Every year in April, during the sakura blossom the dynamic Swiss Basel gathers legendary jewellery and watch brands - professionals and connoisseurs of this segment of luxury business.
This year six huge exhibition halls covering an area of 160,000 m² presented 2,109 exhibits from 45 countries. The show was visited by 100,000 people. In this issue we'll tell you about the latest jewellery novelties demonstrated at the Baselworld 2007; wait for the next one to learn all about the most celebrated premieres in the high art of watch-making.
The main trends in jewellery were, on the one hand, traditional floristic and animalistic themes, with the accent on African animals in the latter category. On the other hand, one could point out pronounced urbanistic style and high technologies used to make jewellery: all sorts of "bolts", "screws", "microchips", rubber resin bracelets, plastics combined with rare gems. Hit of the season was pink gold and coloured diamonds.
Spanish jewellery house Carrera y Carrera devoted three of their new collections to the unfading image of Hollywood diva Ava Gardner, who by the way used to live in Madrid and loved jewellery made by this company. All three collections reflect the great actress's character. Ava is associated with the mystery of Gardner's beauty: filigree gold with an intricate pattern decorated with diamonds. Sol Y Sombra is like Ava's passionate love: a combination of solar symbol in yellow gold with bright-red citrine. In Te Quiera collection the main character is giraffe, a symbol of tender and sacral things. The contrast of white and yellow gold, the glitter of diamonds and the haze of quartz - all merge in a true hymn to love. After all, the name of the collection means "I love you".
French brand Baccarat invites you to yield to the temptation of the new Hypnotic collection. It includes tear-shaped crystals with magical glimmer, made by unique hand-cutting technology.
New Italian Art from Valenza, one of the capitals of Italian jewellery industry, fully relies on classic approach. It's yellow and white gold richly decorated with diamonds, sapphires, bright spots of rubies and mysterious play of mother-of-pearl. Themes include flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, hearts and starfish.
French jewellers Korloff from the fair town of Lyons have brought to Basel seven (!) new collections. Fantasme offers tender blue mother-of-pearl inlaid with commas and lines made of diamond, covered by sapphire glass. In the Gold collection, circles and ovals are adorned with stylised company logos. Cancun and Dynasty are based on the jewellery house's favourite material: mother-of-pearl, white, pink or black. The luxurious evening Black Diamond collection includes two designs that are most valuable to Korloff: black diamonds and diamonds cut to the brand-name Korloff Cut. This year the brand presented a whole series of jewellery designed for people in love: traditional hearts of St. Valentine collection and two massive wedding rings from the time-honoured Wedding Collection, each bearing half of the pattern: two mirror images of the letter K printed in gold - as if the sculptor drew a spatula through soft clay.
Spanish jewellery house Prologue presented an advanced version of their famous Orbit model - Mega Orbits earrings and ring. Each orb is surrounded by five intricately weaved rings of orbits. Mega Orbit ensemble can be ordered in blue, yellow, pink or red sapphires, rubies or tsavorites. The new Galets collection is inspired by the famous Cote d'Azur beach pebbles. These decorations look like they're specially designed for luxurious sea resorts. Another one is Synonyme necklace announced at the exhibition. One may think it's made of black pearls but actually it's golden drops in black rhodium cover, with four diamonds embedded in each. A flower garland of pink sapphires makes the jewellery piece especially exquisite.
Milanese Antonini company presented two new collections. Australia includes four lines: Sidney, Darwin, Dreamtime, Melbourne. Sidney's harmonious combination of spherical forms with unusual geometry, technology and art - this collection is a reminiscence on Sydney's architectural ensemble. The main concept of Darwin line is charming asymmetry. Dreamtime rings with their smooth horseshoe-shaped forms personify the dynamic spirit of modern day. The fine and sensuous lines of Melbourne collection seem to be imitating the shape of a female body. Biarritz collection was named after the French resort. These jewellery pieces feature diamonds and semiprecious stones of unique colours and combinations, e.g. milk kaholong surrounded with diamonds. Antonini's more popular trends include cognac- and champagne-coloured diamonds surrounded by smoky cabochons or peachy moonstones set in pink gold.
Italian Pasquale Bruni company presented three lines of products in their new Anima E Corpo (soul and body) collection: Charms dei Ricordi, Amore Gold and Sissi. To create the latter, the jewellers opted for unusual stones: lemon quartz, which is known to adsorb energy, and mysterious amethyst. Diamonds in Pasquale Bruni decorations appear in cameo roles, supporting the "central" stones. Charms dei Ricordi is the line which comprises "charms" beloved by the jewellery house's art director Eugenia Bruni. Lovely funny precious teddy bears, keys, little hearts, bags and anything else the mistress wishes are guaranteed to make you smile. Amore Gold is Pasquale Bruni's popular line. Massive rings and pendants of white, pink and yellow gold with Amore graffiti -a very modern and popular trend inspired by rap and R’n’B stars.
Milanese brand Utopia came up with an original name for their new collection: Swing. Indeed you can feel rhythm and freedom of movement in these jewellery pieces, made of white gold with multicoloured pearls and gems. Large oblong pearls serve as central pieces of the design, perfect in terms of size and drawing the eye to their unusual shade.
"Aquatoria of Luxury Life" thanks Interhome company and Mr Gennady Kozachek personally for their assistance with the article.
Natalia Andrianova
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