The 2024 T&C Jewelry Awards
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[table-of-contents] stripped
The Maverick of the Year
Masculine and feminine, past and future. In between these contrasts, Claire Choisne, creative director at Boucheron, positively thrives. Recall her radical gender-fluid high jewelry collection. Or the time she mixed diamonds with an aerospace gel used by NASA. Her latest haute joaillerie focuses on military regalia, the medals and epaulettes worn to convey power, historically by men. Not anymore. With rock crystal and diamonds, and using the technical prowess that is her signature, Choisne has turned these into “symbols of empowerment for women,” she tells T&C. “And in the variety of ways it can be worn, this collection is an ode to freedom.”
Above: Boucheron Medailles, Noeud, Broderies, and Aiguillette brooches, boucheron.com
The Evolution of the Year
Icon status has been achieved. This is what happens next.
By Stellene Volandes
Charles Lewis Tiffany was a pioneer of the imagination from the start. He began offering clients rare Japanese imports back in 1837, when that was all but unheard of—Commodore Perry didn’t “open” Japan until 1853. It’s a moment in the Tiffany timeline that comes full circle this spring, as the house opens the “Tiffany Wonder” exhibit in Tokyo (through June 23 at the Tokyo Node Gallery). Charles’s son Louis Comfort continued the family tradition of daring. Note the wildness of the inspiration in those Tiffany lamps, the exquisite strangeness of his Medusa pendant (on view in Tokyo).
So, when Tiffany chairman Walter Hoving decided in 1956 to bring a Frenchman named Jean Schlumberger—who began his career making clips out of Meissen porcelain flowers he scavenged from Paris flea markets and crafting wild buttons for Elsa Schiaparelli—into the Tiffany fold, he was continuing a long-standing tradition.
Those Bird on a Rock lapel pins you’ve seen on everyone from Odell Beckham Jr. to Jeremy Allen White are iconic Schlumberger. (It was said he was inspired by a cockatoo he spotted outside his home in Guadeloupe.) He created the first one for his great friend and patron Bunny Mellon in 1965. It was a canary and white diamond bird with an emerald eye atop a cabochon lapis rock. (It will also be on view in Tokyo, on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, to which Mellon donated her extensive Schlumberger collection. She also purchased seven other Bird on a Rock brooches, likely as gifts for friends and family.)
How does a house make sure a piece with such a foothold in jewelry history—and with such a strong presence in the current market—continues to evolve? How does it stoke the collector’s desire? It sets the bird free.
Above: Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock blue tourmaline, aquamarine, and black opal brooches, available by appointment only, 800-843-3269
The Revelations of the Year
The most memorable high jewelry collections took us places. Van Cleef & Arpels whisked us off on the Grand Tour, while Dior led us into its couture ateliers via diamonds cut to resemble delicate fronds of lace. Cartier took us back to the Art Deco era, while Louis Vuitton offered up an entire history of our planet in rubellites and spessartite garnets. How can rocks do all that, you ask? It’s called ambition.
The Statement
Louis Vuitton Seeds High Jewelry necklace, louisvuitton.com
The Talisman
Dior Fine Jewelry Delicat ring, available by special order, 800-929-DIOR
The Homage
Tiffany & Co. Padparadscha sapphire & diamond bracelet, available by appointment only, 800-843-3269
The Enigma
Cartier Le Voyage Recommencé High Jewelry necklace, cartier.com
The Classic
Graff sapphire and white diamond bangle, graff.com
The Centerpiece
Bulgari High Jewelry necklace, bulgari.com
The Maverick
David Yurman High Jewelry Lumina Pavé Hexagonal earrings, davidyurman.com
The Surprise
De Beers Lion Jacket ring, debeers.com
The Rocks
Gucci Allegoria High Jewelry Lionhead Jacket earrings, available at Gucci Place Vendôme, 011-33-1-7079-1524
The Transformer
Van Cleef & Arpels Diana transformable necklace, vancleefarpels.com
The Milestones of the Year
Turns out the secrets to longevity in the jewelry world aren’t so different from those IRL. You need grit, a strong appetite for innovation, and a healthy social circle. Good jewelry is also one of those things that get better with age. With smart investments, you will too.
100 years
In 1924, while everyone else was using platinum, Louis Cartier combined three colors of gold to form the Trinity. A century later another radical idea: The OG now comes in a square shape.
50 years
Miuccia Prada, A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, and Madonna get their antique jewels from Pennisi, the family-owned shop in Milan, which celebrated its 50th with a book—Mrs. Prada wrote the preface.
30 years
Ilias Lalaounis was a champion of preserving ancient techniques, and in 1994 he opened Greece’s first jewelry museum. A retrospective, on view through October, honors his legacy.
The Jewelry Fan of the Year
With her exuberant Instagram account, Giovanna Engelbert schools social media on the difference between Bulgari, Marina B, and beyond.
