During haute couture fashion week, Chanel is presenting its latest collection of “haute joaillerie” (high jewelry). Titled “Les Perles de Chanel,” the fine jewelry line emphasizes the elegance and femininity of pearls by surrounding them with diamonds, sapphires and amethysts.

It was a given that pearls would be in the spotlight in the fashion and jewelry world this season, so it’s no surprise that Chanel has devoted its latest haute joaillerie collection to the gems of the sea, which were so dear to its founder.

“The image of Mademoiselle Chanel is inseparable from pearls. Wearing them in earrings, chokers, short necklaces or row upon row of long strands, she only took them off to sleep,” explains the brand.

An imaginary world

In this exceptional collection, Chanel pairs pearls with some of the brand’s other signature themes, such as camellias, majestic lions (the main theme of the brand’s previous haute joaillerie collection), and even constellations.

A rainbow of different types of cultured pearls can be found, in varying sizes, shapes and colors. Exquisite oyster pearls from the South Seas, Tahiti and Japan are found alongside a few freshwater mussel pearls.

And of course, the pearls come in a wide array of colors — gold, black, pink, grey and white — blending in perfectly with white and yellow gold, diamonds, tourmalines, aquamarines and amethysts.

Extraordinary necklaces

Among the signature pieces in the Les Perles de Chanel collection is the “Perles de Jour” necklace: a strand of South Sea pearls graced by 8kt of diamonds. This “Day Pearls” necklace is also available in a “Night Pearls” version (“Perles de Nuit”), with Tahitian grey pearls.

Another exceptional necklace, the “Printemps de Camélia” (“Camellia Spring”) features pearls in several colors, accented with camellia shapes with diamond inlay and a sapphire core, whose colors echo those of the pearls.

The “Lion Baroque” necklace, reprising one of Chanel’s longtime symbols, alternates white, grey and gold pearls in three strands, which come together in a lion’s head with intricate sapphire inlay.

Rings, bracelets, earrings and brooches round out the Les Perles de Chanel collection.