DON'T MISS A THING

From high jewelry necklaces covered with diamonds and colored gems to beautifully classic gold hoops, we have broken down a list of some of the world’s most exciting and luxurious jewelry brands into five categories.

They include everything from the classic French Maisons that live on Place Vendôme in Paris, like Cartier, Chaumet, and Boucheron, to more recently established brands that have excited clients with their fresh take on fine jewelry.

ARCHITECTURE AND DECOR INSPIRED

Boucheron

In 1893, Boucheron was the first of the French contemporary jewelers to open a storefront on Paris’ iconic Place Vendôme. A place where many of the top fine jewelry brands are located, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chaumet.

Architectural movements have always inspired the French Maison’s designs. Some of its pieces reflect the “geometric perfection and the purity of Art Deco line.” While others evoke the image of the iconic Parisian square.

Prounis

Prounis was founded in 2017 AC, the brand playfully states on its website, in reference to its visual identity rooted in ancient Greece. The pieces are hand-made with recycled 22-karat gold. And they draw inspiration from elements like forest glass, ancient trade rings, a ceramic object discovered in Pella, and alabaster perfume bottles.

The luxury jewelry brand is based in New York City and was created by Jean Prounis, who also incorporated her great-grandparents’ New York nightclub, the Versailles, into its identity.

Azlee

Azlee’s pieces have the look and feel of family heirlooms. Using recycled gold, the brand takes some of its inspiration from Art Deco architecture, ancient civilizations, and the natural world. Celebrities like Emily Blunt and Bella Hadid, among many others, have worn their designs.

In 2005, Baylee Ann Zwart started Azlee, a name she created after mixing some of her name’s letters. Growing up between Colorado and California, Baylee moved to South America at a young age to work for a fair-trade NGO. While there, she found inspiration in the “rugged geometry of the terrain, the fluidity of water” and “the ever-changing play of light and form”—elements that early on inspired her jewelry designs.

Buccellati

One of Buccellati’s defining characteristics is the mix of yellow and white gold, as is the millegrain technique, in which the goldsmith produces a half-millimeter thick plate and shapes minuscule silhouettes inside of it.

Many of the Italian luxury jewelry brand’s collections take inspiration specifically from the Renaissance era, including the Rombi collection, which brings natural elements and stylizes them to become geometric shapes.

Roberto Coin

Roberto Coin signs each piece of fine jewelry with a small gem hidden away on the side that touches the skin. “According to an ancient belief, wearing a ruby close to the skin promoted long life, health and happiness and even today it is believed to possess these magic powers including the extraordinary ability of giving peace,” the brand says on its website.

While many of its collections include a four-petaled floral motif, the Art Deco collection is an “experimentation of symmetries and colors” and features tassels and cylinders.

Louis Vuitton Jewelry

The historic French fashion maison Louis Vuitton offers a powerful jewelry collection. Its fine jewelry is striking and unique, while its high jewelry collections are beautiful odes to French savoir-faire. We especially love what Francesca Amfitheatrof has done with Louis Vuitton Jewelry since she joined the brand in 2018!

NATURE INSPIRED

Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie

Europe-based Asian high jewelry artist Anna Hu of the exceptional haute joaillerie brand creates bespoke museum-quality jewelry to love. After working for Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, and Christie’s, Anna founded her eponymous brand. She opened her first shop at the age of 30, one year later, in New York’s iconic Plaza Hotel.

Her works of jewelry art feature rare gemstones and come to life at the hands of prestigious French ateliers. Authenticity and artistic creativity radiate from Anna Hu’s one-of-a-kind high jewelry pieces. Her East meets West philosophy results in stunning culturally rich designs, often inspired by nature’s flora and fauna.

Renna

Renna’s collections evoke all parts of the natural world—from the galaxy to the Caspian Sea or a tidepool. It all started with two coffee bean shells the brand’s creator, Renna Brown-Taher, found with her mother when she was nine years old in Salt Creek Beach in Laguna, California. Her mother turned them into jewelry, and years later, Renna carried on the legacy with her own brand.

