Architecture, lace and jewelry in a dazzling eblouissante set by Chanel

Architectural and delicate, modern and ethnic, the Eblouissante set of high jewelry from the Escale à Venise collection by Chanel is everything you would have expected from the legendary luxury fashion house – and plenty more.

The combination of pink gold and platinum in tandem with flawless diamonds brings to mind intricate, hand-made embroidery and the gothic architecture of Venice: nuanced lace-like tiles, atmospheric windows and an aura of remarkable lightness, all obtained through the uncontestable artistry of medieval architects, engineers and builders.

The geometrically-set diamond cubes and rectangles are arranged like multiple openings and spaces in the mosaic of Venetian architecture. Frames of rose gold and platinum support refreshing ice-cubes of crystal-clear diamonds as a metaphor for dainty windows, letting fresh air into the twilight of cool, historical buildings. The gemstones are set in a precise, well-measured manner, creating an impression of lightness, lucidity, balanced elegance and refined poshness – qualities characteristic of Chanel from the very beginnings of the house.

The nature of lace has inspired architects to finesse detail, romanticism and mystery, playing with filigree light and energizing shadows in their creations from time immemorial, and continues to do so to this day. Lace-like town halls, churches and cathedrals possess qualities of airiness and tactility, making them more familiar to townies, almost like a second skin.

In the 1930s, Coco Chanel herself underwent a so-called “romantic” period, during which she widely employed lace, tulle and chiffon, accentuating the natural curves of a woman’s body, often using classic black to counterbalance the romantic quality of those materials and turn them into seductive gowns.

In the Escale à Venise collection and especially in the Eblouissante set, Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the Chanel Jewelry Creation Studio, offers her own contemporary interpretation of Gabrielle Chanel’s vision of Venice – always one of her favorite destinations.

Translated from the French as ‘dazzling’, the light and sculptural, ethnic and modern Eblouissante set lives up to its name – and way beyond it.