Chopard has been celebrating its 150th anniversary with a haute joaillerie collection of 150 unique animal-themed pieces.
The Animal World Collection has already been presented in Basel, New York and Cannes and is now making its first stop in Singapore. The collection is split between Chopard’s boutique on Orchard and their new boutique at the Marina Bay Sands (which enjoys a superb window frontage). Some of the pieces, like a sardine bracelet in diamonds and sapphires (which sadly doesn’t really render well in photos), are exquisite. The Frog with Crown ring is both an amusing nod to fairy tales and a very detailed figure. Mounted on a ring of white gold, a frog of emeralds and black diamonds seems ready to jump out and offer up its tiny crown of yellow gold set with brilliants, amongst which is a yellow diamond.
Along with animals that are often represented in jewellery – wolves and cats, for example – the Swiss jeweller is honoring more exotic beasts like hippopotami, seahorses, and koalas. It is also using some unexpected stones and materials, such as kunzites, Paraiba tourmalines, red gold and previous wood. This is indeed a glittering zoo that will only be on display for a week. I’m told it won’t reappear in Asia until the fall, where it’s heading to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Unfortunately, the collection of unique pieces is dwindling as it travels the world. I especially like the rabbit bracelet, a white gold cuff, set with diamonds, which shows the rabbits searching for carrots. To make the piece lighter, the belly and ears of these mammals are hollow and allow one to feel the smoothness of the skin and the fragility of the chest. The vegetables have been skillfully represented by pear shaped orange sapphires, oval shaped tourmalines and green marquise tourmalines.