By Melanie Grant
It all began with a rigatoni necklace. As a child Giovanna Engelbert layered pasta to make her own spiraling neckwear. It was her introduction to the idea that jewelry could be accessible as well as beautiful, that materials should be in service to design. Later she used her first official wages to purchase a “trippy” gold and crystal Yves Saint Laurent necklace, and her jewelry collection grew from there. “I remember the story of every jewel and every piece I have in my life,” she says. “I find the jewels are alive, and they are in conversation with each other.”
Today Engelbert, the global creative director at Swarovski, is a jewelry evangelist to her nearly 2 million followers on Instagram, where her Yves Saint Laurent hobnobs with her Schiaparelli and her Balenciaga hangs with a piece of costume jewelry from Fellini’s Casanova. She places Karl Lagerfeld within stalking distance of enamel pieces she has collected from the 19th century and imagines the intriguing gossip sessions between their makers.
The Move of the Year
Fifth Avenue at 57th Street, jewelry crossroads of the world, welcomed a new neighbor: Chanel’s first U.S. flagship for its watches and fine jewelry. The store, designed by Peter Marino, is now home to more haute joaillerie than any other Chanel boutique in America—and it’s the only place to see not-for-sale historical pieces that will be exhibited here exclusively four times a year.
The Stone of the Year
We won’t dispute that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but when she’s feeling adventurous, bring on the turquoise. The sacred stone, long prized in Native American cultures and treasured by royals, has been making frequent appearances, on the red carpet (see: Lily Gladstone in a turquoise-flecked Bulgari necklace at the Oscars) and in high jewelry (Cartier gave it a starring role in a necklace strung with carved coral), cementing the exceedingly rare stone’s timeless appeal. Yes, even in the winter months.
Harry Winston chandelier earrings, harrywinston.com
Cartier Le Voyage Recommencé High Jewelry necklace, cartier.com
Van Cleef & Arpels Reine de l'Adriatique clip, vancleefarpels.com
Wait, What Is That?
It’s thanks to visionaries with an open mind and an excellent eye that stones like kunzite, tanzanite, and morganite are now in the jewelry lexicon. Today a new generation is picking up the torch—and making us look twice.
The Alloy
Yellow gold or white? You no longer have to pick sides, thanks to Adam Neeley, who invented a new ombré alloy called SpectraGold.
The Stone
Greek gem explorer Yianni Melas discovered this stone in Africa and called it aquaprase because it reminded him of the Aegean Sea.
The Metal
You might assume 24 carats of diamonds and moonstones would weigh you down. Lugano figured it out: set them in blue titanium, and they’ll feel light as air.
The Year of the Swan
Simplicity telegraphs confidence, which is why no portrait of a lady today is complete without a demure classic like the button earring.
By Lynn Yaeger
Look down—your jewelry is all wrong! That neck-mess flopping on your chest, clanking with horseshoes and horoscope charms? Too noisy. The armload of bracelets you’re brandishing, Nancy Cunard–style? Keep the loveliest one and lock up her sisters. Those towers of rings crushing your fingers? Trade them for a lone blockbuster.
The pendulum—or should we say triple strand of pearls—has swung in the other direction. Legacy pieces from historic brands (talk to me, Harry Winston) are what we want now. One of those Tiffany & Co. crosses, perhaps, or a Verdura black-and-white cuff. The desire, in other words, is for ladylike jewelry that is clean and sleek and has enduring value, the kind that’s as good as (sometimes better than!) money in the bank.
What’s driving this interest? It’s not the latest TikTok aesthetic. Far from it. Fashion may have something to do with it. The slender sheaths on Prada’s 2024 fall runway are crying out for a massive bubble-shaped cocktail ring; those sleek shifts at Michael Kors’s show clearly crave a Schlumberger Bird on a Rock. As it turns out, a subtly chic ensemble in double-face cashmere provides the perfect backdrop for these singular baubles. Then again, there is really no reason your everyday outfit would not benefit from an extravagant jewel. In fact, at the Cartier presentation in Paris in January, a spectacular piece was pinned to the waistband of a pair of blue jeans, and it looked perfectly happy to be there.
The Bedrocks of the Year
As with many things, a worthy collection is nothing without good bones. By that we mean a foundation laid with classics to last forever. Already have versions of these? Well, you know what they say about stockpiling gold in uncertain times.
The Locket
Monica Rich Kosann special edition Padparadscha sapphire and diamond Locket ($15,250), monicarichkosann.com
The Hearts
Prada Eternal Gold earrings, prada.com
The Tennis Necklace
Sylva & Cie Gold Riviera necklace ($101,625), augustinaleathers.com
The Signet
Dyne Loverglyphs ring (from $9,800), dedyne.com
The Bangle
Nikos Koulis cuff bracelet with marquise white diamonds, nikoskoulis.com
The Diamond Ring
Buccellati Mosaico ring ($120,000), buccellati.com
The Chandeliers
Sabyasachi Chandelier earrings ($64,230), 646-799-9400
The Debuts of the Year
Here’s an eternal truth: embrace the new or sink into the past. Don’t believe us? Ask Caroline Astor. Jewelry designers get it: They need a stream of fresh talent, fresh spaces, and fresh revamps to stay au courant. Now it’s on you to keep up.
