Impressionism: The Paintings of Claude Monet, Embodied in Jewels

May 30, 2021

By Katerina Perez

7 min read

Jewellery is an art form that frequently reflects the world around us. More and more we see jewellery interpretations of animals, birds, flowers, architecture and… paintings. It is time for me to return to the subject of famous artists and how their works have influenced jewellery designers, focusing on one extraordinary painter in particular whose artworks over the past decade have become either a direct or an indirect source of inspiration for dozens of jewellers across the globe.

The first works of Oscar Claude Monet, the creator of Impressionism, were, to put it mildly, poorly received by critics. His unusual manner of applying paint to canvas, the fusion of man with nature and the depiction of the movement of air – all of this was new and incomprehensible. With the passage of time, everything has settled in its rightful place: the works of Claude Monet are now valuable exhibits in museums that inspire contemporary experimentalists to create new masterpieces. I have compiled the works of completely different jewellers who have embodied the basic principles of Impressionism using precious materials. These are unique creations, entirely different from each other, something I invite you to see for yourselves.

Pauly Claude Monet-inspired carved spectrolite gemstone from the Old Masters Collection

href=”http://www.annahu.com/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Anna Hu – Taiwan

This Anna Hu necklace is inspired by a canvas from Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series, painted during his late period in 1914. All his life, the artist observed landscapes created by nature itself and later, settling in Giverny, he created a pond of his own where he planted delightful water lilies so that he could capture them on his canvases. The Taiwanese jeweller also worked from scratch and by-hand to draw up a sketch of this necklace, which has been fashioned with gold, a 5.22-carat tanzanite cabochon, 11 sapphires weighing 41.5 carats in total, as well as tsavorites, morganites, alexandrites, Paraiba tourmalines, pastel-coloured sapphires and diamonds. A total of 1,590 stones with a total weight of 630.17 carats were used and the necklace took two years to make. Incidentally, it has never been put up for sale and is in the designer’s personal collection.

Anna Hu Waterlilies necklace inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet with a 5.22 carat tanzanite cabochon, 11 sapphires weighing 41.5 carats, tsavorites, tourmalines, morganites, alexandrites, Paraiba tourmalines, natural pastel-colored sapphires and diamonds for a total weighing 630.17 carats

Anna Hu Waterlilies bracelet hand-piece inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet, set with a multitude of coloured gemstones, briolettes, cabochons and diamonds

href=”https://buccellati.com/en/jewellery” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Buccellati – Italy

In March 2015, the Buccellati family invited guests to their flagship boutique in New York to celebrate its opening and present a collection of five new impressionist and post-impressionist-inspired jewels. Claude Monet, Pierre Bonnard, Winslow Homer, Mikhail Larionov and Odilon Redon inspired Andrea and Lucrezia Buccellati to carry out this creative experiment. One of their creations, a pair of earrings that resemble raging waves, was inspired by Storm off the Belle-Ile Coast, painted by Claude Monet in 1886. As in the artist’s painting, the light is captured by the honeycomb surface of the white gold earrings and then amplified by Paraiba tourmalines and diamonds. The sophisticated design, in keeping with the most traditional and charming style of Buccellati, encapsulates the power of the sea, the beauty of simple colour combinations and the perfection of nature.

Buccellati pendant earrings in 18k white gold with 1,066 round brilliant-cut diamonds and 354 Paraiba tourmalines

href=”https://www.faberge.com/collections/frederic-zaavy” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Frédéric Zaavy – France

The late Frédéric Zaavy was an outstanding Parisian jeweller who took jewellery to the next level by combining exquisite colour combinations with the superb craftsmanship of a Parisian atelier. In 2005, together with Fabergé, he created a limited collection of high jewellery that also includes the Les Nymphéas cuff bracelet, a tribute to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Its manufacture required silver, platinum, yellow and white gold, as well as thousands of precious stones of various sizes, fixed using the pavé technique. Fancy-colour diamonds weighing 11.93 carats are punctuated by rubies, aquamarines, amethysts, fire opals, moonstones, tsavorites, spinels, Paraiba tourmalines and sapphires of various colours to convey paint strokes on Zaavy’s jewellery ‘canvas’.

Les Nymphéas cuff bracelet by Frédéric Zaavy for Fabergé in platinum, silver, and yellow and white gold, with pavé-set rubies, aquamarines, amethysts, fire opals, moonstones, tsavorites, spinels, paraiba tourmaline and sapphires, in addition to 11.93 carats of fancy colour diamonds

This Frédéric Zaavy for Fabergé cuff bracelet is inspired by Claude Monet's famous impressionistic paintings of waterlilies

href=”http://ilgiz.com/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Ilgiz F. – Russia

“Impressionism was a breath of fresh air in the visual arts. Everyone wanted to breathe this fresh air, including me. I wanted to plunge into it and learn how my consciousness can improvise nature in a new way,” Ilgiz Fazulzyanov admits. Remaining faithful to his signature hot enamel technique, Ilgiz created five rings inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet. ‘Water Lilies’ and ‘Irises by the Pond’ are positioned around opals that imitate the surface of the pond as depicted by the artist. The fact that Ilgiz was originally trained as a painter explains his excellent sense of colour and his ability to perfectly combine different shades of gemstone and enamel in his works.

