Enchanting Winter: jewellery inspired by the frosty season

December 11, 2017

By Katerina Perez

8 min read

The fairytale, beautiful time of year, winter, is a season that we associate with magic from earliest childhood. A succession of holidays, gifts, and snow-white decorations from nature herself, as she generously dresses everything around in a white cloak – all this invariably gives us a sense of deep happiness. This festive joy sweeps jewellers along in its tide, inspiring them to imagine and create beautiful images in their winter jewellery.

Beauty and deep emotions always inspire jewellers that stay loyal to the naturalistic traditions and enable them to embody the symbols of winter in precious materials. Remember, for example, Chaumet’s Lumières d’Eau high jewellery collaction, dedicated to water in all its forms. In it, creative director Claire Deve-Rakoff captured subtle springs, torrential rains, the mists of sunny lakes and unique frost beauties. An extensive line incorporating several kinds of necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings was dedicated to the winter manifestations of water with one of the most extraordinary pieces being a secret watch, Stalactites, with features crafted from platinum and diamonds.

Jewellery house Boucheron has gone a step further this year and had dedicated an entire collection of unique pieces, L’Hiver Impérial, to the winter. The beauty of the northern women, the geometric harmony of snowflakes, frozen waterfalls, wild animals with frost-covered fur, snow-covered roofs – all are embodied in diamonds, pearls, mother-of-pearl and other gemstones.

Jewellery Theatre

Jewellery Theatre

Nature has become an incredible source of inspiration for the jewellery designer Nadine Aysoy. In the Tsarina collection the frosty crystal becomes a symbol of the uniqueness and originality of every woman, since in nature there are no two identical snowflakes. At the base of the rings, pendants and earrings lies an ice star decorated in the centre either with a pink morganite, a deep blue topaz, a pink sapphire or some other gemstone framed with intricate diamond motifs.And, most recently, the British designer Solange Azagury-Partridge release a new collection by the name of Supernature, which included a necklace, earrings and a ring in the form of streams of frozen water. The silhouette of white gold stalactites and specks of diamonds always ends with a teardrop-like colourless stone with a movable mount, strengthening the play of light in the piece as it moves.The winter theme also drips through the works of the Russian enamel master Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, the jewelled watches decorated with snowflakes from the Swiss company Chopard, the works of French designer Lydia Courteille, and the famous American brand Tiffany&Co. And many, many others. Year after year, new jewelled interpretations of icy water and inhabitants of the North Pole make their appearance, so you can be sure: in 2018, the winter fairytale will continue.

Boucheron •

Boucheron •

Boucheron 'Le Husky' watch from Lumiére de Nuit, part of the L'Hiver Imperiale collection

Piaget •

Piaget •

Piaget 'Extremely Piaget' ear cuff with 16.07ct marquise and brilliant cut diamonds

Chopard •

Chopard •

Chopard 'Happy Snowflakes' watch, with mother of pearl and diamonds

Solange Azagury-Partridge •

Solange Azagury-Partridge •

Solange Azagury-Partridge 'Icicle' earring from the Supernature collection, in white gold and diamonds

Nadine Aysoy •

Nadine Aysoy •

Nadine Aysoy 'Tsarina Ice Flake' Ring in white gold with 6.75ct topaz and 0.65ct diamonds

Alessio Boschi •

Alessio Boschi •

Alessio Boschi 'Blue Ice' ring and earrings from Naturalia collection, in white gold, pearls, topaz and diamonds

Tessa Packard •

Tessa Packard •

Tessa Packard 'Antarctica' ring, with hand carved quartz star and pave diamond setting in yellow gold

Lydia Courteille •

Lydia Courteille •

Lydia Courteille ring in white gold, with rutilated quartz and 2.1ct diamond setting

Ilgiz F. •

Ilgiz F. •

Ilgiz F. 'Winter Forest' ring in white gold, with aquamarine and 3.37 carat diamond and enamel setting

Vhernier •

Vhernier •

Vhernier 'Penguin' brooch with layered "trasparenza" mother-of-pearl, carnelian, onyx and diamonds

Ichien •

Ichien •

Ichien 'Bullfinches' ring in rubies, sapphires and diamonds

Chopard •

Chopard •

Chopard Limited Edition 'Precious Polar Bear' diamond ring

Van Cleef and Arpels •

Van Cleef and Arpels •

Van Cleef and Arpels 'Snowflake' bracelet in platinum and diamonds

Fabergé •

Fabergé •

Fabergé La Broche Lara à Irkutsk with pink sapphires, pearls and diamonds

Boucheron •

Boucheron •

Boucheron 'Flocon' Lumiere de Nuit ring in white gold, mother of pearl and diamonds from L'Hiver Imperiale collection

Mario Buzzanca •

Mario Buzzanca •

Mario Buzzanca 'Penguins' necklace in rose gold, pearls, black and colourless diamonds

