Chanel’s Reach for the Stars high jewellery proves true craftsmanship can take flight
Gabrielle Chanel’s relationship with Hollywood was not exactly straightforward. When Hollywood’s United Artists Studio came calling in 1931, the executives wanted her to dress their stars in the sort of jewellery that would catch every spotlight and camera flash. What they got instead was Chanel’s particular brand of calculated rebellion—pieces that showcased restraint rather than excess; that moved with the body rather than weighed it down. This response didn’t harm the brand, though; she expanded the designs into the maison’s first high jewellery collection, Bijoux de Diamants, launched in 1932.
Now, it’s a philosophy that the team at Chanel Fine Jewelry Creation Studio has carried into the Reach for the Stars high jewellery collection, albeit it with considerably more drama.
The collection revolves around three symbols that Chanel uses as visual shorthand for aspiration: comets, which have been streaking through the house’s designs since 1932; lions, which arrived in 2012 as both Chanel’s astrological calling card and a symbol of strength; and wings—making their high jewellery debut with the sort of fanfare usually reserved for papal visits. It’s the wings that steal the show, taking flight across necks and encrusting fingers in precious stones.
Consider the Wings of Chanel necklace, the collection’s undisputed star. Requiring 1,500 hours of work, the piece achieves substantial presence without weight. The openwork gold wings wrap around the throat like delicate lace, while a detachable pendant, cascading down the décolletage, showcases a 19.55- carat padparadscha sapphire. This particular stone carries the romance of its name, which is Sinhalese for “lotus flower in the rising sun”. Ceylon padparadscha of this size, with their perfect balance of pink and orange, don’t surface often; when they do, houses like Chanel tend to build entire collections around them.
In case you missed it: Cartier ambassador Anna Sawai on how she finds equilibrium in life
Chanel Wings of Chanel necklace (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The necklace’s transformative nature reveals Chanel’s understanding of how serious jewellery buyers wear their pieces. Remove the pendant and wear it as a bracelet; what remains is a shorter necklace that draws focus to the clavicle. It’s luxury that earns its keep, designed for those who view their jewellery as part of a working wardrobe rather than safe-deposit ornaments.
Meanwhile, the designers have stretched the comet motif beyond its 1932 origins, turning celestial bodies into modular luxury. The Twin Stars necklace can be worn in more ways than one: a long sautoir one moment, twin shorter pieces the next, finally breaking down into matching bracelets. One strand showcases diamond- set comets; the other features five rows of tanzanite beads that graduate through subtle blue variations. Yet it’s the collection’s approach to colour that reveals Chanel’s most sophisticated thinking. Rather than relying on a diamond’s reliable sparkle, the design weaves in stones that capture specific moments of light. Pink sapphires in the Pink Hour necklace represent that brief window when daylight softens into something more forgiving. The Sunny Days brooch combines bright yellow, cognac and orange diamonds in homage to a sunset’s shifting palette, while the After Midnight set’s tanzanite beads provide the sort of blue ombré that jewellery lovers dream about.
A model wearing the Chanel Wings of Chanel ring (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The technical achievements throughout the collection are considerable, though Chanel wears them lightly. The articulation points required to make winged pieces comfortable while maintaining their sculptural presence represent months of development. What emerges is a collection that understands luxury’s new imperatives. The transformative pieces aren’t clever for cleverness’ sake; they serve collectors who move between roles and occasions without time for complete jewellery overhauls. The Aim for the Stars choker becomes a bracelet, while both Embrace Your Destiny and Dreams Come True necklaces offer long or short options through detachable elements.
The stone selection reveals a similar thinking. Beyond the headlining Wings of Chanel padparadscha sapphire, pieces in the Sky is the Limit set feature an 11.11-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond whose solar warmth perfectly embodies the collection’s golden hour inspiration.
The collection’s real-world impact became evident at Chanel’s high jewellery launch in Kyoto in June, where the pieces found their perfect ambassadors. Australian Taiwanese model and actor Hannah Quinlivan showcased the Strong as a Lion set’s commanding presence, showing us how the medallion format translates from atelier to red carpet. Meanwhile, Japanese actor Ando Sakura chose the Follow Your Heart pieces, while Thai model and actor Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying gravitated towards the Embrace Your Destiny set.
See also: Opalite, explained: the man-made gemstone behind Taylor Swift’s new song
Savoir faire of Chanel Wings of Chanel ring (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
The Reach for the Stars high jewellery collection succeeds because it expands Chanel’s symbolic vocabulary without diluting the essence of what makes the house distinctive. The collection captures what the designers describe as that magical moment “between day and night, when high jewellery sparkles on the skin”.
What becomes clear after examining these pieces closely is that Chanel has mastered something difficult: creating jewellery that photographs as beautifully as it wears. The articulation required to make the Wings of Chanel necklace comfortable for extended wear, the precise stone-matching that allows the Twin Stars to separate and combine seamlessly, the craftsmanship that lets a substantial piece like Strong as a Lion transform from sautoir to choker—these are the details that matter when jewellery moves beyond display into daily luxury. Those Hollywood executives from the 1930s wanted their stars to sparkle on screen. Nearly a century later, Chanel has created pieces that reflect the way that modern life happens everywhere, including in front of cameras, and that the best jewellery needs to work just as well at a private dinner as it does under studio lights.
NOW READ
Phillips celebrates a decade of excellence with spectacular ‘Tropical Oasis’ evening
Chopard’s Caroline Scheufele proves luxury and responsibility aren’t mutually exclusive