In 2024, Renna won a Couture Design Award in the category “Best in Colored Gemstones Below $40,000 Retail,” thanks to its Ombré Fringe Necklace, which features aquamarine and citrine gems set in an ombre design evocative of the sunset and costs $21,000.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Instantly recognizable as one of the most luxurious jewelry brands in the world, Van Cleef & Arpels’s signature motif from the Alhambra collection draws its inspiration from the contours of the four-leaf clover. Most of the Maison’s collections resemble different elements of nature, from flora to fauna. Lucky Spring, for instance, references how this season brings with it a new beginning, while the butterflies collection evokes “the beauty of nature in movement,” according to the brand.

The Maison came to be in 1906 at Place Vendôme by married couple Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef, who both came from families in the fine gems business.

Dior Joaillerie

Dior Joallerie is one of Place Vendôme’s newest tenants. Their storefront opened in 2001, just a few years before Victoire de Castellane became its creative director. In the past couple of decades, she completely reinvented Dior’s fine jewelry. Thus turning it into the colorful, whimsical brand that we know today.

“Rather than echoing what the big jewelry houses on Place Vendome were doing with their formal-centric jewelry dripping in diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, de Castellane shook up the industry with her singular vision of what gems should look like. She wanted color, whimsy, fantasy and surrealism,” Forbes wrote.

In line with the fashion brand’s identity, the rose is central in Dior Joaillerie’s collection—showing up in everything from graceful petals to thorny motifs.

Piaget

Like with Dior, Piaget’s founder’s (Yves Piaget) love of roses led to one of the Swiss brand’s most iconic jewelry motifs since the 1960s. According to the brand, a renowned horticulturist by the name of Alain Meilland dedicated a new creation to Yves Piaget. He then went on to win Geneva’s prestigious International New Rose Competition in 1982.

The Possession collection, which features rings with rotating bands, is another one of Piaget’s most iconic designs.

Bvlgari

Bvlgari’s whole visual identity is—pun intended—completely wrapped around the Serpenti collection. The snake-line motif adorns everything from jewelry collections to purses and watches, symbolizing “transformation and magnetic allure.”

The Italian luxury jewelry brand also often uses vibrant gemstones, including emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and amethysts, often set in bold combinations. We especially love the campaign below for “Serpenti Through the Eyes of Mary Katrantzou”, Greek fashion designer and creative director of Bvlgari since April 2024.

Cartier

Another jewelry legacy brand inextricably linked to an animal is Cartier, with its emblematic Panthère. A symbol of elegance and a distinct and indomitable creature, according to the brand. It’s been around since the founding of the Maison in 1914. And has provided an endless source of inspiration, from more realistic interpretations to more abstract ones.

The Love collection, with its screw motifs, is another one of Cartier’s most popular items. A look that came around, according to the brand, as “a love child of ’70s New York.” As one of the most luxurious jewelry brands in the world, Cartier is a true icon of the industry.

Chanel

The lion and the camellia flower—both symbols adored by Gabrielle Chanel—are the two defining elements of the French Maison’s high jewelry collections. While the former was Coco’s star sign (and the symbol of Venice, to which she moved in 1919), the latter represented to the designer “simplicity and purity.”

The use of beige gold (representing the idea of refuse) is a signature feature of Chanel’s fine jewelry collections.

Chaumet

Known for its close ties to royalty, French jeweler Chaumet has made over 2,000 tiaras since its founding in 1780 for monarchies and aristocratic families, according to its website. One of its most iconic collections, Joséphine, takes its name from the French empress and wife of Napoléon Bonaparte.

Nature is a key theme at the center of most of its collections, from regular to high jewelry. Vibrant stones surrounded by bees and flowers fill the Jardins collection. While the Bee My Love collection centers around honeycomb shapes. Finally, Ondes et Merveilles de Chaumet is an entire high jewelry collection dedicated to the sea with elements reminiscent of coral reefs, starfish, and the Gulf Stream.

