French Ateliers Get Hip

GEM-SET HOODIE TASSELS? A magnetic jewelled pocket that doubles as a cuff? A carabiner dripping in precious stones? If such adornments don’t sound like haute joaillerie, get ready for the new French revolution.

- Jill Newman and Paige Reddinger

Rather than sticking to the standard fare (think opulent gala necklaces and earrings in classic motifs and familiar cuts), Boucheron, Cartier, Chaumet and other establishment ateliers are devising entirely new— and often casual—ways to rock extravagant stones.

At Boucheron last July, exuberant models danced to