Last year, Louis Vuitton looked to the origins of geology and geological legacy at the heart of gemstones to create its spellbinding Deep Time collection, which revolutionised the world of high jewellery. In a year of national pride, where France is set to host a grandiose XXXIII Olympiad, the legendary French Maison fittingly dives deep into its roots to a transformative time—when savoir-faire became the country’s enduring legacy—for its Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds high jewellery collection.
“France in the 19th century was a phenomenal time of incredible change, and when Paris really became the centre of the world,” says Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director for Watches and Jewellery, in a statement. “The design language of Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds reflects that—all its intricacies, complications and innovations turned into incredible jewels.”
Amfitheatrof recently presented her sixth High Jewellery collection for the Maison and continues to surpass her previous magnificent creations by marking Louis Vuitton’s largest collection yet. A total of 220 unique masterpiece jewels, set across 13 different themes, including the most expensive High Jewellery piece it’s ever launched, were a glittering display of the Maison’s innovative spirit and daring design vision.
Awakened Hands
(right photo): The Elégance Tiara would be fit for French royalty from days of yore.
In June 2024, 105 one-of-a-kind pieces from 11 themes, encapsulating the grandeur of the 19th century were unveiled. This parallels the journey of Louis Vuitton’s magnificent beginnings when its founder arrived in Paris in 1837. This collection draws inspiration from the end of royal court rule, when France’s ateliers and craftsmen were given free rein to experiment, resulting in an explosion of craftsmanship mastery which has become synonymous with France. The rich embellishment and intricate ornamentation that once adorned France’s royal court and palaces are reinterpreted with Louis Vuitton’s groundbreaking designs and elaborate jewellery-making techniques.
One of the most exquisite creations is the Séduction necklace, the collection’s most complex in terms of the number of hours to complete, which involved 4,276 hours of work, including 900 hours of development to create the design. It also incorporates some of the collection’s most important stones, an impressively sized 12.92-carat Zambian emerald with a unique hint of blue, set on a supple platinum and yellow gold necklace. A celebration of textile and passementerie expertise—the sumptuous brocade, jacquard and tassel work that flourished during this time—its design features knot-like, V-shape detailing and cord-style fringing that recalls the ropes used to hoist the Maison’s historic trunks.
Next, Elégance is a stately theme that marks the Maison’s first tiara, which even Marie Antoinette would have coveted. The king of all precious stones, diamonds, are aptly used here in a nod to the rare jewellery-making art of tremblant. Its pieces are fashioned into a graphic interlocking pattern and effectively reflect light to highlight its brilliance. Here, Louis Vuitton’s signature Vs combine with a sprinkling of LV Monogram Star cut diamonds, as a star motif mounted on a trembleuse tops the tiara and an accompanying dazzling necklace.
Awakened Minds
(right photo): The Victoire necklace unmistakably pays homage to the Eiffel Tower.
Awakened Minds transports jewellery connoisseurs to the year 1854, when Louis Vuitton became the first artisan-designer to create and register a logo. Momentous changes were afoot in Paris and there was a burst of ideas, vision and expansion in the land.
One such creation inspired by that period is the Victoire necklace, which truly encapsulates the French spirit and, in particular, Paris’ most recognisable icon, the Eiffel Tower, presenting its intricate arches inversely in a bejewelled closure. Sitting at place of pride at its apex is a 15.16-carat, D IF stone cut in the LV Monogram Flower, the largest ever set in the Maison’s High Jewellery Collections. An astonishing design marvel, the stone can be detached and worn as a ring, while a second architectural necklace is also incorporated.
The collection culminates in the Cœur de Paris necklace, another breathtaking tribute to the French landmark and the most monumental piece yet from Louis Vuitton since it first burst into the high jewellery market in 2008. Central to the necklace’s remarkable beauty is an astonishing 56.23-carat diamond, the rarest ever set in any of their collections. Already captivating with its unique pink hue, infused with hints of orange and brown, its grandeur is enhanced by its striking cut and large facets.
(right photo): The Perception necklace features two stunning sapphires from Ceylon and Madagascar, of 20.10 carats and 7.08 carats.
The design boasts an array of 26 LV Monogram Star cut diamonds in a divine ensemble, accompanied by rose-gold rods enclosing a mesmerising flourish of diamond-lit baguettes and arrows. The medallion transforms into a detachable brooch, which offers a new perspective akin to standing beneath the majestic Eiffel Tower, and an incredible look into Louis Vuitton’s meticulous craftsmanship.
With its boundary pushing creations, Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds establishes Louis Vuitton as the country’s true link to luxury.
Worn images: Nathaniel Goldberg.
Still life images: Thomas Legrand.
Savoir-faire images: Laziz Hamani, Piotr Stoklosa.
