It is now 80 years since Gabrielle Chanel put together the extravagant Exhibition de Bijoux en Diamants in 1932. Prior to that she was making only costume jewelry and it must have required a lot of determination and conviction on her part to launch an opulent collection of diamond jewelry in the midst of an economic gloom. The Chanel Joaillerie Spring 2012 exhibition celebrates the 80th anniversary of that exhibition with an enigmatic collection boasting of Cosmos watch, the Céleste brooch, Etoile Filante bracelet and earrings based on the original themes of the 1932 jewels.
The 1932 exhibition was a turning point in the history of Chanel as it marks a break from the past and reflects Chanel’s liberated spirit. The exhibition at the time had generated a lot of positive energy for the jewelry designers of the time that was clouded by the economic gloom as a result of the depression of the 1930s. The 2012 collection of one-off pieces of high jewelry pays homage to the audacious 1932 exhibition and is an effort to recreate and to remember this bold move of Mademoiselle Chanel.
The collection features the Comet Necklace adorned with a 15 carat diamond that is set in the heart of the star. The 1932 design which had no clasps of fastenings has inspired the creation of the question mark-shaped necklace in white gold drapes around the body. The Etoile Filante necklace features a string of diamonds that ends into a star shaped brooch. Part of the collection is a cuff bracelet which is a 1995 design and boasts of 105 cultured spherical pearls embedded in gold striped lattice. The highlight of the exhibition however is the tiara. The collection of one-off pieces of high jewelry is set to tour the world
