It’s going to be a busy year for Louis Vuitton jewelry, with a dedicated atelier due to open in March, followed by the debut of its first jewelry store in July — both in the same building on Place Vendôme. So it was fitting that the house, which historically has been associated with travel, put its suitcases down on home turf for the latest L’âme du Voyage fine jewelry collection, this time dedicated to the city of Paris.
Lorenz Bäumer, Vuitton’s artistic director for jewelry, said one of his favorite things to do in the city at night is take a ride on the big Ferris wheel parked at the gates of the Tuileries gardens to watch the city sparkling below. He sought to re-create that impression with the Champs-Élysées necklace, which features a mini white-gold Arc de Triomphe motif at its neck, positioned high above long rows of baguette-cut diamonds and red spinels twinkling like car lights. A geometric onyx and diamond ring, meanwhile, pays homage to the ordered hedgerows of the Tuileries Gardens.
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Bäumer also presented the brand’s new wallet-friendly Monogram Idylle line, geared toward delicate, “more casual” pieces inspired by LV’s iconic monogram symbols, and scheduled to hit Vuitton stores in April. “The idea is that you can personalize how you can put it together,” said the designer, slipping three rings in different motifs onto his pinkie. Retail prices start at 900 euros, or about $1,160 at current exchange rates, for a single stud earring.