The New Shop
Why should a jewelry store sell only gems? At Bernard James’s new Brooklyn address, the art and furniture are up for grabs too.
The New Line
As more men get into bling, David Yurman has raised the stakes with its first high jewelry collection for men, modeled by Michael B. Jordan.
The New Kid
Silicon Valley has a new industry player, and he isn’t a tech bro—anymore. Tom Canty has left that life to pursue his first love: jewelry.
The Alliance of the Year
A Hollywood star takes on a new role. These are the results.
By Leena Kim
A 6,225-carat emerald started it all. “Some gemstones blow you away immediately,” says Caroline Scheufele, co-president and artistic director of Chopard. This rock was the second-largest emerald ever unearthed in Zambia’s Kagem mine. “With its beautiful hue and strong energy, I knew this would be a hugely important stone for us.” Scheufele snapped it up and deposited it in the Chopard vaults, which is where it remained until recently, when the maison’s gem cutters were given the green light to start chiseling.
Julia Roberts then got dibs on the first batch. The actress, who is also Chopard’s global ambassador, worked with Scheufele to turn the emeralds into a one-of-a-kind high jewelry parure, mixing them with turquoise (her favorite stone) and hot pink rubellites to mimic the exuberant patterns one might find in India, one of her favorite places. “The culture, the color, the way they express themselves with their jewelry and their saris, all of it means something,” Roberts tells T&C. “It’s intentional and joyful, and that has always had a profound effect on me.”
Now so has the experience of playing with priceless gems. “Chopard is training me,” Roberts says. “I’m starting to really be comfortable with some fancy things in a way that I wasn’t before they got their hands on me.”
The Thread of the Year
Nostalgia for the ’90s keeps its tight grip. Case in point: all the corded necklaces featuring sculptural pendants that have made the rounds on stars (Jennifer Lawrence) and runways (the Row) alike.
Emily P. Wheeler Scarab necklace ($13,800), emilypwheeler.com
Lisa Eisner Jewelry Hashi necklace ($3,600), therow.com
Messika necklace ($1,240), messika.com
Temple St. Clair archival amulet ($6,500) and black leather cord ($950), templestclair.com
Marlo Laz Large Southwestern Moon Cord necklace ($6,730), marlolaz.com
Beck Green Amethyst Scuba necklace ($6,450), musexmuse.com
The Revivals of the Year
Who misses the ’80s? All the watchmakers who reissued their greatest hits from the decade. A timepiece born of an era of soaring wealth certainly has its appeal. In 2024, it’s also good insurance.
Piaget Polo 79 watch ($73,000), piaget.com
Bulgari watch ($8,150), bulgari.com
Cartier Tank Louis watch ($13,000), cartier.com
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph watch, tagheuer.com
The Talk of the Year
Blake Lively in $500,000 worth of jewels at the Super Bowl. Dakota Johnson on The Tonight Show delivering yet another press tour master class in a 65-carat Belperron diamond. Dua Lipa in a golden beryl Tiffany necklace from 1962 (that made its debut in the pages of T&C that year). The lessons were crystal clear. If it’s all anyone could talk about, someone was doing her job right. And if it upstaged the main event: time for a promotion. See also: Ambani.
What I Loved
Lizzie Tisch, entrepreneur
"To me, the only thing to discuss is the Ambani pre-wedding. The emeralds! And the hair jewelry—I hadn’t thought of that!"
Carol Woolton, jewelry historian
"The St. Edward’s Crown at the coronation, glowing with the magical combination of ancient gemstones and a significant purpose: to proclaim the new reign. It boasts 1,000 years of history—and it’s still working."
Jessica "JJ" Owens, founder, Daily Grail
"The watch that broke the internet this past year was undeniably Audemars Piguet’s 37mm Royal Oak with the turquoise dial. It genuinely left me speechless, which, as I’ve spent half my life collecting, is not an easy feat."
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak self-winding watch ($63,300), audemarspiguet.com
Frank Everett, vice chairman, jewelry, Sotheby’s New York
"Colman Domingo on the Academy Awards red carpet wearing a brooch by David Yurman. I loved that he wasn’t wearing it traditionally, on the lapel, but as a modern tie pin. Chic and elegant."
Jill Newman, editor
"At Bergdorf Goodman the dashing French designer Elie Top unveiled his articulated snake cuffs and rings, which coil around the wrist and fingers, each with a big old mine cut diamond on its head. They literally stopped passersby in their tracks."
Elie Top Rubellite & diamond snake bracelet, elietop.com
This story appears in the May 2024 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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