Baselword 2018: The Most Spectacular ‘Hero’ Pieces of the Fair

April 20, 2018

By Katerina Perez

4 min read

Baselworld is one of the largest jewellery and watch exhibitions in the world, and for this reason brands often take the opportunity to showcase the very best jewellery which they have to offer buyers, clients, members of the press and jewellery aficionados.

There are many different ways to interpret the idea of what ‘best jewels’ could mean: some will immediately imagine gigantic and exceptional gemstones, many will conjure images of complex jewellery design with high quality craftsmanship, and others would think of innovation in techniques and jewellery materials. Personally, I take all of these into consideration when looking for my favourite jewellery of the exhibit.

Jacob & Co.

There is one brand who can always be relied upon to deliver big, bold, colourful gemstones and diamonds: Jacob & Co. For this year’s Baselworld, Jacob Arabo served up a plethora of jewellery with statement gems, my favourite of which was the 100ct morganite and diamond drop earrings. With a refined and elegant approach to design allowing the gemstone to take centre stage, this is the definition of classic red carpet jewellery.

Jacob & Co. earrings with 100ct morganite and diamonds

Jacob & Co. earrings with 100ct morganite and diamonds

Shirley Zhang

Conversely, Shirley Zhang’s ‘Eternal Flower’ necklace is a design based on the heartfelt and deep-rooted concept of the soul as a wildflower, persevering through difficulty and creating beauty from barren land. Pearls, enamel and 18 karat gold are combined to create a highly intricate flowerbed – resplendent with fluttering butterflies -which springs up around a diamond fence.

Shirley Zhang 'Eternal Flower' necklace with diamonds, pearls, enamel and 18 karat gold

Shirley Zhang 'Eternal Flower' necklace with diamonds, pearls, enamel and 18 karat gold

 Shirley Zhang 'Eternal Flower' necklace with diamonds, pearls, enamel and 18 karat gold

Shirley Zhang 'Eternal Flower' necklace with diamonds, pearls, enamel and 18 karat gold

Messika

Messika’s ‘Once Upon a Time’ collection features a host of glittering diamond creations, but my favourite and undoubtedly the most show-stopping was the ‘The Eternal Soul’ necklace from ‘The Little Mermaid’ line. Valerie Messika juxtaposed 219.2ct of rigid, geometric emerald cut diamonds set into a fluid high jewellery masterpiece, whose draping appendages flow like the water upon which the necklace design was based. This plastron style necklace took more than 2000 hours of craftsmanship to complete, and was inspired by the form of a splayed mermaid’s tail.

Messika's design process story for the 'Once Upon a Time' collection

Messika's design process story for the 'Once Upon a Time' collection

 Messika ‘The Eternal Soul’ 219.2ct diamond necklace with 12.1ct diamond earrings and rings from ‘The Little Mermaid’ line

Messika ‘The Eternal Soul’ 219.2ct diamond necklace with 12.1ct diamond earrings and rings from ‘The Little Mermaid’ line

 Messika ‘The Eternal Soul’ 219.2ct diamond necklace with 12.1ct diamond earrings and rings from ‘The Little Mermaid’ line

Messika ‘The Eternal Soul’ 219.2ct diamond necklace with 12.1ct diamond earrings and rings from ‘The Little Mermaid’ line

Dawn

Dawn are an Asian brand who I was introduced to through visiting their stall at Baselworld last year. I was charmed with the brand’s approach to colour, and dedication to specialising in one sought-after jewellery material: jade. Dawn used a rainbow of highly intense jadeite colours in my favourite of their pieces – a necklace, bracelet and earring set featuring purple, orange and green jadeite. Within this design the brand celebrates a fusion of Eastern symbolism and laconic Western jewellery style.

Dawn earrings and cuff in green, orange and purple jadeite

Dawn earrings and cuff in green, orange and purple jadeite

 Dawn necklace in green, orange and purple jadeite

Dawn necklace in green, orange and purple jadeite

Palmiero

Palmiero are renowned for the high quality of their pavé jewellery designs, many of which take inspiration from the exceptional forms found in nature. Their swan brooch from the ‘Animals’ collection is a tribute to the eternal message of love and its power: the famous muse for Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’. The swan has been crafted in colourless diamonds, black diamonds and yellow sapphires; producing a realistic representation of the bird within an ethereal form.

Palmiero Swan brooch from the 'Animals' collection with colourless and black diamonds and yellow sapphires

Palmiero Swan brooch from the 'Animals' collection with colourless and black diamonds and yellow sapphires

 Palmiero Swan brooch from the 'Animals' collection with colourless and black diamonds and yellow sapphires

Palmiero Swan brooch from the 'Animals' collection with colourless and black diamonds and yellow sapphires

 Palmiero Swan brooch design process

Palmiero Swan brooch design process

Regardless of Baselworld 2018 marking a shift in terms of a more modest selection of jewels than in previous years, the fair’s participants did not fail to present a selection of exciting ‘hero’ pieces that surprised many visitors, myself included.

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