Chanel: New High Jewellery Collection Channels the Spirit of Venice

March 10, 2021

By Katerina Perez

8 min read

Patrice Leguéreau, director of Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, invites us on a trip to Venice. Under his leadership, a new high jewellery collection, Escale à Venise, has been created, dedicated to Coco Chanel and Italy’s beautiful floating city.

Gabrielle Chanel, the founder of the French maison, first visited Venice in 1920. Following the death of her beloved Arthur “Boy” Capel in a car accident, an affair which lasted for more than 10 years, Mademoiselle was stricken with grief for over six months and so her friends insisted on a group trip to Venice. In an attempt to distract Chanel from her sadness, they introduced her to all the very best things the city had to offer: museums and restaurants, its rich history and architecture, canals, gondoliers… and so the Italian city became one of her primary sources of inspiration for the rest of her career. It was in Venice that Gabrielle, who had always preferred black, discovered the extravagance and attraction of gold. She was also drawn to the main symbol and patron saint of the city, the Lion of St Mark, one of the key motifs in her collections.

The Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection is inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s discovery of the 'Floating City'

The Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection is inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s discovery of the 'Floating City'

 The Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection draws inspiration from Venetian landmarks that were important to Gabrielle Chanel

The Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection draws inspiration from Venetian landmarks that were important to Gabrielle Chanel

 Watercolour sketches of the colours and sights of Venice inform the new Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Watercolour sketches of the colours and sights of Venice inform the new Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 The Lion of Venice, an ancient bronze winged lion sculpture in the Piazza San Marco, served as inspiration for the new Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

The Lion of Venice, an ancient bronze winged lion sculpture in the Piazza San Marco, served as inspiration for the new Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Along with the 70 outstanding high jewellery artworks in Escale à Venise, conventionally divided into four thematic lines, Patrice Leguéreau recounts, with a modern twist, the story of the great Mademoiselle’s association with Venice, which took place more than a century ago. Remaining true to the various codes of the Maison, he harmoniously weaves camellias, lions, stars, pearls and chains into the designs. The city of bridges and canals, as it appears today, is celebrated in all its beauty through this magnificent jewellery. Approximately 10 of the pieces are decorated with large colourless and yellow diamonds of the highest quality, blue and yellow sapphires, as well as emeralds that have real investment potential in an exquisite Chanel setting.

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Éblouissante transformable necklace and earrings in pink gold, platinum and diamonds, including a 10.41 carat asscher-cut diamond and two further asscher-cut diamonds of 10.52 carats total

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Éblouissante transformable necklace and earrings in pink gold, platinum and diamonds, including a 10.41 carat asscher-cut diamond and two further asscher-cut diamonds of 10.52 carats total

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Éblouissante watch in pink gold, white gold, platinum and diamonds

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Éblouissante watch in pink gold, white gold, platinum and diamonds

The La Sérénissime line is dedicated to the city’s architectural heritage. Geometric shapes of gold, colourless diamonds, pink spinels and pearls are references to the façades of the palazzi, polychrome marble floors of the churches and the Byzantine mosaic of the city’s “golden basilica”. The Éblouissante transformable necklace, one of the collection’s most striking creations, is set with a 10.41 carat D-colour flawless Type IIa asscher-cut diamond. Two pendants on either side are decorated with similar Asscher cut diamonds, totalling 10.52 carats. These elements and the central suspension can be unfastened and removed as desired.

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière necklace in yellow gold, white gold, diamonds, onyx and red spinels

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière necklace in yellow gold, white gold, diamonds, onyx and red spinels

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, sapphire and onyx

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, sapphire and onyx

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Vénitienne necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli and cultured pearls

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Vénitienne necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli and cultured pearls

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies and emerald

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Croisière ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies and emerald

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Ruban Canotier aysmmetric earrings in white gold, pink gold, diamonds and red and black lacquer

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Ruban Canotier aysmmetric earrings in white gold, pink gold, diamonds and red and black lacquer

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Ruban Canotier ring in white gold, pink gold, diamonds and red and black lacquer

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Ruban Canotier ring in white gold, pink gold, diamonds and red and black lacquer

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Marine earrings in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Marine earrings in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Marine necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Marine necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Vénitienne two finger ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli and cultured pearl

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Volute Vénitienne two finger ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli and cultured pearl

The four suites of Gran Canale jewellery, in which the focus is not on large stones but on interesting design ideas, complement each other perfectly. They include a variety of unpaired earrings, a ‘between the finger’ ring, tiered sautoirs and tassel earrings dedicated to the nautical and boat themes. Gondolas and mooring poles, lagoons and canals, guiding stars and cruises are shown in gold, lapis lazuli, pearls, spinels, colourless and yellow diamonds, and extoll the secrets of navigating Venice’s waterways in colourful detail.

