“I would love for jewellery to be alive,” says Hermès‘ Jewellery Creative Director Pierre Hardy, in the press notes for his latest collection for the house, Lignes sensibles. Led by a loosely woven web of inspirations ranging from dance and anatomy, to light and even stethoscopes, the high-jewellery collection comprises plenty of stunning statement pieces that hew close to the skin.
The Contre la peau necklace, for instance, is a statement collar with a fluid and flexible texture that Hardy wanted to “envelope the neck like a caress”. He explains: “By working with meshing, we sought to create a fabric in metal. And we discovered that we had re-created the microscopic structure of skin, with its triangular micro-wrinkles. Skin in metal, gold and diamonds.”
The stones used were also selected, in part, for their soft colours that allowed them to be in harmony with the body. Hardy says: “I wanted to use a range of gemstones in colours close to skin tone. I looked for flesh colours, shades specific to the complexion, the lips or the iris. I looked for cloudy, milky materials to become one with the skin.” Here’s a closer look at the collection.
A l’ecoute
Think of the A l’ecoute necklace as some sort of organic stethoscope — Hardy’s inspiration — that’s a lot lovelier than your typical doctor’s instrument. Along the pathway of rose gold, you’ll discover stones such as blue-grey sapphire cabochon, tourmalines in various hues, and diamonds. Another standout is a piece of hand jewellery that is both ring and bracelet, and links gemstones such as sapphire and citrine with a diamond-studded chain.
Ondes miroirs
Ondes miroirs ring and necklace with detachable brooch
Light brown diamonds and cream moonstone cabochons give this range a touch of earthiness. Not that it’s really possible to be low-key when you’re wearing pieces such as an undulating rose-gold necklace with strings of diamonds (in white, and in light to dark brown), topazes, moonstones and black jade.
Hermès Reseau lumiere
Hermès Reseau lumiere earring
While rose gold is generally the precious metal of choice in the Lignes sensibles collection, the Hermès Reseau lumiere pieces channel water and light with white gold and white diamonds. A single earring creates a shimmering outline along the ear, while a brooch takes on an heirloom-like quality as a result of the grey moonstone cabochon at its centre.
Contre la peau
Eight hundred and sixty-seven diamonds totalling 45.3 carats and rose gold — that’s what makes up this mesh collar, which is as fluid as it is fabulous.
Hermès Faire corps
Cabochon-cut stones such as rutilated quartz, pink quartz and orange moonstone come together with satin-brushed rose gold to form a bold cuff that wears a lot lighter than it looks. It has an earthy and organic quality that also characterises pieces such as rings with black jade or pink quartz.
This story first appeared in The Peak Singapore
