An explosion of precious stones at Bvlgari, an explosion of rare stones at Cartier and an explosion of coloured stones at Dior: the three jewellery brands have put on a firework display around the secret watch.

The original article can be read in the latest issue of The Watches Magazine.

Author By Eleonor picciotto

Cinemagia, the latest fine jewellery collection unveiled by Bvlgari in early September, pays tribute to cinema. Its masterpiece, the Misteriosi Romani, is none other than a bejewelled secret watch. “Another one” some may say…No way! An extravagance costing over two million euros, the most expensive piece ever produced by the Roman brand to date, “true to the splendour of Italian masterpieces”, some will say…
The snake’s head is crowned by a Sri Lankan sapphire at over 10.83 carats. Its 3D scaly body is paved with 63.33 carats diamonds and wraps around the cuff to create volume. It took hundreds of hours to set the 32.49 carats of baguette-cut diamonds and 35 carats of midnight blue sapphires. Starring in forty-odd films or dazzling on renowned and radiant actresses or up-and-coming talents strutting up the red carpet, the Italian jeweller’s creations continue to captivate.

A world away, working with ornamental gemstones is a first for Cartier who has spent years dazzling us with incredible diamonds, rubies and emeralds as the fruit of their lengthy research.
The French brand has ventured off the beaten track to bring us Magnitude, a fine jewellery collection introducing gemstones unearthed mainly in Tucson in Arizona such as lapis beads, matrix opal and rutilated quartz. The Soreli wristwatch is embellished with a cabochon-cut rutilated quartz whose stripes blossom in the stone’s amber hue. A sort of solar bead enhanced by brilliant and kite-cut diamonds which create a set that’s organic as it is contrasting with a dash of Art Deco style, a nod to the brand’s signature.

Victoire de Castellane has enthralled us with her work on coloured stones like nobody else for over 15 years at Dior. Her creative soul fuels her to rip up the traditional jewellery rule book. Gem Dior is the latest from her imagination, a sweet jar-style collection that’s big on colour and gives diamonds a supporting role. You may well believe that Dior Joaillerie’s artistic director has fun mixing gems up instead of setting them as she plays with rubies, tsavorites and emeralds like sticking dots into a colouring book with seamless harmony. The central tanzanite is only put to one side in the literal sense. A talent that she alone holds the secret to, like her watches.