Tag: diadem

The art of jewellery since the 18th century: Chaumet presents an unique body of historic jewels, drawings and archives. Discover the one-of-a-kind selection of Chaumet High Jewellery pieces made for the Imperial Splendours exhibition at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

During centuries, Chaumet creations have echoed the excellence of the decorative arts, to become a major reference in the history of taste, the Parisian spirit and a certain French art de vivre.

Set in the Palace Museum, Beijing (formerly known as the Forbidden City), Chaumet‘s Imperial Splendours exhibition spans the history of the luxury Maison from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 21st and illustrates the uninterrupted transmission of exceptional savoir-faire. Under the scientific direction of Henri Loyrette, the exhibition will run until July, 2nd and is built around Chaumet patrimonial wealth.

Some 300 works, jewels, paintings, drawings and objets d’art, illustrate Chaumet’s characteristic “art of jewellery”. Prestigious collections and prominent museums have come together to support the event, namely the Musée du Louvre, the Château de Fontainebleau and the Victoria and Albert Museum of London. Some of these pieces have left France or are on view to the public for the first time.

The king of jewels, diadems punctuate the exhibition from the beginning, till the final unveiling of the “Vertiges” diadem, born of the collaboration between Chaumet and Central Saint Martins.

On the occasion of this exhibition, two publications were edited: “Imperial Splendours. The art of jewellery since the 18th century” and “Chaumet. The art of jewellery since 1780″.

The major creations of the imperial and royal courts, from the Consulate to the Second Empire, are presented, as are the illustrious figures who commissioned them: Napoleon I, who chose the founder of Chaumet, Marie- Etienne Nitot, to magnify his symbols of power; the Empress Josephine, whose immense taste for jewellery is reflected in the ceremonial parures adorned with pearls and diamonds often sourced from the Crown Diamonds; and the Empress Marie-Louise, the instigator of neo-classical jewellery’s golden age. The reign of Napoleon III and Eugenie is a moment of glory for the Maison at the Expositions Universelles where its creativity shines on an international stage and opens the way for expansion.

Futurist Chaumet “Vertiges” tiara, or how to reinterpret the French formal gardens with a touch of Parisian spirit.⠀

Chaumet x Central Saint Martins, UAL: 8 innovative minds, 8 innovative projects, giving life to an idea.

Chaumet, the high-end jeweller based in Paris, gave carte blanche to the jewellery students of Central Saint Martins, UAL, to create the diadem of the 21st century. The school, internationally renowned for its illustrious alumni who, as artists and designers, have made their mark on the world, was an obvious choice for Chaumet. The other essential choice was that of the diadem as subject – the emblem of the luxury Maison that has fuelled boundless creativity since the days of the Empress Joséphine.

Chaumet is a jewellery and watchmaking designer founded in 1780 by Marie-Étienne Nitot. Fourteen artisans ply their trade in the workshop on Place Vendôme under the direction of foreman Pascal Bourdariat. As of 2012, it was owned by LVMH.

The competition gathered sixty students from two classes – the Bachelor of Arts in Jewellery and Master’s Degree in Jewellery Design – resulted in a finalist group of eight. The 21-year-old British student Scott Armstrong and his “Vertiges” diadem won the Chaumet contest.

Over the decades, the House of Chaumet has designed hundreds of items of jewellery or original editions that have acquired heritage or historical status. From the 1970s, the house has been involved in an initiative to give its pieces their true worth in terms of aesthetic and historical value. This aim came to fruition with the creation of a museum in 1980 under the impetus of Béatrice de Plinval. The museum’s archives contain 200 items of jewellery, 19,800 original invoices, 80,000 drawings, 2,500 diadems and replicas of diadems in nickel silver – hundreds of which have been created since 1780. The museum is not open to the public but regularly organises events or exhibitions based on its collections.

With a desire to share, 12 Bis is the virtual extension of the Chaumet’s Musée Ephémère, once established at 12 Place Vendôme, and now accessible to everyone across borders. Chaumet’s heritage, a rich, abundant and inexhaustible source of inspiration, offers a thematic stroll through the old collections of drawings,models and photographs. An opportunity for dialogue between contemporary collections and historical creations, 12 Bis tells the story of the House, its culture and its style, including the history of these tiaras.

The Joséphine collection, launched in 2010, pays tribute to the empress, who was a devotee and collector of Chaumet jewels. This collection takes its inspiration from the diadem, tiara and aigrette, different headjewels worn by Joséphine.

Imperial Splendours at the Forbidden City: Chaumet presents its patrimonial wealth

Chaumet and Central Saint Martins, UAL create the diadem of the 21st century