Cover Louis Vuitton Deep Time Wave necklace (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Louis Vuitton Deep Time Wave necklace (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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The luxury maison charts the marvels of life and evolution through incredible craftsmanship and stunning gemstones in its new Deep Time high jewellery collection
It is often said that good things take time. Precious gemstones are a great illustration of this adage, as they typically require millions to billions of years to form naturally—hence their rarity and value. While we can easily appreciate the beauty of these masterpieces of nature, Louis Vuitton is diving deeper by tracing the profound journey of gemstones in its latest high jewellery collection, starting from the birth of planet Earth to the creation of life and its evolution.
Named Deep Time, this is the fifth high jewellery collection by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for watches and jewellery, and the maison’s largest one yet. Comprising more than 170 unique pieces and a record number of precious stones, Deep Time is being unveiled in two chapters. The first chapter of 95 creations was presented this June in Greece, the home of one of earth’s oldest civilisations, within a scenography designed by São Paulo‑based design practice Estudio Campana. The second part of the collection is set to roll out in 2024.
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Above Louis Vuitton Deep Time Flowers necklace in pink and white gold set with a LV Monogram Star‑cut diamond, rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Above Louis Vuitton Deep Time Rupture necklace in platinum and yellow gold set with a 15.02‑carat opal, a 13.81‑carat yellow sapphire, opals, zircons and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Louis Vuitton Deep Time Flowers necklace in pink and white gold set with a LV Monogram Star‑cut diamond, rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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Louis Vuitton tells its tale of Deep Time through two acts: Geology and Life, which span a total of 16 themes, 13 of which are presented in this first chapter. Each theme features exquisite jewels that combine the brand’s savoir faire and design signatures with the magic of geology to tell an extraordinary tale of metamorphosis, life and interconnectedness.
“At Louis Vuitton, we are as ever adventurers, travelling to extraordinary, unexpected places,” says Amfitheatrof. “Deep Time will transport you deeply into the past, to a time and place that is so remote and perhaps even difficult to comprehend. But at the same time, the stones—these treasures that span millennia—will bring you right there, to the beginning of the planet and into a history of the world and its mystical geological legacy.”
Above Louis Vuitton Deep Time Bones Bracelet in white gold set with tanzanites and diamonds; Deep Time Bones ring in platinum and white gold set with a 6.87‑carat cabochon opal, LV Monogram Star‑cut diamonds and diamonds; Deep Time Bones bracelet in platinum and white gold set with a 19.64‑carat tanzanite, opals and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Louis Vuitton Deep Time Bones Bracelet in white gold set with tanzanites and diamonds; Deep Time Bones ring in platinum and white gold set with a 6.87‑carat cabochon opal, LV Monogram Star‑cut diamonds and diamonds; Deep Time Bones bracelet in platinum and white gold set with a 19.64‑carat tanzanite, opals and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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Opening with Geology, Louis Vuitton’s tale of this impressive odyssey across the ages begins with the theme of Gondwana, an ancient supercontinent that existed from around 550 to 180 million years ago—comprising the land masses presently known as South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia, Antarctica, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent—and represents major stages of our planet’s geological formation and evolutionary history. An exclusive selection of extremely rare, no‑oil Colombian emeralds is the star of this theme, which is followed by the explosive themes of Volcano, Wave and Rupture that feature some especially audacious pieces. Drift, an ode to the sun and sea with lustrous aquamarine and yellow sapphire jewellery, closes the Geology act.
In the second act, magnificent creations embody various aspects of Life through eight themes: Origin, Myriad, Fossils, Plants, Flight, Bones, Seeds and Flowers. Here, the jewels are a celebration of life, channelling movement, nature and interconnectedness.
Above Louis Vuitton Deep Time Flight necklace in white gold set with a 4.17‑carat ruby and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Louis Vuitton Deep Time Flight necklace in white gold set with a 4.17‑carat ruby and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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Across the various themes in the collection, the Deep Time creations are diverse and versatile, with many designed to be worn in several different ways—in line with Amfitheatrof’s continued efforts at creating more transformable pieces over the past five years.
“We have this incredible ambition to find the most beautiful stones, which in Deep Time are all connected to a theme, whether formed from lava, [hailing] from different continents or [symbolising] an idea,” explains Amfitheatrof. “Deep Time is a celebration of the past, [and] also the beauty of nature and the incredible fragility of life.”
Signature codes of the maison can also be seen throughout the collection, such as its V motif, which is presented in pieces such as the Wave necklace. Reimagining the catastrophe of tsunamis, this necklace embodies the power of a colossal, surging wave that curls and drops into a V shape. This is achieved by alternating small and large bands of pave and baguette white diamonds—creating the effect of water sparkling in the sun—that meet at the sharp point of the V to hold a flawless 6.19‑carat LV Monogram Flower‑cut diamond, from which dangles a magnificent 40.80‑carat oval‑cut sapphire from Sri Lanka.
Above Louis Vuitton Deep Time Wave necklace in white gold set with a 40.80‑carat royal blue sapphire, a 6.19‑carat LV Monogram Flower‑cut diamond and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
Louis Vuitton Deep Time Wave necklace in white gold set with a 40.80‑carat royal blue sapphire, a 6.19‑carat LV Monogram Flower‑cut diamond and diamonds (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
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“The wave curling under your neck is an extraordinary design and an extraordinary concept,” says Amfitheatrof, adding that the rare royal blue sapphire showcased, which can also be detached and worn on a separate chain, is “one of the collection’s masterpiece stones”.
The iconic LV Monogram Flower motif appears again and more strikingly in the Flowers theme, in the form of a spectacular floral medallion necklace. Suspended from a gold chain of interlocking diamond pave rings and links is a flower crafted from alternating layers of petals fully set with custom‑cut raspberry‑hued rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds, which fan out from a central LV Monogram Star‑cut diamond.
This exuberant necklace and the Flowers theme also mark the epilogue of Deep Time—a fitting conclusion to the voyage of adventure and transformation through the aeons that started with the geological formations and apocalyptic evolutions through to the multiple facets of life and finally, the ephemeral beauty of nature.
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
