Elite Traveler March-April 2017

elite traveler MAR/APR 2017 89

Piaget NEUCHÂTEL, 1874 While Piaget began as and is world-renowned its high-jewelry collecti craftsmanship. Its wor gems a year in both je Nature, especially mag rose, features regularly necklace from the Extr different diamond cuts baguette, to bring in as offset with incredible s oval-cut central stone.

a watch manufacturer in Switzerland for its ultrathin watch movements, ons also achieve the same levels of kshop sets more than two million welry and high-jewelry timepieces. ic gardens and the famous Piaget in its jewelry collections. The pictured emely Sparkling collection uses , including brilliant, marquise and much light as possible, and it is apphires, including a 14.28-carat

Chopard SONVILIER, 1860

When the Scheufele family acquired Chopard in 1963, it began transforming the prestigious watch brand and expanded from gem-set watches to full high-jewelry collections, still with fabulous gem-set watches, of course. It now produces nearly equal amounts of watches and jewelry. In addition to its menagerie of animal-inspired high jewelry and collections that feature precious gems, Chopard is dedicated to sustainable luxury. It even has a high-jewelry line, the Green Carpet Collection, that uses Fairmined gold from artisanal gold mines in South America and

ethically-sourced diamonds. Artistic director Caroline Scheufele designed this modern bracelet that features round- and pear-cut diamonds totaling 83.42 carats.

Van Cleef &Arpels PARIS, 1906 When Estelle Arpels, born to a precious-stone dealer, married Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a stonecutter, they started a lifelong journey together and created one of jewelry’s most romantic houses. The company is known for its delicate, feminine sensibilities, including beautiful meditations on butterflies, flowers, fairies, ballerinas and its iconic four-leaf clover, Alhambra, which brings luck to the wearer wherever she goes. The high-jewelry watches in the Poetic Complications collection contain mechanisms that animate butterflies and fairies, and this year Van Cleef & Arpels released an incredible automaton of a fairy on a lily pad that was 10 years in the making. Its irreverent high-jewelry collections take us on tours around the world, through the stars and into the ocean’s depths. Recently, it celebrated the beauty of the emerald with its Émeraude en Majesté high-jewelry collection. The pictured Grand Opus necklace must have a bit of fairy magic itself; it comes with three carved emeralds and pearl tassels that can be transformed into three different necklaces, two pairs of earrings and three brooches.

1. Piaget Extremely Piaget necklace in 18K white gold with 32.77 carats diamonds and 24.34 carats sapphires, price on request, piaget.com 2. Van Cleef & Arpels Grand Opus necklace in 18K white gold with three carved emeralds totaling 127.88 carats, diamonds, pearls, price on request, +1 877 826 2533, vancleefarpels.com 3. Chopard Green Carpet Collection bracelet in 18K white Fairmined gold with 83.42 carats diamonds 4. Chopard Green Carpet Collection earrings in 18K white Fairmined gold with 11.77 carats marquise-cut diamonds; both price on request, available by appointment, +1 800 246 7273, chopard.com