From Empire to Pop Culture: Our Weekly Round-Up of Headline Jewellery News

At first glance, this weeks’ jewellery headlines couldn’t be more different. Imperial Russian treasures reappear after nearly a century hidden from public view. Blancpain commemorates Marilyn Monroe's centenary. Pomellato arrives in Paris with an exhibition celebrating its pioneering spirit. Tiffany & Co. unveils the latest chapter of its Blue Book high jewellery collection. Montblanc turns craftsmanship into an object of contemplation. And Dua Lipa's civil wedding ceremony proves that celebrity style remains one of jewellery's most powerful cultural forces. Look a little closer, though, and a common thread emerges, with each story showing how jewellery continues to reinvent its relevance while remaining connected to its past.

The Return of the Romanov Jewels

Other treasures include delicate diamond-set floral ornaments, designed to be worn directly on imperial gowns, with their journey almost as remarkable as their craftsmanship. Having survived the fall of the Romanovs, the Bolshevik Revolution, Soviet confiscation and subsequent liquidation sales, they remained hidden in private hands for nearly a century before resurfacing at Sotheby's this month.

A Tribute to an Icon

By the mid-20th century, Hollywood had become one of culture’s most powerful stages, and few stars shone brighter than Marilyn Monroe. Today, a century after her birth, her cultural magnetism remains undiminished, providing the backdrop to Blancpain’s latest tribute. To mark the occasion, the Swiss watchmaker has revisited one of Monroe’s own timepieces. Buried within her estate for decades, the watch resurfaced only recently, bringing renewed attention to a striking example of post-war design. Its elongated silhouette echoed the soaring geometry of New York's Art Deco skyline, drawing inspiration from landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building.

The new Ladybird Tribute collection translates those design cues into a series of seven limited-edition watches. Each is paired with a strap in a bespoke Pantone colour, inspired by different facets of Monroe's image. Every caseback is engraved with a letter from her first name, creating a set that celebrates both the actress and the enduring mythology that has grown around her.

The Celebrity Effect

The most talked-about jewellery moment of the past week arrived not on a red carpet, but outside London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall. For her civil wedding ceremony to Callum Turner, Dua Lipa paired a Schiaparelli couture suit with Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti necklace, placing one of jewellery's most enduring motifs at the centre of a thoroughly modern bridal look.

The choice carried a rich lineage. First introduced by Bulgari in 1948 and famously championed by Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of Cleopatra, Serpenti has become one of the defining symbols of the Roman maison. Long associated with transformation and renewal, the serpent was also particularly apt for this beginning of a new chapter.

For Bulgari, the appearance was another reminder of how iconic designs remain relevant across generations. Nearly eight decades after its debut, Serpenti continues to find new wearers, new meanings and new moments in the spotlight.

The Authority of the Hand

What makes the collection particularly compelling is the level of craftsmanship devoted to every surface. From the cap and barrel to the clip, cone and nib, each component is treated as a canvas for artistic expression, transforming a functional writing instrument into a collectible work of art.

Reinventing Desire

If you're in Paris this summer, Pomellato's first-ever exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo is well worth adding to your itinerary. Titled ‘Le Joaillier Révolutionnaire’, it arrives at a significant moment for the Milanese maison. While reflecting on nearly six decades of creativity and craftsmanship, Pomellato is also looking ahead with the launch of the new Pentagoni collection.

Founded in Milan in 1967 by Pino Rabolini, Pomellato emerged during a period of profound social and creative change in Italy. Rather than following established conventions, the House championed a more liberated approach to jewellery, one aligned with prêt-à-porter fashion, contemporary design and evolving ideas of femininity.

The exhibition also highlights Pomellato’s long-standing understanding of the power of imagery. Through collaborations with photographers including Helmut Newton, Gian Paolo Barbieri and Herb Ritts, the House helped position jewellery within a wider conversation spanning fashion, art and visual culture.

That spirit is visible in Pentagoni. Built around a deceptively simple five-sided geometry, the collection transforms structure into movement, creating pieces that re remarkably fluid on the body. Presented alongside a retrospective celebrating the House's history, it demonstrates that Pomellato's success has always rested on its ability to evolve while remaining unmistakably itself.

Capturing Wonder

And finally, what better way to welcome summer than with a garden in full bloom? Tiffany & Co. marks the season with the latest chapter of Blue Book 2026: Hidden Garden, its annual high jewellery extravaganza.

The collection revisits the imaginative universe of Jean Schlumberger, the visionary designer whose creations helped define Tiffany’s creative identity throughout the 20^th century. Under the direction of Nathalie Verdeille, birds, blossoms and woven organic textures reappear in vivid new forms, animated by exceptional gemstones.

The celebrated Bird on a Rock evolves into a menagerie of fantastical creatures perched atop Australian opals, chrysoprase, chrysocolla and Nigerian spessartines. Elsewhere, blue zircons, tanzanites, rubellites and peridots create an explosion of colour.

Tiffany has long excelled at translating the American fascination with abundance into jewellery, and Hidden Garden continues that tradition with remarkable confidence. Nature provides the inspiration, but imagination takes centre stage.

Until Next Week

This week, jewellery took us from the court of Catherine the Great to the streets of Paris, from a rediscovered watch once owned by Marilyn Monroe to Tiffany & Co.'s latest high jewellery creations. We'll be back next week with another selection of stories from across the world of jewellery and watches.