Lorenz Bäumer

As the only independent jeweler located at Paris’ famous Place Vendôme, Lorenz Bäumer has been putting his name on creations for over 30 years. With roots around North America and Europe, Lorenz Bäumer’s designs are inspired by art and nature while often taking on an innovative twist. Introduced to craftsmanship at a young age, Lorenz quickly fell in love. With creations for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and royal commissions backing his own brand name and its works of jewelry art, Lorenz Bäumer has soundly established himself as one of the most luxurious jewelry brands in the world.

ALL ABOUT DIAMONDS

Messika

The daughter of a successful diamond merchant, Valérie Messika founded her eponymous brand in 2005. She began taking on the traditional world of jewelry with a more daring and fashionable approach and not even shying away from less conventional pieces like anklets, belly chains, and piercings. “Every season, I try, like a fashion designer, to offer new ways of wearing diamonds that are more original and uninhibited,” Valérie, the brand’s artistic director, said.

Messika’s on-trend designs have caught the eye of some of the world’s biggest supermodels. The brand collaborated with Gigi Hadid in a 2017 capsule collaboration and Kate Moss in 2021 with a high jewelry collection presented at Paris Fashion Week. In 2022, the brand created Beyond the Light, inspired by the lure of ancient Egypt, including pieces like the stunning Akh-Ba-Ka necklace.

Harry Winston

It’s hard to find a jewelry brand more synonymous with diamonds than the one that donated the actual Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Harry Winston solidified its name in pop culture with iconic moments. Such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s look at the 1999 Oscars. And Marilyn Monroe singing “Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it!” in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Classic, opulent designs featuring exceptional diamonds and colorful collections like Candy and Kaleidoscope are well-known brand designs. Winston was born in New York City to a family of immigrants. He learned about the business working under his father who had a small jewelry shop. In 1923, he established the brand and, in the 50s, opened a salon in Geneva and a second one in Paris.

Chopard

One of the most iconic collections of Swiss brand Chopard is happy diamonds. The designs feature its playful “dancing diamonds,” moving around inside of a sapphire crystal casing—in many cases heart-shaped. It symbolizes a free spirit and a “touch of Joie de Vivre,” the brand explains on its website.

One of the most popular luxury jewelry brands worn by celebrities on the most glamorous red carpets, Chopard is also known for having designed the Palme d’Or trophy for the Cannes Film Festival.

Graff

Founded in 1960, Swiss brand Graff owns some of the world’s most impressive rocks. Like the 302.37-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond—the largest, highest color, highest clarity diamond ever certified by the GIA, and the world’s largest square emerald cut diamond, according to the brand.

As one of the most luxurious jewelry brands in the world, Graff’s fine jewelry collections are all about diamonds, and the motifs include butterflies, flowers, bows, and peacocks.

MINIMALIST

Stephanie Gottlieb

It seems like these days, anything Taylor Swift touches turns to gold—in this case, in a very literal sense. While attending the Super Bowl this year to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce, the singer wore a custom-made Stephanie Gottlieb necklace with his jersey’s number layered on top of a Stephanie Gottlieb diamond choker. The customizable varsity necklace is available on the brand’s website.

The brand, which focuses on classic designs with a modern twist, has gained momentum this year with several high-profile partnerships. First, it was featured in a New York bridal fashion week event at the Manolo Blahnik store. And more recently, it partnered with the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour in Miami for an over-the-top engagement experience.

One of its signature pieces is the slider bracelet—a modern and chic twist on the classic charm bracelet. The website offers a fun way to preview a personalized bracelet with a mix of gems, symbols, and letters to add.

Jennifer Fisher

Dubbed the “Queen of Hoops” by the New York Times, Jennifer Fisher found her niche in jewelry by creating classics for everyday wear. Her hoops come in various styles and sizes and have been worn by an endless list of A-list celebrities, including Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Obama, Uma Thurman, and Rihana.

