Cover A contemporary creation inspired by a piece Mademoiselle Chanel made in the 1930s, preserved in the Patrimoine
A contemporary creation inspired by a piece Mademoiselle Chanel made in the 1930s, preserved in the Patrimoine
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Gabrielle Chanel wrote her own story in the world of jewellery—a tale that still lives on within the house of Chanel today through its contemporary creations and one-of-a-kind treasures in the Patrimoine collection
Gabrielle Chanel was ahead of her time in many ways. The late French designer and founder of her namesake luxury fashion house often went against society’s expectations of what women should look like through her audacious rule-breaking fashion, beauty and jewellery creations.
Her clothes prioritised comfort and freedom of movement; she popularised trousers and sailor shirts that helped liberate women from corsets. Her little black dress, a simple and sophisticated garment meant to be accessible to all was a symbol of democracy and went on to become a fashion staple known simply as LBD. She created Chanel No 5, the first perfume that showed women they could eschew the tradition of smelling only like flowers or musk, and instead wear a blend of both pure and seductive notes. These are but a few examples of the disruptor and trendsetter that Mademoiselle Chanel was, and how she unabashedly embraced modernity and femininity.
Above Gabrielle Chanel on the balcony of her suite at the Ritz Paris in 1937
Above The Chanel Watches and Fine Jewelry Patrimoine room at 18 Place Vendôme in Paris
Gabrielle Chanel on the balcony of her suite at the Ritz Paris in 1937
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Even in the traditional world of jewellery, she was a trailblazer and drew inspiration from far and wide. She looked to the baroque, such as the religious decorative motifs of her childhood, to the treasures of the Russian imperial court, Venetian palazzi, Renaissance styles, medieval art and more. She was unafraid to invent her own style and play around with combinations of baroque stones, faux pearls and decorative glass in her costume jewellery, which was always executed with immaculate craftsmanship. Her creations were made to adorn women and empower them to wear jewellery on any occasion, thereby making costume jewellery more desirable.
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Above The Chanel Watches and Fine Jewelry Patrimoine room at 18 Place Vendôme lies behind a secured gate
The Chanel Watches and Fine Jewelry Patrimoine room at 18 Place Vendôme lies behind a secured gate
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In 1932, Mademoiselle Chanel ventured into the world of high jewellery with her first collection, Bijoux de Diamants. Comprising about 50 incredible masterpieces, it is widely recognised as the world’s first high jewellery collection. She had again taken an unconventional approach to her creations, designing each piece the way she would her fashion garments by keeping women top of mind.
The Bijoux de Diamants collection comprised jewellery without clasps to allow its wearer to move about more freely, and transformable pieces that offered more versatility and individuality. Amid the hardship of the Great Depression at the time and the male-dominated jewellery industry, the significance of this brilliant and novel collection ran deep. It was unlike anything the world had seen before and caused a rise in shares for the London Diamond Corporation, which commissioned the collection. Beyond that, it changed the way people saw and desired diamonds.
Despite the majority of Bijoux de Diamants ending up being dismantled and their jewels returned to the London Diamond Corporation, the impact that it made continues to be felt throughout the maison and its creations today.
Above The original Comète brooch from the Bijoux de Diamants collection is made in platinum and set with 28 old mine-cut diamonds for a total weight of 7.8-carats
The original Comète brooch from the Bijoux de Diamants collection is made in platinum and set with 28 old mine-cut diamonds for a total weight of 7.8-carats
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Shining Bright
“Jewellery leaves its mark on an era; I should like mine to bear the mark of Chanel jewellery. It will!,” the Chanel founder had once proclaimed, and her dream became reality. In 1987, the maison opened its Fine Jewelry division and set up an archive dedicated to preserving Gabrielle Chanel’s most important creations.
Presently, about 39 such jewellery pieces have been acquired and reside in Chanel’s Patrimoine collection located in a high-security room at the maison’s iconic address, 18 Place Vendôme in Paris, France. Out of the original Bjioux de Diamants collection, only two pieces have been discovered and one of them is the Comète brooch, which was a detachable component of the Comète necklace. The maison obtained the brooch at auction in 2000 and added it to the Patrimoine.
