Life's A Party: The New Cocktail Rings From Chaumet
The 1920s are called the Roaring Twenties for a good reason. Described by F. Scott Fitzgerald as “the greatest, gaudiest spree in history”, the years between the two world wars were some of the most exuberant and freewheeling in history. That was the decade when jazz and speakeasies flourished, bacchanal parties abounded, and life was lived to the absolute full. A symbol of the ebullience of those years, the cocktail ring was first created so women could flaunt their freedom by drawing attention to the alcoholic beverages they were drinking (hence the name). That same effervescent and carefree spirit is what drives Chaumet’s new series of cocktail rings, which revisits the ostentation of the ‘20s in the best way possible.
Decadent in another sense, the rings showcase 4 fresh designs – Exquises, Offrandes, Surprises, and Liens d’Amour – and vibrant coloured stones. The Exquises cocktail ring belongs to the Bee My Love line, which references Chaumet’s role as jeweller to Empress Josephine with the bee emblem favoured by Napoleon. Crafted from white gold or rose gold, the ring features a geometric honeycomb pattern and diamond honeybees surrounding a heart made of citrine, amethyst, garnet, tourmaline, aquamarine, tanzanite, or morganite. Youthful but not childish, the design brings a touch of whimsy to the serious business of high jewellery.
Another symbol dear to Empress Josephine, wheat symbolises life, nature’s bounty, and the golden days of harvest. The Offrandes ring takes shape as stalks of wheat in white gold and diamonds woven around a sapphire core in different shades of pink, purple, lavender, and yellow. The empress was particularly fond of her wheat sheaf tiaras from Chaumet, so be assured that this ring is fit for royalty.
Wheat is also the cornerstone of the Surprise cocktail ring, part of L’Épi de Blé de Chaumet. Brilliant-cut diamonds in the form of wheat ears twist around the white gold ring shaft, set off by pear-cut colourful stones including peridot, garnet, tourmaline, aquamarine, tanzanite, and rodholite. The Surprise is as buoyant and intense as an impromptu party, sure to get anyone in the mood for a celebration.
Celebrating the ties that bind people together, the Liens d’Amour ring is a declaration of love. Paved with diamonds, two threads of white gold twine around a gemstone heart in varying colours, each shade representing a different facet of love, from the passion of red garnet to the tenderness of pink morganite to the romance of blue aquamarine. Definitely a good choice for that special someone.
