This year, Piaget celebrates its 150th anniversary by not just presenting a collection, but also reviving the creative exuberance of its golden era of the 1960s and 1970s. “When we began designing the 150th anniversary collection in 2022, we aimed not to replicate heritage pieces but to draw inspiration from them, revisiting the boldness, originality, and elegance that defined our maison’s soul at the dawn of modernity,” says Stéphanie Sivrière, Piaget’s artistic director for jewellery and watches.
Incorporating the masterful use of gold, colour, and the maison’s renowned craftsmanship, the Essence of Extraleganza collection of 96 unique pieces invites connoisseurs to embrace a lifestyle that is vibrant, refined, and opulent. Divided into three thematic realms—Extraleganza, Piaget Society, and When Mastery Ignites Artistry—each chapter showcases a distinct facet of the maison’s heritage and unveils a diverse array of designs and gemstones.
The launch event occurred at the renowned Hotel de Maison in Paris. It was attended by distinguished guests such as model Ella Richards, actresses Yao Tong, Rosamund Pike and Ellie Bamber, singer and actor Lee Jun-ho, and actor and model Apo Nattawin, all of whom looked stunning in Piaget high jewellery.
Extraleganza
An amalgamation of the words extravagance and elegance, this chapter unveils Piaget’s creative soul through avant-garde designs adorned with spectacular stones bathed in gold and light. Among the standout pieces is the Swinging Sautoir, a signature Piaget piece since 1969, now reimagined with turquoise, malachite, and yellow sapphire. An ingenious transformable design that also reveals the time, it features a detachable pendant set with two focal stones: a 6.11-ct aquamarine and a Sri Lankan yellow sapphire weighing 29.24 cts. The pendant can be worn on the wrist as well, thanks to an innovative system that clips onto a bracelet.
Two other striking examples of Piaget’s virtuosity are a white gold necklace adorned with over 30 cts of rare round emeralds and a remarkable titanium scarf necklace inspired by a design from 1984. Featuring over 1,500 multicoloured stones judiciously arranged according to their chromatic intensity, it drapes beautifully across the collarbone.
Piaget Society
In this chapter, Piaget’s creative use of colour and its customers’ whirlwind lives play a prominent role. It includes a hand-coiled rose gold necklace with fluid neo-’70s design elements, including large opal plaques and snow-set diamond surfaces, complemented by a ring, earrings, and a watch in the same style.
An equally impressive necklace features more than 1,300 turquoise cabochons set into rose gold, creating the illusion of a rope of blue gems. A transformable cuff bracelet with gold and diamond fringes that conceal a turquoise watch dial and earrings complement the set.
Other standouts include a fascinating green tourmaline of 26.55 cts set into an ebony ring dotted with diamonds and lagoon tourmalines. Another turquoise necklace boasts turquoise beads of various sizes against a jumble of marquise-cut green tourmalines and brilliant-cut, diamond-paved lozenge shapes. Crowning the composition: a 16.83-ct pear-cut Sri Lankan yellow sapphire.
When Mastery Ignites Artistry
Piaget’s affinity for couture themes takes centre stage in this final chapter. It includes an exceptional cuff bracelet with rose and violet sapphires totalling nearly 56 cts. The gold ropes appear to float while following the shape of each gemstone, demonstrating the house’s mastery of metalworking. Just as impressive is a watch embellished with 26.11 cts worth of baguette-cut Colombian emeralds and diamonds. Its multi-level design features a mosaic of emeralds overflowing along the sides to create a strikingly original look. The watch is paired with a ring featuring a 2.53-ct emerald, exemplifying Piaget’s dual expertise in jewellery and watchmaking.
