By Lauren Caruso
Behind the scenes of Graff’s latest campaign for the Tilda’s Bow Collection. Photo Courtesy of Graff.
Graff
This year bows made a big statement. But when they’re crafted from the world’s finest hand-selected diamonds, the volume is turned way up. For more than half a century, the Graff name has been synonymous with timeless sophistication and unparalleled craftsmanship. And while the charming symbol has been a longstanding Graff motif, it wasn’t until 2019 that the maison formally introduced the playful Tilda’s Bow collection.
Tilda’s Bow diamond ring and necklace.
Inspired by founder Laurence Graff ’s inimitable bond with his granddaughter, the London atelier’s Tilda’s Bow collection captures the unconditional love that bonds families—harmonious, fluid, and complete. Each piece in the range of watches, earrings, rings, brooches, and pendants may have been designed to be passed down through generations as an eternal keepsake, but they’re notably of-the-moment, too.
Bulgari
Featuring perhaps the most recognizable and hallowed motif from the storied Italian jewelry brand, Bulgari’s Serpenti collection has charmed, beguiled, and entranced wearers and onlookers alike since its debut in the 1940s. One of the few women’s watches of the time, the distinctively exotic snakehead design—with a powerfully seductive sinuous shape—has never left the house’s catalog, morphing along with the times over the ensuing decades.
Model Amanda Wellsh wearing Serpenti Jewelry. Photo by Gian Paolo Barbieri, courtsey of Bulgari.
The serpentine motif is a longstanding symbol of transformation, sensuality, and divine wisdom—and Bulgari has consistently captured its allure though a discerning collection of coiling necklaces, bracelets, and rings, often with precious stones like rubies or emeralds for the eyes. Arguably, its biggest moment in the spotlight came compliments of Elizabeth Taylor, who famously donned the Serpenti wraparound bracelet watch while filming Cleopatra in 1962, inextricably linking her own persona to that of the film’s namesake seductress. At that point, Bulgari hadn’t yet expanded outside of Rome—but the rest was history. Now, the Serpenti collection, which has been worn by everyone from Diana Vreeland to Bella Hadid and Amanda Wellsh, is representative of the most beguiling kind of luxury, both on and off the red carpet.
Van Cleef & Arpels
There’s always something in bloom at Van Cleef & Arpels. But, the French jewelry house—known for its enchanting designs and impeccable artistry—didn’t land on its celebrated floral motif overnight. On the contrary, it was an enduring appreciation of the verdant countryside that first inspired its inaugural floral collection of ox-eye daisies, primroses, and common daisies in the ‘20s. More than a century later, the renowned Frivole collection lives on in the form of striking, heart-shaped petals cast in rose gold, white gold, and for the first time, a harmonious comingling of the two, this time with diamonds. Each piece envelops the wrist, hand, ear, or décolletage in a garden of delicate flora.
The new Frivole collection continues the brand’s tradition of floral motifs. Photo Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels.
The latest iteration of the nature-inspired Frivole includes seven- and eight-flower jewels set with glittering diamonds, either comprising the entire petal, or a single stone adorning just its delicate center. While the collection’s name directly translates to frivolous, each piece is designed to feel lighthearted, airy, and jovial—never flippant.
