Chanel’s 1932 high jewellery collection is inspired by a storied past

At the time, the fashion icon remarked: “Nothing could be better for forgetting the crisis than feasting one’s eyes on beautiful new things, which the skills of our craftsmen and women never cease to unveil.” This notion of finding refuge in inspiring creations that evoke joy is a sentiment that is extremely relevant today, more than 90 years later, in another global crisis, as we enter a post‑pandemic era. 

Not only was Bijoux de Diamants a beautiful collection, but it also broke boundaries. It was worlds apart from the creations of the male‑dominated jewellery industry back then, as Mademoiselle Chanel approached jewellery for women in the same innovative way she approached fashion: with the aim of liberating women’s bodies by adorning them. Her pieces were centred on the unities of theme, time and place, and complemented her couture designs. Always designing with women in mind, she created jewellery without clasps so as not to restrict the wearer’s movements, as well as pieces that were transformable to allow for freedom of expression and individuality.

“My jewellery never stands in isolation from the idea of women and their dresses. It is because dresses change that my jewellery is transformable,” said the designer. To showcase the disruptive collection, she planned every detail of the Bijoux de Diamants exhibition held in November 1932 in her townhouse on 29 rue du Faubourg Saint‑Honoré.

A portion of the Bijoux de Diamants collection was lost to history, but of the pieces identified, 22 were interpretations of comets, moons and suns. There were also 17 optical‑illusion‑style designs that capture the softness and lightness of ribbons, fringes and feathers, as well as eight graphic pieces with spirals, circles, squares and crosses.

Reaching for the Stars

Just as Mademoiselle Chanel’s sparkling diamond creations served as glimmers of hope when they were first unveiled in 1932, Chanel continues to uplift and inspire through its founder’s legacy with the launch of a high jewellery collection celebrating Bijoux de Diamants on its 90th anniversary last year. Named 1932, the collection centres on the celestial motifs beloved by the designer and that featured heavily in Bijoux de Diamants.

Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, explains: “I wanted to create a different vision of this legacy, by setting these celestial elements in motion. To do this, I have given figurative expression to the shimmer of the comet, the halo of the moon and the radiance of the sun. These graphic motifs, often detachable, amplify the brilliance of the jewels. The choice of stones and their settings were also designed with this in mind. In addition to diamonds, I introduced colour, using exceptional gemstones to represent the celestial universe: blue diamonds, yellow diamonds, blue and yellow sapphires, opals, and rubies.”

The star of the 1932 collection is undoubtedly the Allure Céleste necklace, a unique creation encapsulating the magic of the night sky that combines three celestial motifs: a moon, a star and a comet. Representing the moon and anchoring this transformable piece is a jaw‑dropping 55.55‑carat intense blue oval‑cut sapphire, encircled by a removable halo of dazzling round‑cut diamonds. The star is equally brilliant, with a 2.52‑carat round diamond at its centre that is surrounded by another detachable halo of diamonds designed to look like sunrays. Lastly, like a comet hurtling through the sky, rows of diamonds in assorted cuts seem to emanate like a tail from a stunning 8.05‑carat pear‑shaped diamond.

Both halos as well as the comet element can be worn as brooches, while a central row of diamonds can be detached and worn as a bracelet, transforming the necklace into a shorter version. When worn as its separate elements, the Allure Céleste truly embodies the Chanel founder’s desire to cover women with constellations.

“The spirit of movement, freedom and flexibility inspired by Mademoiselle Chanel in 1932 is celebrated in the transformable nature of some of the pieces,” says Leguéreau, adding that each piece is designed such that it composes a line of diamonds adorned with a celestial motif. “The purity of the lines is specifically designed to enhance the beauty of the stones, especially the diamonds, which have been selected in a variety of shapes to create depth and different graphic rhythms.”

Another stunner in the 1932 collection is the white and yellow gold Soleil 19 Août necklace set with white and yellow diamonds. Also transformable, it has a sun motif bearing a yellow diamond that can be worn on a ring or on its own as a brooch. When the motif is removed from the necklace, the necklace can also be worn on its own.

Says Leguéreau: “[Mademoiselle Chanel said she wanted to ‘cover women in constellations’.] I hope that this is what we’ve achieved, by sprinkling showers of diamonds over their décolleté, putting scintillating comets around their wrists and presenting them with celestial shapes, illuminating women’s own radiance.”

Close to 60 creations from the 1932 collection were presented in Singapore for the first time at a private event late last month. The collection is available for public viewing from April 1 to 6, at the Chanel fashion boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Click through the gallery below to discover more of the pieces from the Chanel 1932 collection.

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