As far back as Gabrielle Chanel could remember wheat always held a special place in her memories.
Her birth date, August 19th, coincidentally fell during the harvest festival.
In May, the wheat stems sprout from the earth; tender and green. In June, when the temperature becomes warmer, the ears of wheat begin to form. July and August sees them basking in the sun, their smell enveloping the countryside during the warm summer nights. It is this moment that signals the crop is ready to be harvested.
For Gabrielle Chanel’s father, wheat symbolized all that was good and wholesome. How many times as a child had she heard him call it “my good wheat.”
The High Jewelry collection “Les Blés de CHANEL” celebrates for the first time this fundamental element of Gabrielle Chanel’s world; an eternal symbol of regeneration, abundance, luck, prosperity and endless creativity.
The collection, comprised of 62 high jewelry pieces, celebrates the life cycle of wheat. Viewed in totality with their supple design, these pieces resemble a field of wheat dancing in the breeze.
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“Premiers Brins”, “Brins de Printemps” and “Brins de Diamants” pay homage to the tender young wheat shoots of early spring. Diamonds, peridots and aquamarines play with transparency like young stalks of wheat.
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The harvest is evoked through the variations of “Moisson Ensoleillée”, “Bouquet de Moisson” and “Moisson de Perles” where diamonds, yellow sapphires and pearls bask in the golden light of summertime sunshine.
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“Fête des Moissons” celebrates crowns of braided wheat.
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“Champ de Blé”, “Impression de Blé” and “Blé Infini” offer many variations on the theme of wheat and reinvent the motif as a precious and sparkling pattern.
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Finally, the “Légende de Blé” necklace displays a majestic ear of wheat in white gold and diamonds that wraps around the neck, celebrating the precious remains of summer.
With this collection wheat makes a lavish entry into the realm of CHANEL High Jewelry and pays homage to one of Gabrielle Chanel’s most intimate symbols.
