Top Luxury Designer Jewellery Brands

Our guide to the top luxury designer jewellery brands . All you need to know about the most collectable names in fine designer jewellery including key pieces to look out for that will retain their value over time.

BOUCHERON 

Pierre Boucheron opened his first shop in Paris in 1858. His firm grew in stature becoming central to the Paris jewellery industry and won the gold medal at the 1867 International Exhibition.

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Above: Boucheron 1920's art deco brooch and Boucheron onyx and cultured pearl fringe necklace

Boucheron produced exquisite jewellery which exhibited technical mastery and artistic skill. However  they were also know for their experimental avant garde ethos. Boucheron were the first firm to explore experimental techniques such as using various combinations of gold, steel, and plique a jour enamel.

Above: Boucheron pink sapphire and ruby serpents ring and Boucheron 18k gold multi gem 1970's bracelet

In 1893 they moved their premises to the Place Vendome and the firm went on to expand opening premises in New York, London and Moscow.

Boucheron continued to flourish throughout the twentieth century being popular with distinguished jewellery collectors including Princess Caroline of Monaco and the British Royal Family.

The Boucheron Greville "Honeycomb" Tiara has been worn by The Queen Mother and the The Duchess of Cornwall. The firm continues to produce beautiful and imaginative jewellery to this day.

VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS

Alfred Van Cleef whose father was a diamond cutter, married Estell Arpels, the daughter of a precious stone dealer in 1895. The following year Van Cleef and his father in law Salomen Arpels formed their business Van Cleef and Arpels.

Above: Van Cleef and Arpels sapphire, diamond and gold bangle circa 1936 and Van Cleef and Arpels Persian Tiger brooch

After the death of Salomen in 1903 Van Cleef officially opened the Van Cleef shop at Place Vendome, Paris in 1906  with his two brothers in law joining the business. The firm was renowned for its fine craftsmanship and its expertise in procuring and setting fine set stones, enamelling and watch making.

They produced traditional high end jewellery as well as well as more whimsical pieces with hidden functions in the form of exotic birds flowers and fairies.

Above: Van Cleef and Arpels ruby and diamond pendant necklace and Van Cleef and Arpels diamond zip necklace

Well known Van Cleef designs are the 1957 Camelia flower design which alternated rows of circular cut diamond and sapphires to resemble the camellia, and the four leafed clover Alhambra motif.

The 1940's Van Cleef Passe - Partout adaptable necklace, iconic ballerina brooch and the 1951 zip necklace are other notable designs.       

The firm attracted all sorts of stars including Grace Kelly and Jackie Onassis. Van Cleef and Arpels has continued to evolve over the years and continues to flourish in the present day.

BULGARI

Bulgari was established in Rome in 1884 by the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgaro. The company quickly established a reputation for beautiful craftsmanship and amazing jewellery creations.

In the 1920’s the company's high end jewellery displayed the geometric stylised design of the Art Deco period using platinum and diamonds.

Above: Bulgari multi gem gold necklace and Bulgari Serpenti bracelet watch

It was not until the 1940’s that the real Bulgari style began to emerge with the use of yellow gold, and the iconic Bulgari serpent motif. The 1950’s saw their style develop further with bold colour combinations of precious stones and coloured stones. The cabochon became a brand hallmark.

Above: Bulgari 1950's emerald and diamond brooch and Bulgari ruby and diamond necklace

The Italian stores were a magnet for movie stars and socialites of the day. The 1970s saw Bulgari expand into Europe and America with new creative inspiration themes taken from Pop Art and the Far East. The firm continue to produce innovative jewellery in the 1980's and 90's with unconventional materials and modular jewellery that could be worn from day to night.

CHOPARD

Chopard is one of the most luxurious watch and jewellery brands in the world. Originally founded in 1860 by watchmaker Louis-Ulysse Chopard, it was sold to Karl Scheufele in 1963 and remains family owned by the Scheufle dynasty to this day. The brand is know for fine jewellery and unique watches.

Above: Chopard coloured diamond necklace, and Chopard "Happy Diamonds" ring

The “Happy Diamonds” collection is one of the brands iconic collections. It features floating diamonds and can be seen in various pieces including necklaces, bracelets earrings and rings.

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Above: Chopard The Animal Collection diamond and gem set peacock earrings and Salamander diamond brooch

The 2010 Animal world collection featured 150 animal themed items including a white gold stork and a sparkling sardine design diamond and sapphire bracelet.

The annual Chopard red carpet collection has been worn by many celebrities including Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts.

HARRY WINSTON

Harry Winston had an illustrious career in fine jewellery. He was labelled “The King of Diamonds” and was a jeweller to the stars. His designs were seen many times on red carpets, in movies and museums.