Above Original fine jewellery created by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1930s, preserved in the Patrimoine
Original fine jewellery created by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1930s, preserved in the Patrimoine
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The Patrimoine not only preserves these historical pieces but also contemporary creations that embody the stylistic legacy and spirit of Gabrielle Chanel, both in innovative techniques and craftsmanship, as well as in heritage aesthetic codes.
Bijoux de Diamants and its incredible history, for one, had set the foundation for many of Chanel’s contemporary jewellery that followed. Most notably in 2012 and 2022, on the 80th and 90th anniversaries of Bijoux de Diamants, Chanel’s Fine Jewelry Creation Studio director Patrice Leguéreau paid homage to Mademoiselle Chanel’s pioneering collection with his interpretation: the 1932 high jewellery collections.
Above The making of the 55.55 high jewellery necklace
The making of the 55.55 high jewellery necklace
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Just as she did in Bijoux de Diamants, Leguéreau illuminated his 1932 creations with the celestial motifs—sun, comet and moon—that Mademoiselle Chanel loved. While bringing his modern touch, Leguéreau also maintained the transformable element of the jewellery, in keeping with the spirit of movement and flexibility that the original collection allowed women.
One of the most spectacular pieces from the 80th anniversary collection is the Etoile Filante necklace, Leguéreau’s interpretation of the Comète necklace from Bijoux de Diamants. The sautoir softly drapes around the decolletage with chains of diamonds attached to a star brooch set also with diamonds—creating the dreamy effect of a shooting star leaving a bright trail as it soars across the night sky. This diamond star brooch can be positioned freely on the body, and can also be detached from the necklace and worn on its own.
Today, this special piece is safeguarded in the Patrimoine, alongside its muse, the original Comète brooch from the Comète necklace.
An Enduring Spirit
Beyond the cosmos, Gabrielle Chanel had many favoured symbols, themes and creations that have now become timeless icons of the maison. To mark the 100th anniversary of Chanel No 5—named after Mademoiselle Chanel’s lucky number—in 2021, Leguéreau unveiled the first high jewellery collection dedicated to the legendary fragrance. The pièce de résistance was the remarkable 55.55 necklace—a masterpiece created for the Patrimoine and designed to resemble the iconic perfume’s bottle—complete with a jaw-dropping 55.55-carat custom‑cut diamond at its heart resembling the shape of the No 5’s distinctive bottle cap.
Above The Chanel Tweed Couture high jewellery necklace in platinum and pink gold set with a 10.20-carat cushion-cut diamond, pink sapphires, spinels and diamonds
The Chanel Tweed Couture high jewellery necklace in platinum and pink gold set with a 10.20-carat cushion-cut diamond, pink sapphires, spinels and diamonds
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Similarly, tweed, a fabric traditionally associated with the working class, is another Chanel signature that inspired Leguéreau’s high jewellery designs. In the Tweed de Chanel high jewellery collections, he reimagined the woven material in precious metals and jewels. This was no easy feat; Leguéreau and his team had to develop new techniques to replicate the texture of tweed, creating the effect of gems that have been woven together rather than welded, as seen in the Patrimoine’s Tweed Couture necklace crafted in platinum and pink gold and set with diamonds, pink sapphires and spinels.
These are a few of the 400 iconic high jewellery pieces that Chanel has in its Patrimoine, which continues to be enriched. All housed in the dedicated space at 18 Place Vendôme, both the early and contemporary jewellery are carefully classified according to the maison’s various iconic themes. From the No 5, camellia, pearl, lion and wheat, to the masculine-feminine crossover, cosmos, couture and more, it is here that the past and present of Chanel mingle across eras. Every Patrimoine creation holds a facet of Gabrielle Chanel’s spirit and therein, a piece of the maison’s living legacy.
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