Tiffany & Co. has unveiled its annual high jewelry collection, "Sea of Wonder." Designed by Nathalie Verdeille, Creative Director of Jewelry and High Jewelry, the collection draws inspiration from the oceans depicted by legendary designer Jean Schlumberger, taking viewers on a scuba diving journey that transcends realism and abstraction.
A fantastic journey from the underwater garden
This series is like a wordless underwater novel, unfolding from the tranquil beginnings of swaying seaweed and water plants to the majestic finale of crashing waves. Each chapter unfolds like a scene before the viewer. The first installment in the series, "Marine Plants," features an underwater garden of Zambian emeralds and diamonds. The interplay of greenery and crystalline light creates a magical illusion of light and shadow floating above the waves.
The legendary design reappears between the seahorse and the turtle's back
Based on Schlumberger's 1968 seahorse brooch, the "Seahorse" collection reimagines this mythical creature. Layered with moonstone, zircon, and sapphire, these jewels evoke a living creature, quietly swimming in the depths of the ocean. The "Sea Turtle" collection, meanwhile, draws inspiration from the intricate geometry of a turtle shell, with every diamond and metalwork detail hand-carved by Tiffany artisans. A turtle pendant features a mechanism that transforms from a pendant to a brooch with a simple twist, evoking the turtle's natural migration between land and sea.
A poetic reconstruction of starfish and sea urchins
Midway through the design, "Starfish" disassembles and reconstructs the starfish, transforming it into a more sculptural form. Mozambique rubies and diamonds of various cuts are interwoven, creating a layered star shape with 18K gold, rose-cut diamonds, and pavé-set diamonds. If this section evokes a reflection of the night sky, the following "Sea Urchin" showcases Schlumberger's renowned enamel technique to its fullest potential. Using a revival of the 19th-century technique of Paillonné enamel, the jewels capture the sea urchin's fine spines and fluid colors, creating a captivating, almost biological quality.
A turbulent final chapter
The final piece, "Waves," is the climax of the collection. Inspired by Schlumberger's iconic "Leaf Necklace," it's reimagined in a more majestic form. Over 17 carats of emerald green lepidolite tourmaline, paired with diamonds, capture the fleeting shimmer of waves crashing against the shore. The piece, like a frozen wave, captures the dynamics of the ocean in jewelry, imbued with both tension and exquisite elegance. As this collection emphasizes, true beauty often lies in undiscovered depths, and Tiffany is the explorer who constantly stalks the seabed, using gemstones as a source of light.
