals, and rubies set in the house's famous 'damier' or chequerboard pattern suspended from two thick Cuban chains masterfully set with diamonds, offset by a row of onyx bugle beads. The structure is architectural and imposing yet flexible and soft on the skin, a trademark look of Louis Vuitton's high jewellery.
The final crescendo is reached with 'Apogée,' the height of virtuosity where the tradition meets modernity. Edwardian elegance is transformed by modern audacity into this intriguing design. The semi-circular handles of Vuitton trunks are transformed into diamond-set details reminiscent of swags in a complex structure of tiers and layers of diamonds set into platinum and white gold ropes, chevrons and vertical stripes. A 30.75 Brazilian emerald hangs from the lower tier below a 10.56-carat flawless LV Monogram Star Cut diamond. This lower section can be detached and worn on its own, offering three different ways to enjoy this masterpiece of technical wonder.
The majestic four-tier 'Connection' necklace comprises diamond-set gold ropes forming a precious net that holds pearls and diamonds like water bubbles. A 6.04-carat pigeon-blood Mozambique ruby shines out from its centre. In this continued narrative, the ropes offer a bridge to the second world named 'Creativity,' where the experience attained in the previous chapters opens the door to unbridled creativity.
Capturing the freedom of flowing energy, 'Motion' ripples across the body with diamonds in freely moving patterns. Five months of research were invested in crafting the undulating effect in a solid structure holding dozens of diamonds and a velvety blue 35.69-carat Sri Lankan sapphire. The rounded, tapered forms of the goldwork glowing with diamonds fall on the body with the ease of a ray of light in these ground-breaking jewels.
'Florescence' is a unique tribute to Vuitton's Monogram flower and the blossoming of new dimensions of expressive freedom. The four-petal flower symbol is incorporated into 20 jewels including the multiple tiers of two versions of a rope-style necklace each with a staggering 6,100 diamonds. The Monogram flower is rendered in diamond cuts and settings, alternating with and the blue version includes lozenges of indicolite tourmalines, LV Monogram Star Cut diamonds and white South Sea pearls. The red version sets marquise-cut colour gemstones around the star-cut diamonds and includes Tahitian grey pearls. The necklaces can be transformed in five different ways.
Continuing the play with rope that Louis Vuitton employs with dexterity to bring informality to high jewellery, 'Joy’ offers an endless spiral of gold that wreathes the body in the sunshine bright hues of 240 carats of yellow sapphires and rosy pink, purple and orange tourmalines. The curvaceous three-dimensional structure of the jewels appears to envelop the gemstones in their soft embrace in this exuberant composition that emanates abundance and generosity.
The Monogram Flower is celebrated in the 'Aura' family of eight pieces of jewellery, continuing a tradition started in 2023 in Louis Vuitton's annual high jewellery collections. The young, feminine spirit of the Monogram Flower is interpreted in yellow gold and brilliant-cut diamonds with blush-tone tourmalines ranging from peach to pink. The rope effect is used in the construction of the jewels, and gold structures drape on the neck with ease. The Monogram Flower radiates a golden halo and can be detached and worn in three modes.
The brilliance of the 'Eternal Sun' is vividly crystalised in this necklace set with an impressive 49.72 carats of yellow diamonds. This assembly of yellow diamonds is astounding enough, but Louis Vuitton takes it up a notch with an ingenious design that brings the stones alive, allowing the necklace to be worn in five ways. A spiralling gold wreath embraces the ring of yellow diamonds, the inside contours of each 'leaf' set with a dusting of yellow diamonds.
With Virtuosity, Louis Vuitton has released a new level of creative liberty, making high jewellery that is both empowering and enchanting, magnificent and sublime.
