The French Maison of Chaumet, whose first great client was Empress Joséphine, wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, reinterprets a longstanding house motif: the twist, inspired by the scrolls of the frieze encircling the column of Place Vendome, where it was the first jeweler to open in 1812. The ultimate expression of lightness and the movement of life, the vibrant Torsade de Chaumet collection suspends motion and captures a moment in time through spirals and swirls of gold and stones. I sit down with Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of Chaumet, to learn more about the Chaumet twist.
What are luxury consumers today seeking?
It is difficult to answer your question categorically and to be very affirmative. The feeling we have is that customers are probably looking even more than before for pieces that embody a certain eternity and investment value, hence probably the greater attention to diamonds and precious stones. In this respect, the big brands that have a great history and legitimacy are even more important, brands like Chaumet, which is over 240 years old. At the same time, we understand that customers want to combine these values with a certain creativity. For us, this is exactly what the proposal of the Torsade collection represents.
Have design and creativity become more important these days as opposed to just very precious rare stones?
For us at Chaumet, it has always been the case: a good balance between the beauty and the necessity to enhance this gift from earth – which are “stones” – but also to create and bring other dimensions. We do not sell only stones. We propose an artistic dimension and we offer a creativity and a style in order to make very unique and different pieces.
What is the main storytelling angle of the Torsade de Chaumet high jewelry collection, and how do you translate this theme into pieces of contemporary jewelry?
Conceptually, a metaphor of the passing of time, a true combination of movement and emotion, and an ode to dynamism to express how life evolves and progresses with this living “torsade” never the same, captured in randomness, like an endless line. From the virtuosity point of view, once again, a way to express how the Chaumet style is about capturing a moment, like a moment in suspension, never heavy, always in search of lightness.
Apart from the overarching “twist” theme, are there other themes that unite the pieces?
We believe that the desire today is to give elements of reassurance, to play on more classic codes, but always with the Chaumet twist. Two examples to illustrate this point: the choice of stones, only between diamonds and precious stones, and also a “négligé” necklace, a great classic of high jewelry and in particular at Chaumet (we remember this mythical creation for the Maharajah of Indore), but with the little sidestep that always distinguishes Chaumet and also a way to demonstrate the virtuosity of our Maison.
Which high jewelry products are the highlights?
Of course, the tiara is one of the highlights, as it is obviously the emblem of Chaumet. We always try to illustrate each of our themes through tiaras to perpetuate the endless creativity of Chaumet, from yesterday to today. What is remarkable is the way the intertwining “torsades” highlight a dialogue between brilliant-cut diamonds and rose-cut diamonds. This alternation of cuts gives rhythm, radiance and depth to the tiara. True to Chaumet’s twist on high jewelry classics, the rose-cut diamonds are set with inverted culets, creating an interplay of light and reliefs. Its twists are random in their movement, but the creation remains balanced. Diamonds give the impression of suspension, reminiscent of droplets of water. You feel particularly in this piece the movement, the dynamic, the moment captured.
What were the main challenges in making this collection?
Apart from the rediscovery of different ways of setting stones, particularly diamonds in order to illustrate even more this ode to dynamism, the work has been to translate a sense of movement and suspension, typically revolving around a central core. Torsade is a way to express once again virtuosity at the service of storytelling. Sometimes tied or untied, graphic or elongated, the Torsade reveals gravity-defying volumes throughout its creations.