Deep Time is Francesca Amfitheatrof’s fifth and most ambitious high jewellery offering for Louis Vuitton, following the Bravery, Bravery II, and Stellar Times collections of previous seasons. We were presented with 170 pieces across two themes in the opening salvo of Deep Time, and now we have a further 50 creations to pour over. This latest chapter is more nuanced and thematic, traversing small seeds, sinuous skin, ancient fossils and everything in between. Its starting point is something much grander, though – the clashing of supercontinents Gondwana and Laurasia and how this meeting of masses changed the world as we know it. New themes are also present, such as Symbiosis, which is “inspired by our planet’s first land-bound ecosystems, namely fungi and mycelium,” according to Louis Vuitton’s rich storytelling. Here, we see “delicate, sumptuous jewels come to life in beautiful and feminine, pastel pink and purple spinels”.
“With this second Chapter of Deep Time, we continue the story of this most beautiful, poetic collection that symbolises a vast and incredible storyline,” Francesca Amfitheatrof.
Overall, Deep Time Chapter II is set apart by its sophistication and refinement, which is more pronounced than Chapter I. Minerals are deeper, earthier and richer, such as warm Umba sapphires and yellow diamonds in rose and yellow golds. To see this brought to life, let’s start with one of the stars of the Deep Time show – the Laurasia necklace…
Laurasia
The Laurasia high-collar necklace is recognisably Louis Vuitton, with its sharp ‘V’ of colourless diamonds atop seven orbiting rings of baguette and round brilliant-cut white diamonds in platinum, yellow gold and rose gold. At its heart, the necklace boasts an internally flawless emerald-cut yellow diamond of 5.02 carats topped with a Monogram Flower-cut diamond of 3.11 carats, which is also D-colour and internally flawless. Dotted throughout the piece are 34 emerald-cut diamonds, said to be reminiscent of the Maison’s Damier motif, and a further 270 custom-cut diamonds for good measure. The piece required some 2,465 hours to create, making it the most valuable and exclusive jewel in this second chapter. Should the buyer of this piece wish to complete the set, there’s a Laurasia ring with a 3.02-carat yellow diamond and a triangular-shaped step-cut diamond-set secret watch, described as a “rare gem in Louis Vuitton high jewellery”.
Drift
We’ve been introduced to supercontinents, and now we watch them move and shift under the ‘Drift’ banner. Here, we find the more reserved Drift necklace in white gold with an octagonal step-cut golden yellow sapphire of 30.47 carats, hailing from Sri Lanka. This sunny gem sits atop two rows of colourless diamonds, each shaped with graphic ‘V’ interjections to ensure a geometric and contemporary finish. A matching white gold bracelet with an octagonal 17.22-carat yellow sapphire, also from Sri Lanka, is the ideal accompaniment.
Myriad
Amfitheatrof takes us down a more esoteric route with the Myriad theme, which is described as “an embodiment of perpetual movement, where futuristic, hypnotic jewels take their cue from sinuous DNA and double-helix forms”. The Myriad suite continues the preference for white gold from Chapter I with a necklace, matching cuff, ring and several pairs of earrings, each set with LV Monogram Star-cut diamonds nestled in a woven mesh of diamonds for flexibility and suppleness. The Myriad necklace is a feat of engineering, sitting almost like a Tudor-era ruff on the neck with ‘nails’ of white gold that spiral like DNA from an entwined rope of diamonds. The two tassels of diamonds that hand down the front, tied with a neat knot at the hollow of the neck, are a romantic touch.
Symbiosis
If we had to pick a favourite piece for its sheer joyfulness, it would be the Symbiosis necklace, crafted in white gold with two pear-cut purple spinels of 4.13 carats and 10.11-carats, one cushion-cut pink spinel of 10.03 carats, one cushion-cut purple spinel of 8.46-carats, and a cushion-cut blue spinel of 10.67-carats, interspersed with LV Monogram star-cut diamonds and bombé pavé diamonds. Symbiosis is a new theme, and, as such, it kicks off with a bang here to evoke growing fungi, mycelial networks, and clusters of cells that sit asymmetrically on either side of the neck. The piece took 1,381 hours of work, not least because of the reverse, which features a mushroom motif that only the wearer can see. A pair of earrings and rings with clusters of spinels and diamonds complete this organic-leaning suite.
Fossils and Bones
The separate themes of Fossils and Bones are where meticulous details emerge as core design choices, notably through diamond set trellis’, honeycombs and meshes. The minimalist Fossils necklace in platinum and yellow gold bursts with a cushion-cut sapphire of 5.18 carats, while its matching bracelet boasts a 4.03-carat royal blue sapphire. Meanwhile, a separate Fossils bracelet is set with another impressive 10.56-carat sapphire that is perfectly designed to fit between two strands: one in the Damier pattern and the other in trellis style. Bones returns to the high collar aesthetic, this time with a choker of pure colourless diamonds in alternating squares and rectangles, placed at different heights. A second necklace is a graphic construction centred on an LV Monogram Star-cut diamond and further fringed with around 100 custom-cut diamonds. The brilliant blend of white gold and custom-cut diamonds continues in a set of rings and a pair of standout double-hoop ear cuffs, while a 3.84-carat oval fancy-cut Paraiba tourmaline tops a two-strand ring of over 240 diamonds.
Plants & Flower
In the ‘Plants’ suite, we find a transformable necklace set with leaves that are crafted from over 400 custom-cut emeralds and diamonds, as well as a ring in white and yellow gold with a 1.62-carat emerald, 25 custom-cut rubies for 2.86-carats and diamonds. The former features three leaves, two of which can be detached and worn as elegant brooches, amidst 302 custom-cut diamonds and 132 Zambian emeralds with a rare blue hue. Next, we return to the theme of flowers, which emerged in Chapter I through golden fuschia blooms. The Chapter II iteration is more paired-back, paying tribute to the Louis Vuitton Monogram with a ring of petals radiating from a star-cut diamond. The remainder of this suite includes a striking medallion suspended from a diamond chain, with over 1,300 diamonds and 90 custom-cut stones.
Seeds
Seeds – the grains of life – and pearls, the original symbol of fruitful fertility, combine in this thematic facet of Deep Time. The story focuses on the tubular Seeds double-strand necklace in white gold, with LV Monogram Star-cut diamonds, 1,200 diamonds, and 43 luminous grey Tahitian pearls. The kite-shaped cut-out motif, which repeats around the circumference of the necklace, “echoes a signature design code of the Maison” and also appears in a matching bracelet with 32 pearls.
Skin
Finally, our favourite mineralogical treat in Deep Time Chapter II is the Skin necklace in pink gold with 83 Umba sapphires of 19.45 carats and diamonds. Ultra-modern, convex and collar-bone skimming, this necklace recalls the skin of a snake but also the Maison’s Damier pattern. The deep brown-orange-pink gems hail from the area around the Umba River in Tanzania and make a refreshing change from the starkness of blue sapphires and the cool intensity of bluish emeralds. Across the Skin suite, there are 300 Umba sapphires, all individually custom cut as the layouts and designs dictate, from square and lozenge shapes to orderly baguettes. Interestingly, this is also the first time that Amfitheatrof has dedicated a full high jewellery suite to rose gold, complete with a matching bracelet, a ring and a pair of delicate ear cuffs.
I am sure you will agree that this is a fitting continuation of the Deep Time story, one that throws a few curve balls our way. We’d predicted that warm-toned minerals would sneak their way into high jewellery collections in 2024, and when pieces are this good, we’re so glad to be correct!
