Some like it Haute: high jewellery from Paris Couture 2023

A frosty Paris was the backdrop to sparkling displays of high jewellery from the world’s leading maisons. Increasingly the week of Paris Couture is a focus for high jewellery launches when clients and press are in town and fit in jewellery viewing in between the runway shows.

Below is our selection of the standout pieces from the January 2023 presentations. The wide range of styles is testament to the growing number of players in the high jewellery realm.

New comers include Gucci that made its first high jewellery called Hortus Deliciarum in 2019 and names like Louis Vuitton who’s initial high jewellery collection Les Ardentes was presented in 2008. Chanel made its debut high jewellery in 1932 with Gabriel Chanel’s daring Bijoux de Diamants but the eye-wateringly valuable diamond jewels was a one-off for the designer and the pieces were later dismantled at the height of the Great Depression. The house revived the tradition and Chanel’s first high jewellery collection was in 2010 with the Plumes diamond jewels. Dior’s first high jewellery collection was Milly-la-Forêt, which was presented in 1999 just a year after Victoire de Castellane joined the house as the head of jewellery.

Alongside these relative newcomers are the traditional names of Place Vendôme such as Boucheron and Cartier as well as international names including Graff, De Beers and David Morris from the UK and Repossi with its roots in Italy.

I have selected each jewel as the epitome of the collection and for its ability to convey the spirit of each jewellery house.