Ilgiz F. Claude Monet-inspired waterlilies ring crafted using hot enamel techniques in yellow gold

Ilgiz F. Claude Monet-inspired irises ring decorated using hot enamel techniques and set with diamonds

Ilgiz F. Claude Monet-inspired ring with a boulder opal gemstone 'pond' surrounded by hot enamel irises in yellow gold

Ilgiz F. Claude Monet-inspired lotus flower ring with an opal centre stone surrounded by hot enamel lotus leaves

href=”https://www.zeemouzeng.com/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Zeemou Zeng – UK and China

Award-winning designer Zeemou Zeng has released a new impressionist collection inspired by the works of Renoir, Seurat, Manet and of course Monet. He dedicated five pairs of earrings with beads made of opaque chalcedony, lapis lazuli, amethysts, aquamarines and aventurines to Monet, tempering them with faceted peridots obtained by the Fuli company. Zeemou Zeng chose gemstones for this collection that reflect the impressionist colour palette and created shapes and textures in white, rose and yellow gold with elaborate geometric precision. The ‘cherry on the cake’ is a trademark shared by all the pieces: a mechanism that allows stones to move and slide, an imitation of the movement of light, colour and texture which completes the picture.

Zeemou Zheng The Impressionists Dangle earrings in 18k white gold with lapis lazuli and green chalcedony, inspired by ‘Blue Water Lilies’ by Claude Monet

Zeemou Zheng The Impressionists Dangle earrings in 18k yellow gold with golden mother of pearl, aquamarine and amethysts, inspired by ‘Water-Lilies’ by Claude Monet

Zeemou Zheng The Impressionists Dangle earrings in 18k white gold with pavé diamonds, Fuli peridot, and blue and green chalcedony, inspired by ‘Water Lilies and the Japanese bridge’ by Claude Monet

Zeemou Zheng The Impressionists Dangle earrings in 18k rose gold with amethyst, yellow chalcedony and red aventurine, inspired by ‘Houses of Parliament, The Sun Shining through the Fog’ by Claude Monet

href=”https://paulycarvings.com/en/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Pauly Carvings – Germany

Claude Monet’s work has even touched the hearts of the stone carving specialists at Pauly Carvings. At their workshop, a collection of Old Masters jewellery was made that became a tribute to such master painters as Van Gogh, Klimt, Casper David Friedrich, Monet and many others. To decorate the stones, the craftsmen used the technique of recessed engraving and painting of rock crystal in the most modern way. The paintings or parts of them are engraved on rock crystal and then painted with gold, pigments and paints. The background is made of a thin opal plate. It is a rare craft, almost as rare as the materials used by the fifth generation of this family-owned company.

Pauly rock crystal cabochon reverse intaglio carved, painted with oil and gold and backed with a thin layer of opal, inspired by ‘The Blue Rowing Boat’ by Claude Monet

Pauly ‘Waterlily’ hand-carved and painted rock crystal with a slice of opal from the ‘Old Masters’ Collection, inspired by Claude Monet

Remarkable creative and often challenging work is a great reminder of the artistry of art! Were you surprised by how these works – often based on the same paintings of water lilies – are completely different from each other? Imbued with the same concept, each bears their creator’s signature and a unique vision of jewellery design.

The Gift of Heritage: Antique and Vintage Jewellery for a Truly Unique Christmas

If you are ready to explore antique creations for the ultimate Christmas surprise, here’s our advice for making the best shopping decisions…

by Claire Roberts

Subscription banner

Katerina PerezClub

Step into a universe devoted to jewellery that has been especially curated to indulge your passion, impart knowledge and inspire the next steps on your jewellery journey. Discover exclusive content you won’t find elsewhere.

join the club

Latest Stories

Add articles and images to your favorites. Just

Jeweller of the Month:MADLY Gems

Singaporean brand celebrates 10-year anniversary

by Katerina Perez

Jewels Katerina Perez Loves

Continue Reading

Ask Katerina:Diamond Jewellery Styling Tips for Modern Dressing

Here are some of the answers I gave during the presentation to aid your jewellery dressing…

by Katerina Perez

Jewellery Insights straight to your inbox

Style Guide

By using this website, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.