Louis Vuitton Evokes The Splendour Of The Empyrean With Its New High Jewellery Line

The spirit of travel is inextricably woven into the fabric of Louis Vuitton, and with its latest exploration of the universe of haute joaillerie, the Maison is boldly going where none have gone before — into the very centre of the cosmos.

Embarking on its sophomore high jewellery venture under the auspices of artistic director Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton journeys to the far reaches of a dazzling galaxy with the all-new Stellar Times collection, where mesmerising gemstones and luminous gold constitute the celestial bodies that are gazed upon with wonder and awe.

Prompted by the festivities surrounding the half-century anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, Amfitheatrof took a deep dive into the study of the solar system and the Milky Way in order to create this supernal 90-piece series. Structured around seven outer-space themes — Lune Bleue, Apogée, Planète Bleue, Céleste, Astre Rouge, Interstellaire and Soleils — each constellation of designs is centred on a coloured gemstone, such as ruby, emerald, sapphire and tourmaline, enriched by subtle nods to the enduring iconography of the luxury house.

Discover the standout pieces in Louis Vuitton’s Stellar Times collection below.

Mimicking the chequered motif of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Damier canvas, the sculptural Lune Bleue collar showcases a precious lattice of baguette- and square-cut diamonds and sapphires, stacked around a stunning, substantial Madagascan sapphire of over 15 carats — a feat of artistry that involved 900 plus hours of intricate work by the Maison’s expert jewellers. Capturing the light from every angle, the choker conjures up the serene image of moonbeams dancing lightly on rhythmic ocean waves.

Apogée translates to “zenith” or “apex” in English, and this exquisite necklace in white gold vivified by saturated blue-green shades certainly hits a high. Tracing a geometric, zigzag line through space like the tail of a bright comet, with every diamond-paved angle revealing a “V” (for Vuitton), the necklace quite literally drips with tanzanites and aquamarines, culminating in a pendant of extremely rare, emerald-cut indicolite tourmaline that weighs in at nearly 35 carats.

Minimalist in design but maximal in impact, the Planète Bleue choker signifies the relationship between the earth and its galaxy, depicted in glittering gemstones. Large baguette-cut diamonds join together in a graceful curve that swoops around the neck and down into the décolleté, punctuated by a 4.63-carat Zambian emerald (representing the earth), a 13.77-carat sapphire (denoting the heavens), and two diamonds in the shape of Louis Vuitton’s Monogram flower.

Paying homage to the planet Mars, an age-old symbol of power, energy and passion, Louis Vuitton employs fiery rubies from Mozambique in the Astre Rouge selection of high jewellery, which required months of careful research to bring to life. Of particular note is a jaw-dropping choker with an intensely red ruby of over 8 carats at its heart, enveloped by cascading tendrils of diamonds cut as stars, drops, marquises, baguettes, brilliants and squares.

The main star (pardon the pun) of our solar system and the source of almost all life on earth, it would be hard to overstate the importance of the sun. It’s only natural, therefore, that Louis Vuitton should give the place of honour in Stellar Times to this astral entity, dreaming up a sublime statement necklace comprising four resplendent rows of yellow sapphires and diamonds arrayed in the Maison’s signature checkerboard pattern. A testament to the label’s exceptional savoir-faire, each sparkling square is meticulously applied, piece by piece, by hand to construct supple bejewelled strands as “soft” as a silk scarf. Embellished with a triplet of Sri Lankan sapphires approaching 60 carats in total, this transformable necklace can be worn as a simple choker, a bib necklace, and with or without the two subjacent stones.

Drawing on the telluric forces that shaped our world at the beginning of time, the Céleste drop earrings assume an infinity silhouette forged from concentric circles of sapphires and diamonds framing a duet of vibrant emeralds as well as iridescent opals, a reminder of the origins of precious stones deep in the core of the earth.

Painting the kaleidoscope of colours that radiates through the universe as the planets orbit the sun in a polychromatic palette of spinels, Louis Vuitton imagines a pair of chandelier earrings in lively hues of pink and purple, interspersed with diamond-adorned triangular spacers to evoke a sense of jocundity and elegance.