Calleija •

Calleija •

Celleija tapered baguette Star pendant with Argyle pink diamonds

Harry Winston •

Harry Winston •

Harry Winston Lotus Cluster ring with diamonds set in platinum

Vladimir Markin •

Vladimir Markin •

Vladimir Markin earrings with sapphires and diamonds

Chaumet •

Chaumet •

Chaumet Eau d'Hiver ring from Lumieres d'Eau collection set with rock crystal and diamonds

Theo Fennell •

Theo Fennell •

Theo Fennell diamond 'Arts' charm

JRS Jewelry: Julien Riad Sahyoun presents his first high jewellery collection

continue reading

Male Adornment: The Evolution of Men’s Jewellery from the 1400s Until Today

Men's jewellery is often overlooked, yet its history is both rich and cyclical. Over the past six centuries, the popularity of male adornments has fluctuated, reflecting shifts in fashion, status, and cultural values. Here, Amanda Triossi examines the reasons behind male jewellery, along with its periods of abundance and decline.

by Amanda Triossi

Perfect Proposal: The Top 10 Engagement Ring Mistakes to Avoid 

The moment you start thinking about proposing, everything shifts. Ordinary things become significant: dinner out, a walk in the park, a glance at their jewellery box. And then comes "the ring": a symbol of love, yes, but also a silent spokesperson for everything you feel and hope for. No pressure, right?

by Claire Roberts

Couture Show 2025: The Top 10 Debutants Heading to Las Vegas 

The much anticipated Couture Show will return to Wynn Las Vegas from June 4-8, 2025, shining a spotlight on established design talent, new creatives, and international brands that are vying for attention on the global stage. Just like in previous years, I am focusing my attention on the debutants

by Katerina Perez

Designing the Future: Revealing the Winners of the Katerina Perez x Osmium Institute Design Contest

What a ride it has been, witnessing such pure creative energy and original thinking, especially with a material as rare and futuristic as osmium

by Katerina Perez

New Icons: The Latest Collections by Italian Micromosaic Master SICIS 

I was presented with two striking new collections – Icon and Colibrì – that offer different interpretations of the SICIS aesthetic. Below, I want to give you a closer look at these capsule suites and tell you more about the inspirations behind them

by Katerina Perez

Fabulous Fabrications: TAOS Presents a Trio of Watches Inspired by Couture Fashion

Occasionally, beautiful timepieces demonstrating exceptional Métiers d’Art will land on our virtual desks and result in a round-robin series of emails. In the hours after we received insights into the emerging Swiss brand TAOS, almost the entire team had seen the fabric-inspired dials of its latest creations, and we all agreed that an article was […]

by Sarah Jordan

A Century of Sparkle: Celebrating 100 Years of Art Deco at GemGenève

From May 8-11, 2025, visitors to GemGenève can immerse themselves in a showcase of antique and modern jewellery while also experiencing the innovative spirit of the 1920s and 1930s through a photographic lens. Here, I'd like to tell you more about this creative collaboration and introduce you to the brands taking part…

by Katerina Perez

Tailored Perfection: The Best Jewellery Looks of the Met Gala 2025

Not since 2003 has a Met Gala theme focused exclusively on menswear, so we had high hopes for this year’s attendees demonstrating the best of tailored suiting adorned with high jewels. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best ensembles of the evening…

by Sarah Jordan

Legacy of Love: The Dreamlike Jewels of Emirati Designer Mariyeh Ghelichkhani

Jewellery is a transmitter of memories and emotions through time, which is something that Dubai-based designer Mariyeh Ghelichkhani knows all too well. During our meeting in Dubai, we spoke about the importance of family, the sweetness of finding joy through creativity, and the ability to translate dreamy visions and deep feelings into wearable pieces…

by Katerina Perez

Celebrating Colour: 20 Uplifting Jewellery Creations by Lisa Nik

Whether you're craving a juicy mandarin garnet or an eye-catching bi-colour tourmaline, here are 20 joyful pieces that exemplify the Lisa Nik approach, as well as the inspiration behind them…

by Sarah Jordan

Watches and Wonders 2025: The Coolest Watch Novelties

With pastel pops, Pop Art influences, and playful twists on time itself, Watches and Wonders 2025 delivered a vibrant feast of creativity. Discover the fun new watches setting trends in Geneva this spring

by Rachael Taylor

White Hot: Achromatic Jewellery is Having a Moment

Let’s explore the revival of all white jewellery and discover why this look is universally complementary – and a great investment.  

by Rachael Taylor

Latest Stories

Add articles and images to your favourites. Just

Reinventing Royalty:The European-Inspired Luxury Behind Isabel Gemology

I started 2025 with a series of articles titled ‘Jeweller of the Month’ to highlight the true talent among niche designers in the jewellery industry. For May, it is Isabel Delgado, the founder of Isabel Gemology, who I would like to shine the spotlight on.

by Katerina Perez

Jewels Katerina Perez Loves

Continue Reading

Writing Adventures:Co-Authoring the Book

Paraiba: The Legacy of a Color

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.