Uncover Multifaceted Africa with Chaumet's High Jewellery Collection

It's a whole new world.

Starting off in wintry Russia with the Promenades Impériales collection, Chaumet then journeyed to Japan in springtime for Chant du Printemps. Now, for the third and final destination in the French jeweller's culturally rich Les Mondes de Chaumet high jewellery trilogy, Chaumet ventures into Africa. Or more specifically, sub-Saharan Africa.

It was an encounter with Kenyan artist Evans Mbugua that sparked Chaumet's maiden voyage towards this part of the continent. Not only did Mbugua inspire the collection with his work, he also developed and designed a series of brooches for one of the five themes in Trésors d'Afrique. Like a tale told in five parts, each theme in the collection expresses a different facet of sub-Saharan Africa, paying tribute to its natural, cultural and artistic riches.

Cascades Royales

Inspired by the graphic headdresses worn by the Rwandan queens and the elaborate ornaments of Kenyan Samburu brides, Cascades Royales is an opulent collection of jewellery wth dangling, fringe-like pendants.

Clockwise from top: Earrings in white gold with "vivid green" Colombian cushion-cut emeralds, onyx and marquise-cut diamonds; ring in white and yellow gold with a Colombian cushion-cut emerald, marquise-cut diamonds, onyx and brilliant-cut diamonds; transformable necklace in white and yellow gold with a Columbian emerald-cut emerald, marquise-cut diamonds, onyx, and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Talismania

Chaumet really shows off its mastery of metal savoir faire in the Talismania bracelets and rings. Around vibrant sugar-loaf-cut stones, different coloured golds are woven to resemble the method used to make Agaseke, the traditional handcrafted wicker baskets of Rwanda.

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Talismania ring in yellow gold with a sugar-loaf turquoise and ebony.

Bracelet in yellow gold with three sugar-loaf Mandarin garnets, lapis lazuli and round yellow sapphires.

Bracelet in pink gold with a sugar-loaf rubellite and ebony.

Terres D'or

The pieces in Terres d'Or are reminiscent of the motifs on Kente fabrics, which are interwoven cloth strips native to Ghana, and Kasai velvets, which are woven cloths embroidered with geometric designs.

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The Terres d'Or ring in white and yellow gold with a 12.36ct oval-cut yellow Ceylon sapphire centre stone.

Terres d'Or bracelet in white and yellow gold with two oval-cut yellow Ceylon sapphires, round yellow sapphires, lacquer and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Terres d'Or necklace in white and yellow gold with nine cabochon-cut rubies, ruby beads, round yellow sapphires, lacquer and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Ronde De Pierres

Ronde de Pierres is Chaumet's modern interpretation of the colourful beaded jewellery worn by the Dinka tribe of Sudan or the Maasai people. Beads of red spinels, emeralds, sapphires and mandarin garnets are outlined by black spinels on black rhodium-plated gold and diamonds.

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Ronde de Pierres transformable earrings.

Ronde de Pierres transformable ring.

Ronde de Pierres transformable bracelet.

Espiégleries

When exploring a continent so famous for its safaris, it seems only right to celebrate the wildlife that roam its lands. Kenyan artist Evans Mbugua designed a series of six whimisical brooches inspired by African animals including the elephant, zebra, monkey, giraffe, lion and flamingo.

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Yellow gold "ants" clamber across luscious "fruits" embellished with round sapphires and round red spinels on this Espiégleries brooch, which can be transformed into a pair of earrings.

Featuring an elephant head carved from pink opal, the brooch is in white gold, set with two round sapphires, pink opal, pear-shaped tanzanites, and round "mint" tourmalines.