The final chapter of Piaget’s High Jewellery trilogy, Colours of Extraleganza, exemplifies the Maison’s affinity to chromatic expression through a collection in which colour plays the main character. Rather than relying on traditional, sparse placements of precious stones, artistic director Stéphanie Sivrière treats the inherent energy and textures of gemstones as tactile components, inspired by the Maison’s watchmaking. “Historically, Piaget used colour very strongly, the choice of colour is very strong, it’s not pastels, it works a lot in opposition and contrast, and this is what Stéphanie brings in,” explains Cynthia Tabet, Global Product Marketing Director at Piaget. “
This approach traces back to 1957 with Piaget’s invention of the ultra-thin calibre 9P movement. By drastically reducing mechanical volume, the Maison freed up spatial real estate for vibrant, gem-set and ornamental dials, binding thin watchmaking mechanics with jewellery design. In this latest 65-piece collection, gold itself is elevated to a colour within the palette, seamlessly integrating into geometric and modular compositions.
Serving as a technical and visual anchor for the collection, the unique Blue Illusions necklace required nearly 900 hours of craftsmanship at the Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire. The design introduces a tension of contrasts, pairing a central 8.52-carat cushion-cut Madagascan sapphire alongside a lagoon-green 3.30-carat Paraíba tourmaline. Both focal stones are juxtaposed against the shifting green and ultramarine iridescence of a one-of-a-kind 13.98-carat black opal. “At one point the opal with all the shades and the shimmer, depending on where you stand, are different, and this opacity contrasts with the tourmaline and sapphires that have this transparency,” explains Tabet to MOJEH, emphasising the role of contrast in the pieces. Furthermore, the central trio which is framed by a multitude of sapphires and baguette tourmalines is interspersed with diamonds in a geometric grid to create an optical effect around the neck.
Flamboyant Links sautoir watch
In a nod to a historic 1969 design from Piaget’s 21st Century Collection, the Flamboyant Links sautoir timepiece marks the Maison’s first structural combination of gold links and ornamental stone since the 1970s. For this creation, hand-engraved rose gold links are encircled with a highly striated tiger’s eye, specifically selected for its unique visual vibrancy. A 4.13-carat mandarin garnet punctuates the nexus of the chain, infusing the warm tones with a brilliant pop of fire. “I think in the 1970s they were daring to try new things, and this is when we had the sautoir watch, the big cuff, and we brought watchmaking into jewellery,” Tabet explains when asked about the Maison’s Golden Era which has influenced the new creation. Reflecting Piaget’s historic DNA of functional ingenuity, the Flamboyant Links piece is completely convertible, transitioning between a swinging sautoir, a choker and standalone wristwatch depending on your needs.
For the first time in a high jewellery collection, Piaget also implements rose gold fluting, a rich texture traditionally reserved strictly for watch bezels. These fluted gold lines extend across a geometric neckline, alternated with smooth orange fire-opal cabochons and blue-green indicolite tourmalines in the Gold Swirl Sautoir Watch. True to the Maison’s love for playful surprises, the configuration conceals a hidden watch dial, entirely pavé set with brilliant diamonds, right at its centre.
Another creation worth noting is the Gems Pop set. Drawing straight from the post-modernist philosophy of the 1980s Memphis art collective, the 5-piece Gems Pop set uses asymmetry and blocks of deliberate colour as a stylistic manifesto. “This piece for me is really the combination of all the those stylistic territories. You have the shapes and the play and contrast of shape,” shares the Marketing Director. “It’s not a flat design, you have the colours, the fluidity, because it’s very easy to wear as well.”
The highly saturated tones of the Gems Pop are countered and grounded by negative spaces of pristine white opal. The cornerstone sautoir features gold links detailed with the signature Decor Palace gold-engraving motif, terminating in a detachable, sharply asymmetrical pendant watch crowned with an 8.30-carat mandarin garnet and a 3.54-carat pink sapphire.
Colours of Extraleganza stands as proof of Piaget’s dual identity as both a master watchmaker and jeweller. It is a joyful and whimsical collection that reminds the jewellery connoisseurs of their love for coloured gemstones and exemplary savoir faire.
