5 high jewellery houses that redefined couture last season

As the global fashion elite prepares to descend on Paris for the upcoming Couture Week, anticipation for the high jewellery presentations has reached a fever pitch. Before the new season’s curtains rise, let’s take a look back at how five legendary jewellery houses stole the spotlight last season

Boucheron

Picture: Boucheron

Last season, Boucheron did exactly that with the unveiling of its brilliant Histoire de Style collection, poetically titled "Nom: Boucheron, Prénom: Frédéric". Under the creative direction of Claire Choisne, the collection served as an intimate, conceptual deep dive into the core design language established by founder Frédéric Boucheron himself. By deconstructing historical motifs and translating them into crisp, contemporary structures, the house proved that a heritage brand can look to its past to create an entirely futuristic statement.

Cartier

Picture: Cartier

To capture a true sense of untamed power and geometric harmony, the master artisans at this historic French house chose to play with the thrilling tension of structural opposites. Cartier mesmerised collectors with the international rollout of its "En Équilibre" collection, a high-jewellery showcase dedicated to exploring the perfect harmony between symmetry, light and motion. Prominently exhibited in style capitals like Hong Kong and Taipei, the pieces artfully balanced minimalist clean lines with rich, maximalist volume. Standout creations included the magnificent Euphonia necklace, which beautifully interlaced diamonds with a breath-taking 19.68 carats of rich Mozambique rubies.

Chaumet 

Picture: Chaumet

For those who appreciate how the delicate beauty of nature can be transformed into a visceral, tactile masterpiece, the historic house of Chaumet delivered absolute perfection. The maison captivated collectors with "A Journey Through Nature", a breathtaking 46-piece collection that translated the human sensory experience of plants into precious stones. The narrative unfolded across three distinct chapters: Botanic Freshness, which captured the crispness of mint and verbena using contrasting gemstones; Spicy Sweetness, a warm look back at vanilla and cinnamon featuring an asymmetrical necklace that required over 1,350 hours to frame a massive 10.71-carat D FL Type IIa diamond; and Aromatic Warmth, which utilised deep Madagascar sapphires to mimic the rich warmth of coffee and saffron. To complete this poetic showcase, Chaumet expanded its Envol chapter, using their signature gradient sapphires and delicate enamelling to sculpt airy, fluid wings that celebrate freedom and self-confidence.

Piaget

Picture: Piaget

If you want to understand how a heritage house can celebrate a landmark anniversary with absolute joy, looking to the intersection of fine art and high-precision watchmaking yields spectacular results. Celebrating its rich heritage, Piaget ignited the couture season with a trifecta of design brilliance led by the "Shapes of Extraleganza" collection, which collided the house's iconic 1960s style with the bold colour blocking of the 1980s Italian Memphis Design movement. This experimental line translated comic-strip dialogue bubbles and vivid pop-art hues into high jewellery, resulting in audacious masterpieces like the Infinite Waves sapphire necklace and the whimsical Arty Pop Blue turquoise brooch. Alongside this playful experimentation, the house showcased its peerless gemstone sourcing through the "Piaget Treasures" collection, highlighting intense Colombian emeralds and expertly matched rubies, while seamlessly blending high horology and jewellery artistry through the dramatic, swinging gemstone pendants of the Swinging Sautoirs watch collection.

Pomellato 

Picture: Pomellato

While Paris often leans into classical romanticism, Milan’s premier jeweller chose to champion a sleeker, far more expressive approach to everyday luxury. Pomellato caused a major stir in Paris with the debut of “Pomellato Stile Libero” (Free Style), a high jewellery collection masterfully guided by creative director Vincenzo Castaldo. The line fused the brand's iconic, oversized gold chain links with cutting-edge craftsmanship, dynamically contrasting vibrant coloured gemstones against the weightless, midnight-dark finish of high-tech titanium. This forward-thinking launch followed the massive success of their “Collezione 1967” retrospective, a beautiful tribute to the house's golden era spanning the 1970s to the 1990s, which made its grand debut in Hong Kong to celebrate the art of uninhibited self-expression.

Also see: A look back at the history of the tennis bracelet