Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds brings together craftsmanship and innovation.
For those who admire glittering gems with a side of history, Louis Vuitton’s latest high jewelry is sure to please. Titled Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds, the collection delves into Monsieur Vuitton’s journey through France during the 19th century and celebrates the rise of savoir-faire. “[That period] was a phenomenal time of incredible change, and when Paris really became the center of the world,” says Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director for watches and jewelry, via press release.
The collection features 220 special jewels with 13 individual themes, marking a milestone for Amfitheatrof as this is her sixth High Jewelry collection and the largest to date. Awakened Hands is the first chapter, spanning 11 themes and 100 pieces. The grouping represents a time when France’s craftsmen were given freedom to express their creativity through jewelry making, including a young Monsieur Vuitton, then a newcomer in Paris. In 1837, he was the first to design a flat and stackable trunk for traveling, going hand in hand with this new era in France’s creations, “It’s the birth of France’s Art de Vivre, and the birth of what we know as luxury today,” says Amfitheatrof.
Within Awakened Minds are four distinct suites. Splendeur takes its name from an imperial bed, with its lace-like floral patterns, and also serves as a nod to the LV Monogram flower. One standout piece, a necklace of 52 rubies from Mozambique, represents one of the most challenging works in the collection, taking over 17 setters, 30 jewelers, and around 3,217 hours of work. Séduction is an ode to the textile industry and includes a 12.92-carat Zambian emerald necklace. Also found here is the grouping’s namesake necklace, which is the collection’s most time-consuming piece, clocking in at nearly 4,276 hours of work and featuring a motif that references the ropes that lift LV trunks. To round it out, Phenomenal which includes a two-color, round collar with a 5.07 carat Zambian emerald necklace, and Elegance, a diamond-only series of pieces including a tiara.
From there, we’re taken into the late 1900s when “life begins to change, and there is a complete burst of intelligence, ideas, vision, and expansion,” according to Amfitheatrof. In 1854, Vuitton was the first artisan designer to dream up a logo, creating a connection between Awakened Hands and Awakened Minds, as traditional craftsmanship meets innovation. This is reflected in Perception, a suite that includes a high-collar necklace made with different diamonds of varying shapes, volumes, and colors to create a braided pattern. You’ll also see stunning sapphires from Ceylon and Madagascar, weighing in at 20.10 carats and 7.08 carats, respectively. Frequence reflects the speed of modernization and industrialization, with a four-tied diamond necklace being the centerpiece. Kites, another brand motif, plays prominently in Gravité and includes a choker set with a 27.20-carat star sapphire. And speaking of chokers, the centerpiece of Optimisme is one such necklace that took 3,307 hours of work.
The invention of railways allowed Paris more freedom, and that’s the starting point for Vision. At the core of this suite is a necklace made with platinum and yellow sapphires that weigh 13.47 carats and 11.79 carats; it required 2,504 hours of work and five jewelers to mount and set the pieces. Lastly, Victoire pays homage to Paris’ most celebrated monument, the Eiffel Tower, with a necklace featuring gold rods shaped into a V with a dazzling 15.16-carat diamond cut in the LV Monogram Flower — the largest diamond the brand has ever set in their collections.
Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds is a collection close to the house’s heart. “By showing this mixture of craftsmanship…we are really talking about Louis Vuitton,” says Amfitheatrof. See some of our favorites below.
