July 2 marked two new milestones for the Italian luxury house Gucci. Paris‘ Place Vendôme, the iconic epicenter of high jewelry, will now house a Gucci boutique dedicated to fine and high jewelry designed by the brand’s creative director Alessandro Michele.
Courtesy of Gucci.
Located at number 16, the new boutique will feature a distinguished vibe with a palette of muted colors as opposed to the saturated hues seen in Gucci’s boutiques around the world. The interiors boast ebonized wood cabinets lined in verdeacqua satin and antique mirrors, with monochromatic mosaic flooring to dramatically highlight the vibrant jewelry.
Coinciding with the inauguration of the store, Gucci also debuted its high jewelry collection Hortus Deliciarum, which will be sold alongside the brand’s fine jewelry. Comprising of more than 200 pieces, the collection reflects the kaleidoscopic universe of Michele’s universe, with references to motifs that are dear to him as well as the house of Gucci.
Crafted in Italy, the designs are centered around three themes: eternal love, the animal kingdom, and solitaires. The brightly colored gemstones in the collection represent a mythical garden in full bloom through honey-hued imperial topaz, blushed-rosé topaz, velvety green tourmaline, and mandarin garnets, white diamonds, pink and blue sapphires, pearlescent opals, and yellow beryls. Each gemstone is uniquely set in what Michele describes as “discordant symmetry”, ever-so-slightly mismatched to channel the charm of imperfection.
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