From Ancient Civilisations to Hollywood Icons: Our Weekly Round-Up of Headline Jewellery News
This week's headline jewellery news reveals an industry increasingly inspired by ideas rather than aesthetics alone. Ancient civilisations, personal histories, artistic freedom and enduring cultural icons all find new expression through high jewellery, reminding us that the most memorable creations are rarely defined by gemstones alone. They are shaped by the stories they carry, the symbols they preserve and the emotions they evoke.
Ancient Egypt Reimagined
Van Cleef & Arpels has long demonstrated a remarkable ability to transform stories into jewellery, and Fascinating Egypt is among its most ambitious undertakings to date. Developed over four years and comprising 180 creations, the collection explores one of history’s most influential civilisations through the Maison’s unmistakable creative language.
Pharaohs, winged deities, sacred animals, lotus flowers and temple architecture appear throughout the collection, but what makes everything so captivating is the way these references have been interpreted rather than reproduced. Ancient Egypt serves not as decoration, but as a starting point for creativity. Rich yellows evoke the desert landscape, deep blues recall the Nile, while important gemstones and intricate craftsmanship bring movement and life to symbols that have fascinated humanity for millennia.
At a time when collectors seek meaning alongside rarity, Fascinating Egypt reminds us that the most compelling high jewellery creates worlds as much as it creates jewels. It is precisely this ability to transform history into contemporary desire that continues to distinguish Van Cleef & Arpels.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt Pharaon brooch in 18k yellow and white gold with diamonds and sapphires.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt Pharaon brooch in 18k yellow and white gold with diamonds and sapphires.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch in 18k yellow and white gold with turquoise, diamonds and an orange sapphire.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch.
A sculptural necklace composed of undulating, coiling motifs set with diamonds and accented by sapphires, balancing architectural elements with fluid movement.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt earrings. A rhythmic arrangement of diamonds and sapphires creates a striking sense of balance, with geometric forms lending the design a refined graphic elegance.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt earrings. Contrasting fluid curves with crisp geometric lines, the design pairs vibrant emeralds with diamonds in a study of elegant balance.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt brooch.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt earrings. Layered architectural forms unfold in a totemic silhouette, where diamonds, emeralds and sapphires create a refined dialogue between colour, symmetry and scale.
The Art of Personal Storytelling
Few contemporary jewellers approach narrative quite like Francesca Villa. Her latest collections, In Your Element and On the Road, may be visually distinct, yet both reveal her talent for finding beauty and meaning in unexpected places.
At the heart of In Your Element are rare Japanese resin cameos dating from the 1950s. Depicting warriors, nymphs and mythological figures, they become the focal point of jewels that celebrate individuality, character and self-expression. Framed by vibrant gemstones and patterned hardstones, each piece feels almost like a portrait, inviting the wearer to connect with a particular mood, personality or story.
On the Road takes a very different route. Inspired by vintage truck pins and the mythology of the American road trip, the collection transforms symbols of movement, freedom and adventure into highly crafted jewels. What might once have been dismissed as roadside memorabilia becomes something precious, elevated through goldsmithing, gemstones and a keen eye for storytelling.
Together, the collections capture what makes Villa’s work so distinctive. She has an ability to look beyond conventional sources of inspiration and uncover narratives where others might see only objects.
Freedom, the Pomellato Way
Few maisons have challenged the conventions of jewellery quite like Pomellato, and its new Stile Libero High Jewelry collection feels like a confident declaration of everything the Milanese house has stood for since its founding.
Rather than pursuing rigid perfection, Stile Libero embraces instinct. Openwork gold structures create lightness, gemstones are liberated through the Maison’s signature serti libre setting, while daring chromatic compositions replace symmetry with movement and spontaneity. Across the collection, colour, volume and craftsmanship come together with a sense of effortless confidence that feels unmistakably Milanese.
Rather than redefining High Jewelry through size or spectacle, Pomellato does so through attitude. The result is a collection that feels instinctive, expressive and unmistakably Milanese.
Pomellato Stile Libero, necklace and ring.
Pomellato Stile Libero ring in 18k rose gold with Paraiba tourmalines and diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Ray of Light ring in 18k yellow and white gold with a yellow sapphire and diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Dressage Cameo necklace and pendant in 18k rose gold with diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Note di Luce ring in 18k rose and white gold with fancy coloured diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Note di Luce ring in 18k white gold with a diamond.