“The hoop has been around for thousands and thousands of years. We just happened to make one at the right time, in all the different styles,” Jennifer told Katie Couric in an interview, arguing that while not every hoop is right for everyone, there’s always a hoop for everyone.

The luxury jewelry brand is also known for its charms. In fact, that’s how the whole business started when Fisher (a former stylist) looked for a way to create a dog tag with her son’s name on it after battling a rare form of cancer. Fisher has two stores—one in Los Angeles and another in New York City.

Tiffany’s

Few brands have packaging that is as iconic as Tiffany’s, with its blue box. Founded in 1837 in New York, the brand is known for its classic elegance and clean lines. It made its mark in pop culture and became synonymous with romance and special moments.

Tiffany’s, the go-to brand for engagement rings, also distinguished itself with its ​​six-prong diamond setting. A design that lifts the rock above the band, allowing more light to pass through and thus emphasizing its shine. The brand is also known for using platinum.

Hermès

The founding of Hermès dates back to 1837, as a harness-maker, and its first jewelry collection came out in 1927. Naturally, it has always drawn inspiration from equestrian parts like bridles, bits, stirrups, and dog collars. The fine jewelry collection exudes the same quiet sophistication and timelessness associated with the fashion side of the French Maison.

Hemès’ 2024 “haute bijouterie” is an exercise in color and architecture. The pieces create the illusion of a paintbrush movement or the dispersion of light waves. When it comes to forever chic, Hermès is certainly one of the most luxurious jewelry brands in the world.

MAXIMALIST

Stephen Webster

He’s been called a rebel and the rock-n-roll jeweler—thanks to his edgy, goth-tinged designs and distinct personality. Jeweler and artisan Stephen Webster founded his eponymous in 1989 and, over the years, saw its expansion across the globe.

Webster’s designs challenged the rules of what was considered fine jewelry early on. Speaking about his early years, he said in an interview: “At that time, if you did want to be creative and design-driven, you had to face the fact that it was a niche market. If we were to start Stephen Webster today, I think we would probably find a lot more places that our jewelry could go than I could 30 years ago.”

And while there’s no shortage of celebrities who’ve donned Webster’s designs, one particular piece became viral. This was the bespoke engagement ring that singer Machine Gun Kelly used to propose to actress Megan Fox. It featured two pear-shaped gems (a diamond and an emerald) connected by magnets. In 2023, Kelly and Webster got together again to design a ring collection called 8th Deadly Sin.

Irene Neuwirth

Whimsical, colorful, imaginative: that’s the world of Irene Neuwirth, a Los Angeles-based jewelry brand. Founded in 2003, the CFDA award-winning brand is beloved by celebrities and the fashion world.

From gumballs to beaded candy and gemmy gems, many of the brand’s pieces “conjure images of edible confections,” the brand’s founder, who is also an accomplished horseback rider, told EQ Living.

Neuwirth credits her mother (a bohemian painter) as a major influence in her colorful aesthetic and her business-minded father as a force behind her entrepreneurial spirit. The brand has a flagship store at Melrose Place in Los Angeles and another on Madison Avenue in New York.

Bayco

Most Bayco jewelry pieces are one of a kind, and each one is designed around the stone it carries. This is especially significant given that the brand is particularly known for its use of rare, high-quality, natural, and untreated gemstones.

The house was founded by Amir Hadjibay, who, in his travels between Iran and India, started trading gemstones and visiting India’s regal maharajahs to acquire “bits and pieces of their legendary jewelry collections.”

“Jewelry for kings and queens is one way to explain the business model of Bayco,” the brand states on its website.

Sabyasachi

Founded by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the eponymous luxury jewelry brand reflects India’s royal heritage while celebrating the country’s highest form of craftsmanship and technique. Its deconstructed Maharani necklace, for instance, reinterprets the royal jadau necklaces of India that adorned ancient royals and aristocrats.

As last on this list but certainly one of the most luxurious brands in the world, Sabyasachi is known for its statement pieces and the frequent use of 18-carat gold.

Words by Catarina Moura
Feature Image by BAYCO

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