What makes a gem precious? There are only four gemstones that get that distinction: diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. According to geologists, these stones possess the minerals that combine the highest degrees of beauty, hardness, durability and rarity. Precious stones in jewelry have fascinated mankind since the dawn of time. Before written language or even the spoken word, there was jewelry. British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle said of primitive man, “The first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration.”
But jewelry is more than a mere ornament, a flash of cash or historical heirloom in a museum or gathering dust in a safe. Jewelry symbolizes so much more than that — it is a symbol of our separation from the animal kingdom and our desire to capture and appreciate beauty.
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High jewelry — or in French, haute joaillerie — refers to the most expensive pieces of jewelry available from the big-name houses, many of which are one-of-a-kind; cost millions due to materials, workmanship and signature, and include extremely valuable gemstones as distinctive features.
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The formal high jewelry shows happen in Paris during the Haute Couture shows, and both exemplify the best in creativity and materials, and offer designs that drive the imagination beyond the possible. But the highest form of jewelry art does more than inspire fantasy and imagination: It also keeps old craftsmanship alive, and offers a tangible and portable way to preserve investments.
Here, WWD showcases pieces made from the finest precious stones — diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies — crafting exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces that dazzle the eye and maintain the rare art that goes back centuries.