Pomellato Stile Libero Note di Luce ring in 18k white gold with a fancy yellow diamond.
Pomellato Stile Libero Byzantine necklace in 18k white gold with fancy yellow diamonds and diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Audace necklace in 18k rose gold with fancy brown diamonds, white diamonds and champagne diamonds.
Pomellato Stile Libero Attaché.
Pomellato Stile Libero Attaché necklace.
Chanel's Language of Symbols
Every great jewellery house has its signatures. CHANEL has its symbols.
Gabrielle Chanel never believed in coincidence. She surrounded herself with symbols, reading meaning into stars, lions, camellias and the number five, collecting them as talismans throughout her life. From the mirrored apartment on Rue Cambon to the octagonal geometry of the Place Vendôme, which inspired the iconic N°5 bottle, her world was built on a personal vocabulary of signs that continues to shape the House today.
Chanel Symbole Emblématique Lion ring.
Signes & Symboles brings that vocabulary into High Jewellery. Rather than looking to the archives for nostalgia, the collection treats Chanel's emblems as living codes, reinterpreting them through exceptional gemstones, bold colour and striking compositions. The lion, the camellia, the star and the sun are not decorative details—they are the foundations of one of the most recognisable visual identities in luxury.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Camélia necklace.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Camélia ring.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Camélia brooch.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Camélia ring.
Chanel Symbole Emblématique ring.
Chanel Symbole Emblématique Lion ring.
Chanel Symbole Emblématique ring.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Ombre earrings.
Chanel Reach for the Stars Camélia bracelet.
Chanel Reach for the Stars earrings.
Marilyn Monroe, Diamonds and the Making of an Icon
One of London’s must-see exhibitions this summer is Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, on view until 6 September. Marking the centenary of Monroe’s birth, the exhibition explores how one of the twentieth century’s greatest icons carefully constructed an image that continues to influence fashion, beauty and jewellery today.
Long before celebrities became the faces of jewellery houses, Marilyn Monroe transformed diamonds into symbols of glamour, fantasy and desire. Her unforgettable appearances wearing extraordinary jewels helped shape the way generations would dream about diamonds, proving that a single image could become as powerful as the jewel itself.
Marilyn Monroe
Among the stories explored is the legendary Moon of Baroda, the remarkable yellow diamond Monroe wore while promoting Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Surrounded by myths of royalty, history and even rumours of a curse, the gem perfectly illustrates how jewellery often becomes most captivating when extraordinary craftsmanship is matched by extraordinary storytelling.
The exhibition serves as a timely reminder that jewellery does not simply reflect culture. At its very best, it helps create it.
Marilyn Monroe
Rihanna on the cover of EE72 magazine
That relationship between jewellery and image-making continues today.
In EE72 magazine's Summer 2026 editorial La Reine, Rihanna wears jewels by Fernando Jorge and Dinosaur Designs in photographs that feel closer to portraiture than fashion imagery. Styled by Edward Enninful and photographed by Szilveszter Makó, the editorial explores power, presence and adornment through a contemporary lens.
Rihanna on the Cover of Issue 72.
The jewels never compete with Rihanna; instead, they amplify her presence while allowing her personality to redefine their meaning. It is a powerful reminder that the relationship between extraordinary jewellery and extraordinary women remains as compelling today as it was in Marilyn Monroe's era.
Rihanna on the Cover of Issue 72, wearing Fernando Jorge earrings.
Rihanna on the Cover of Issue 72, wearing the Stream Lines Loop earrings by Fernando Jorge.
Rihanna on the Cover of Issue 72, wearing the Fluid Diamonds Doubled Earrings by Fernando Jorge.
Until Next Week
From Ancient Egypt to modern Milan, from Gabrielle Chanel's personal symbols to Marilyn Monroe's enduring glamour, this week's stories remind us that jewellery has always been about far more than precious materials. It is a language of history, identity and imagination—one that continues to evolve through the people who create it and the women who bring it to life.
We'll be back next week with another selection of stories from across the world of jewellery and watches.
WORDS
Bianca Blanari approaches jewellery as a miniature form of architecture, where form, structure, balance and elevation are distilled into objects of intimate scale. She brings a fresh dimensionality to the field, offering a unique perspective that bridges disciplines and reframes how jewellery can be seen and understood.
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