Camélia Byzantin necklace with yellow sapphires, carnelian, opals, tsavorite garnets, nephrite jade and onyx with a radiant-cut yellow diamond centre of 10.07 carats from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Camélia Byzantin necklace with yellow sapphires, carnelian, opals, tsavorite garnets, nephrite jade and onyx with a radiant-cut yellow diamond centre of 10.07 carats from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 The Camélia Byzantin necklace from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection is inspired by the Murano glass traditions of Venice

The Camélia Byzantin necklace from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection is inspired by the Murano glass traditions of Venice

  The Camélia Byzantin necklace from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection has a detachable brooch that can be worn alone with a radiant-cut yellow diamond centre

The Camélia Byzantin necklace from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection has a detachable brooch that can be worn alone with a radiant-cut yellow diamond centre

The camellia, Mademoiselle’s favourite flower, echoes the hundreds of islands in the Venetian Lagoon and the boats scurrying between them in the Isole della Laguna line. The Camélia Byzantin necklace, with a red camellia in carnelian and fire opals, and a 10.07 carat yellow diamond pestle, is reminiscent of the medieval mosaics on the island of Torcello. Camélia Vénitien, meanwhile, translates the traditions of the Murano glassmakers into jewellery, combining rock crystal and yellow gold. And the camellia, carved from matte stone and braided with chain-cords, gleams in the centre of an elegant plastron necklace, recalling the frames of Venetian mirrors in Gabrielle Chanel’s apartments on Rue Cambon.

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Secret ring with a 10.07 carat pear-shaped diamond and pave-set diamonds in white gold

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Secret ring with a 10.07 carat pear-shaped diamond and pave-set diamonds in white gold

And the grandest of the lot, in my opinion, the Spirito di Venezia line, is entirely dedicated to the Lion. Using yellow and colourless diamonds, the maison depicts the creature in the Lion Emblématique set in heraldic form. These profiles of the ‘king of beasts’, filled with a sense of strength and power, are made with stones that have a significantly high carat weight. The largest of these – 15.55 carats in D-colour and flawless clarity – is cut in the shape of a pear and adorns the Lion Secret necklace. It is accompanied by a 5 carat round cut diamond set in the centre of the camellia between the lions. Add in several hundred more diamonds and you have the most expensive item in the entire collection.

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque necklace in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer with a 10.64 carat pear-shaped diamond centre

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque necklace in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer with a 10.64 carat pear-shaped diamond centre

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds, emerald and onyx

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds, emerald and onyx

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque ring in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer with a 10.88 carat oval-cut diamond centre

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Camélia Baroque ring in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer with a 10.88 carat oval-cut diamond centre

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Constellation Astrale earrings in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires and lapis lazuli

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Constellation Astrale earrings in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires and lapis lazuli

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Constellation Astrale ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires and lapis lazuli

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Constellation Astrale ring in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires and lapis lazuli

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Secret necklace in white gold and diamonds with a 15.55 carat pear-cut diamond at its heart

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Secret necklace in white gold and diamonds with a 15.55 carat pear-cut diamond at its heart

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Emblématique ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds and yellow sapphires

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Emblématique ring in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds and yellow sapphires

 Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Emblématique necklace in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds and yellow sapphires

Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection Lion Emblématique necklace in yellow gold, platinum, diamonds and yellow sapphires

Mademoiselle’s birthday, her zodiac sign (hint: she was a Leo) and a winged lion set against the starry sky on the façade of the Basilica of San Marco are all referenced in the Constellation Astrale line, which includes jewellery made of lapis lazuli and yellow sapphires. An interesting feature of these lies in the setting of the stones: it hides the gold that surrounds the perimeter of the shapes carved from lapis lazuli. As a result, all that we see on the front and back of the necklace, bracelet and ring is a charming blue, one that is characteristic of this mineral in its finest qualities, and the yellow of the sapphires – not a single hint of the setting.

The Constellation Astrale necklace with lapis lazuli and yellow sapphires from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

The Constellation Astrale necklace with lapis lazuli and yellow sapphires from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 Camélia Baroque secret watch in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer, including a 1.51 carat brilliant-cut diamond centre, from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Camélia Baroque secret watch in white gold, diamonds and black lacquer, including a 1.51 carat brilliant-cut diamond centre, from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 Lion Secret ring with a 30.92 carat cushion-cut blue sapphire and diamonds in white gold and platinum from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Lion Secret ring with a 30.92 carat cushion-cut blue sapphire and diamonds in white gold and platinum from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 Lion Secret earrings in white gold and diamonds from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Lion Secret earrings in white gold and diamonds from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

 Camélia Baroque ring with an oval-cut diamond of 10.88 carats, further diamonds and black lacquer in white gold from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

Camélia Baroque ring with an oval-cut diamond of 10.88 carats, further diamonds and black lacquer in white gold from the Chanel Escale à Venise High Jewellery Collection

As I mentioned above, the collection includes 70 works, but not all of them are ready to purchase. Chanel’s jewellers are still working on a luxurious set of earrings, a ring and a necklace with a 27.09 carat yellow sapphire, Souvenirs de Venise brooches, a Lion Céleste diamond set and a couple of other pieces. I am sure the results will be worth the wait!

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