Above: Harry Winston emerald and diamond necklace and Harry Winston sapphire and diamond ring

In 1944 he first loaned diamond jewellery to the actress Jennifer Jones who went on to win an Oscar the next day. He soon became something of a Hollywood  favourite with his diamonds worn by Shirley Temple, Claudette Colbert, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Above: Harry Winston ruby and diamond bracelet and Harry Winston sapphire,diamond and gold earrings

However, it was his world famous hand crafted 69.42 carat  flawless pear shaped diamond ring (given by Richard Burton to his wife Elizabeth Taylor) that really made the brand iconic.

Winston purchased many famous diamonds during his career. These  included the Vargas , a rough 26.6 carat stone that was cut into 29 diamonds , and also the 726 carat Jonker which resulted in 12 beautifully cut diamonds.

In 1949 Winston purchased the Hope Diamond. This was a rare 45.42 carat blue diamond which once belong to Marie Antoinette, Louis XIV and Lord Henry Hope. It was later donated to The Smithsonian Museum in Washington where it can be seen today.

CARTIER

Cartier was established in Paris in 1847 by the 28 year old Louis-Francois Cartier. It was his grandsons however ( Louis, Jacques and Pierre) who went on to establish the firm as a world famous brand . Pierre travelled to New York in 1917 to set up what became their flagship store at 653 Fifth Avenue.

Above: Cartier 1950's ruby and sapphire bird brooch and 1990's double headed panther bangle

In the  1920’s and 30’s Cartier produced fine jewellery in the Art Deco style often using rare and extremely high quality materials.

The "great cat" motif was first introduced in 1914 and various sculptural animals appeared in jewellery  including panthers and tigers as the years progressed.

Tutti frutti was another innovative jewellery range by Cartier. Having acquired acquired sapphires, rubies and emeralds carved with floral motifs in India at low prices, the Paris workshop created beautiful multi gem jewels. These became know as the Tutti Frutti style. The 1936 “Hindu necklace” was a beautiful example of this style.

Above: Cartier 1920's art deco sapphire and diamond bracelet and Cartier diamond, onyx and emerald ring 

The Cartier reputation was such that they became the chosen jewellery supplier to many Kings and Queens around the world  including England, Spain , Belgium and Russia.

Cartier tiaras were a favourite of the Royals and were seen at many Royal occasions. Catherine Duchess of Cambridge wore a Cartier tiara to her wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Movie stars and socialites were collectors of Cartier including Elizabeth Taylor, Merle Oberon , and Grace Kelly.

SUZANNE BELPERRON

Suzanne Belperron and the Parisian stone dealer Bernard Herz began their partnership in the Art Deco Era. After the second world war she worked with Jean Herz, the son of Bernard until her retirement in 1974.

Above: Suzanne Belperron 1950's coloured diamond and yellow sapphire brooch, and Suzanne Belperron 1970's amethyst, pearl, and diamond pendant necklace

Belperron was known for her daring and masterful  designs with an avant garde edge. Her exclusive designs which used modern materials and displayed bold angular shapes were much sought after and somewhat revolutionary for the time. Her clients included Wallis Simpson, Diana Vreeland and Daisy Fellowes.

She took inspiration from many sources including Brutalist architecture, tribal jewellery and Japanese cherry blossom. Her work was unsigned as Belperron felt that her distinctive designs were her signature. This proved challenging when it came to attributing her work in later years. 

TIFFANY

Tiffany was founded in 1838 as Tiffany and Young. In 1853 Charles Tiffany became the sole owner and the firm was renamed Tiffany and Co. In the 1870’s the company flourished with a store in Union Square which attracted many wealthy customers with its beautiful diamond jewellery and silverware.

Above: Tiffany 1920's diamond and sapphire bracelet and Schlumberger for Tiffany diamond bird on rock brooch 

A famous purchase in 1978 was the large 128.54 carat Tiffany yellow diamond. In the 1880’s Tiffany introduced their Tiffany setting for solitaire diamond rings and won various prizes at international exhibition. Louis Comfort Tiffany took over the firm in 1900 after his fathers death .

The company continued to blossom and evolve through the Art Deco style of the 1920’s and 30’s  to the cocktail style of the 1940’s.

Above: Tiffany morganite, tourmaline and diamond ring, and Tiffany yellow sapphire and diamond necklace

The 1940’s saw Tiffany's open their store at Fifth Avenue New York, famously associated with Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. This was also the period where Tiffany's introduced their iconic blue colour.

Various designers worked with Tiffany's over the next 30 years including Jean Schlumberger in the 1950’s, and Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso in the 1970’s and 80’s.

The firm is world famous and has a reputation for excellent craftsmanship, and  beautiful diamond and coloured gemstone jewellery. It is synonymous with romance and has sold many engagement rings over the years. Today the company continued to produce beautiful high end jewellery as well as a more affordable  range of silver jewellery  

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