Chanel Jewelry: High Five

With its first US boutique dedicated to watches and jewelry now open on New York’s Fifth Avenue, the house of Chanel is celebrating its founder’s vision.

Première Edition Originale watch in yellow gold-coated steel and leather with lacquer by CHANEL WATCHES

Coco Crush bracelets in 18-carat white, beige, and yellow gold with diamonds by CHANEL FINE JEWELRY

Throughout the countless contributions that Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel made to 20th- century fashion, she always maintained a somewhat convoluted relationship with luxury. “Elegance is refusal,” she famously said. In the same way, she transformed black— once the color of mourning and the uniforms of shopgirls and servants—into the triumphant color of chic. She also elevated the status of costume jewelry into an enduring part of the Chanel look.

Ropes of pearls, Maltese crosses, and botanical motifs became her preferred substitutes for precious stones—with one notable exception. In 1932, Chanel became the first female designer to cross over into the male-dominated world of high jewelry with her Bijoux de Diamants collection.

Despite only producing one such collection within her lifetime, Chanel still left her indelible imprint on the category. As she liberated women’s bodies with soft jerseys and simple lines, her exquisite creations were intended to be worn freely and with ease.

“I want the jewelry to be like a ribbon on a woman’s fingers,” she said. Choosing to use only diamonds—“the greatest value for the smallest size”—she created designs that revolved around a celestial theme encompassing stars, comets, and crescent moons. The stones were displayed bare, without visible settings, to appear weightless on the body.

Now, 90 years since she presented her singular vision, the house of Chanel is welcoming its first standalone boutique dedicated to watches and jewelry in the U.S.. The store’s location, on New York’s Fifth Avenue, serves as a reminder of the famous scent that made Chanel a household name.

Designed by the maison’s long-standing collaborator Peter Marino, the two-story space evokes the spirit of 31 Rue Cambon through the beaux arts architecture, Goossens chandeliers, and hand-applied coromandel wall finishes. The ultimate destination to discover Chanel’s most precious creations and timepieces, the rarefied interior is complemented by a curation of original artworks and antiques by Marino, which include pieces by influential 20th-century female artists such as Louise Nevelson and Anna-Eva Bergman.

Existing in constant dialogue with the couturier’s emblematic motifs, Chanel’s jewelry designs center on visual identifiers of her life story—the Camélia collection for her favorite flower, the quilted motif of Coco Crush, and the Comète series that pays tribute to Bijoux de Diamants.

Exquisite new pieces will also be revealed upon the occasion of the store’s opening, available exclusively in New York. Patrice Leguéreau, director of the fine jewelry creation studio, has played upon the symbology of the number 5 to add a diamond necklace and earrings to the Eternal N°5 collection. Adding a further layer to the narrative, their emerald- cut stones allude to the original N°5 perfume bottle stopper of 1921 that was inspired by aerial views of Place Vendôme in Paris.

Coco Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo, and the majestic lion has become an integral part of the house’s iconography. Following the previous jewelry collections Sous le Signe du Lion and L’esprit du Lion, the latest, Lion Solaire, will also launch at the New York store. Reinterpreting the lion motif, its five pieces feature pear-shaped and marquise-cut diamonds that seem to undulate with the light. There are also new Coco Crush pieces, including mini bracelets in yellow, white, and beige gold, some with diamonds.

“I wanted to cover women in constellations,” Mademoiselle Chanel proclaimed in 1932. “With stars! Stars of all sizes.” Nearly a century later, her pioneering vision retains all its splendor and radiance— and this boutique will only enhance the designer’s everlasting sparkle.

Eternal N˚ 5 necklace in 18-carat white gold with diamonds by CHANEL HIGH JEWELRY

Coco Crush ring in 18-carat white gold by CHANEL FINE JEWELRY

Coco Crush necklace in 18-carat white gold by CHANEL FINE JEWELRY

J12 watch in ceramic and steel by CHANEL WATCHES

Eternal N˚ 5 transformable earrings in 18-carat white gold with diamonds by CHANEL HIGH JEWELRY

Lion Solaire de Chanel ring in 18-carat white gold with diamonds by CHANEL HIGH JEWELRY

Photographer EDUARD SANCHEZ RIBOT

Fashion Editor DORA FUNG

Text MENG-YUN WANG

Set designer JOCELYN CABRAL

Digital operator TIMOR RAZ

Photographer’s assistant JUSTIN SARINANA

Producer CHANCE JARVIS

Location BROOKLYN GRAIN PHOTO STUDIOS

Instagram: @chanelofficial

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