Cannes and its glamorous carats

If it’s the annual Cannes Film Festival, it’s a well known fact that legendary Swiss luxury brand Chopard will play starring role in all 14 days of the glittering event as the Official Partner of the event. And it was so at this year’s show which marked its 68^th edition. Meanwhile we also pay warm tribute to turquoise by bringing you a select line of jewels by leading brands featuring the blue gemstone to superb effect  

Chopard’s love affair with Cannes has continued unabated since the year 1998, beneath the sunny blue skies of the Mediterranean. To mark the 68^th edition it unfurled 68, one-of-a-kind haute joaillerie amazing creations, one for each year of the show. And the magician aka genie behind them all is the brand’s Co-President Caroline Scheufele. Chopard has been serving as official partner of the Cannes Film Festival and has crafted the famous Palm d’Or award for the best film in its Geneva workshops. This year incidentally also marks the 60^th anniversary of the Palm d’Or award

The brand unveiled its much-awaited Red Carpet collection 2015 ahead of the two-week long festival capturing its glamour in a blend of glittering diamonds, multi-coloured gemstones and gold settings. From its stunning array we feature its marvelous pair of earrings set with select diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines, the newest gemstone which has shaken up the world of jewellery with its peerless colour and luminosity.

Chopard also launched its third Green Carpet collection, it’s laudable effort since 2013 when it teamed up with Livia Firth, Colin Firth’s wife, founder of Green Carpet Challenge and creative Director of Eco Age to launch "The Journey to Sustainable Luxury" at the festival, where it revealed the first pieces in its Green Carpet high jewellery collection, crafted from Fairmined gold. Since then, Chopard jewellery from the Green Carpet Collection has been pictured frequently on red carpets around the world. French actress Marion Cotillard has been an early supporter of the collection and this year she worked with Scheufele in designing the Green Carpet collection inspired by the legendary award’s design.

Several stars were spotted flaunting Chopard’s collections and we feature the lovely French actress Léa Seydoux who walked the red carpet at the premiere of her new film ‘The Lobster’ in  an elegant powder blue Miu Miu dress and Chopard earrings featuring pear-shaped blue sapphires and white diamonds, as well as a matching sapphire ring. The talented young star was awarded the Palme d'Or prize in 2013 for her role in ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’. Standing alongside her is the gorgeous Mrs. Daniel Craig aka Rachel Weisz, in a creamy white and sequined, custom-made Louis Vuitton gown.

2013 Trophée Chopard Laureate, Spanish actress Blanca Suarez dazzled in a pair of earrings from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection featuring rubellite tourmalines (47 carats), turquoises, white diamonds and tsavorites set in 18-karat white gold and 18-karat rose gold along with an ashoka-cut white diamond bracelet (128 carats) set in platinum.

Other celebrities too were spotted adorned to the hilt in the famous brand’s collections like Charlize Theron wearing a pair of 26-carat white diamond earrings by Chopard at the premiere of Mad Max: Fury Road and a glam yellow gown by Dior. Oscar winner Julianne Moore opted for this feathered Armani Privé ensemble accompanied with a pair of pear-shaped emerald earrings (52 carats) set with white diamonds in platinum from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection and an octagonal step-cut emerald ring set in white diamond pave in 18k white gold.

Lupita Nyong'o twirled around in an exuberant emerald Gucci gown at the La Tete Haute premiere. The 2014 Academy Award winner adorned her look with a pair of pink quartz earrings by Chopard.

The lovely Chinese actress Fan BingBing made heads turn in a printed green-and-pink Ralph & Russo Couture gown paired with stunning Chopard earrings featuring pear-shaped emeralds (25 carats) and white diamonds. While Chinese actress Zhao Tao was splendid in an emerald green Tadashi Shoji gown matched by an amazing pair of Chopard marquise-cut white diamond chandelier earrings (30 carats) set in 18-karat white gold.

Member of the Jury, French actress Sophie Marceau wore three Chopard white diamond bead necklaces (totaling 270 carats) set in 18k white gold, a white diamond bracelet (33 carats) set in 18k white gold and a pair of white diamond stud earrings.

Italian jewellery brand Roberto Coin’s Garden Collection reinterprets the eternal fascination of secret gardens in precious and expressive notes in rings and pendants elate the imagination towards an enchanted world that looks charming with rich details from unexpected and extraordinary forms. In it diamonds, sapphires, and rubies from architectural cuts mix with the pureness of gold, celebrating architectural engravings and conferring life to jewels of an unusual and fairy-tale design. Each piece is handcrafted and elegantly refined in white, yellow or rose gold. Some of the statement pieces from this collection include its gorgeous necklace where a majestic blue sapphire plays a garden pool surrounded by dragon flies and other tiny creatures busy with their life. The meticulous design of the Garden Collection makes each piece a work of art.

