Louis Vuitton: Two of the House’s Iconic Motifs Merge in the New Collection Conquêtes

During Haute Couture week in Paris, world-famous Louis Vuitton brand presented its new collection of High Jewellery – Conquêtes. It is dedicated to the woman-conqueror and seductress, with prevailing character, whose conquests are expressed symbolically through the game that the letter V embodies together with the monogram flower. The two iconic symbols of the house are combined in one collection for the first time.

The Conquêtes collection is a summation of and simultaneously a disclosure of the jewellery motifs from previous collections by the House: Acte V and Blossom. The sharp corners that characterise the first collection are harmoniously combined with the rounded forms of the second. Together, they incarnate the stylish image of a Louis Vuitton woman, so free and independent.

63 items, including necklaces with medallions, chokers, bracelets, rings, earrings, and also a jewellery watch, are headed by 3 majestic ornaments designed for the neck. They give a clear picture of the message conveyed by the House in this collection. For example, on the first necklace of imperial topaz, the motif of the letter V and the monogrammed flower are closely intertwined. They appear to speak in a heraldic language, forming a modern coat of arms. The power and severity of the necklace softens its white-pink colour scheme with the notes of blue. The centre of the piece is decorated with pink-orange imperial topaz which weighs an impressive 37.07 carats, and is complemented with 17 opals with a soft pastel glow. 

The second key necklace is a pendant on a string of pearls and diamonds, accentuated by the green-blue glare of an African mint tourmaline. The centre of the medallion, this stone weighs 54.30 carat and is transformed into a talisman of sorts, as it seems to invite us to plunge into spiritual contemplation and fulfilment.

The third necklace, quite outstanding, reveals the theme of victories in love: a bright cushion-cut garnet weighing 16.82 carats in a passionate mandarin shade is surrounded by the motif of an abstract heart. It contains all the same familiar forms – the letter V and the flower monogram, but these initial motifs are repeated countless times, like links in a chain or a house of mirrors.

The Conquêtes collection brings forth the masterly craft of Louis Vuitton jewellers on a new level. This manifests itself in the incredibly complex motifs on the chains and the faceting of the baguette diamonds directly on the pieces, meaning the flawless line connects each bend on every item. In line with the best traditions of High Jewellery art, the pieces meet the ideal proportions and alignments to form complex designs that emphasise the House’s favourite stones.

As is well known, Louis Vuitton gemologists meticulously select gems for their pieces and as a rule they go on the hunt for a long time. This is the reason why in the new high jewellery collection, as with many previous collections, there is a whole medley of coloured gems. You’ll find African tourmalines such as the real “paraiba” from Brazil, incredibly “pure” emeralds from Colombia, mandarin garnets, tsavorites of an impressive size, opals with a rich and playful palette of colours and rare imperial topaz! Concerned both for the external and internal components of its pieces, this jewellery maison respects, honours and applies moral, social and environmental principles of each and every point of creation and sale. And this was confirmed in 2012 by Louis Vuitton’s receiving certification by the Responsible Jewellery Council.