The Versace Fine Jewellery collection is full of pieces of pure luxury and the most extraordinary craftsmanship. With this collection, artistic director Donatella Versace brings together the world’s most precious gemstones to create hand-crafted pieces that reflect both the brand’s legendary heritage, and the allure and sophistication of the Versace world today. We feature its royal ring as temptation where a cushion-cut emerald plays protagonist in the heart of a floral motif with golden petals and a row of dazzling diamond brilliants. What more could one want?

Parisian jewellery brand Cartier’s favourite beast plays an assertive role as a glittering brooch in its stunning Panthère de Cartier cuff-bracelet crafted from platinum and lavished over with diamonds and sapphires, emeralds and a touch of onyx on the nose. The nine-rows of round sapphire beads dazzle with a tasteful sprinkling of diamonds making it a statement piece in any setting.

Popular jewellery brand Pandora brings about a delightful pairing of nature and craftsmanship, in its new Spring 2015 collection by featuring Murano glass charms meticulously decorated by hand with multi-layered swirling flowers embellished with cubic zirconia stones and vivid green foliage to create a miniature still life captured within the glass.

It is said, that when rocks dream about water, turquoise is born. The rich blue coloured gemstone has been carried as amulets and prized by royalty world over. Interestingly it got its name from the trade routes through Turkey where merchants of yore bought the stone from the bazaars. The name is translated from French ‘pierre turquoise’ for Turkish stone. So in tribute to its beauty, we feature collections by leading brands where turquoise features prominently.

Leading jewellery brand De Grisogono’s jewels were all the rage at Cannes recently, and were spotted on A-lister like Natalie Portman, Michelle Rodriguez and models Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls and Karlie Kloss. Its Melody of Colours collection is a rich treasure trove of delights from which we select its delightful pair of earrings, a la gypsy fervour, set with 74 white diamonds, 118 amethysts, 42 marquise-set amethysts, two amethyst drops and cylinder-cut turquoise in white gold settings.

Legendary Italian luxury brand, Bulgari’s Egyptian-inspired earrings displays the brand’s love for bold and unusual colour combinations. It features red spinel beads near the ear lobe from where two turquoise cones drop down, and are further set with three other red spinel beads. The pair is accented by round diamonds weighing 1.76 carats, and was sold to benefit The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.

British jewellery designer Stephen Webster MBE is known for the Gothic touch in his collections. We present an elegant piece from his Crystal Haze collection – the love Haze necklace fashioned from 18k white gold, turquoise, quartz and white diamonds. A true innovator, Webster developed the crystal haze process applying state-of-the-art laser-cutting techniques to age-old materials. Fusing a facetted crystal over a precious gemstone, the process produces colour that is illuminated to create a holographic haze to present femininity a timeless line of jewels.

Renowned jeweler Piaget’s Extremely Piaget collection was launched to mark the famous brand’s 140^th anniversary last year including its participation at the Biennale des Antiquaires. From this glam collection we select its beautiful necklace in white gold set with 301ct of turquoise beads, 42ct of chrysoprase beads, a 23ct cabochon emerald, 15ct of pear-shaped chrysoprase, pear-shaped turquoise and brilliant-cut diamonds, offering a toast to turquoise and to summer.

Colour block techniques were apparently very much in force in the early 20th century as Boucheron’s strikingly attractive pair of drop earrings featuring lapis lazuli, turquoise and diamonds prove, dating to circa 1940. In its eight turquoise beads form a pretty floral motif accented by a lapis lazuli bead in the centre. From this motif a slender gold link set with diamonds and turquoise dangles an awesome, pear-shaped, lapis lazuli. A pair for posterity grab it if you can!

Continuing the blue theme, we feature Chanel’s magnificent Café Society Cruise necklace set with a 28.30ct brilliant cut aquamarine, diamonds, aquamarine beads, and black spinels. It’s composed of a thick rope of aquamarine beads which encircle the neck of the wearer clinched by a strikingly attractive pendant featuring a floral, geometric motif set with diamonds, black spinels and further aquamarine beads. A perfect red carpet piece, it’s a tribute to geometric excellence.

Acclaimed jewellery brand Fabergé charms us with its delightful pair of earrings from its new Summer in Provence high jewellery collection, set with emeralds and diamonds and finished with hand-painted blue enamel recalling turquoise blue. The collection instantly transports you to France’s sunny south with its flowing shapes exuding lightness. Accented by pave diamonds, the bow-shaped motif is also carefully crafted to recall the famous Faberge egg – its signature motif.