The hexagon leaves its mark on the world of jewelry
France has always left its mark on jewelry. But our title refers to the geometric shape, not our beautiful country. Indeed, jewelers' love affair with the Art Deco style shows no signs of waning. The proliferation of the hexagon in recent designs of luxury jewelry is perfect proof of this.
Hexagonal Jewelry: The Trend is Accelerating
Hexagonal motifs or hexagon-cut stones are increasingly present in luxury jewelry of recent years. Natalie Wansbrough-Jones, a London-based stylist who has worked for Elle and Grazia magazines, called the hexagon an unusual shape that lends itself to creating "truly artistic and quite architectural" jewelry. This shape, she says, has been particularly embraced by jewelers who are "rather creative."
Hexagonal jewelry has a playful style, she told the NYT, giving it a new dimension. This summer, the hexagon was a central piece of Gucci's high jewelry collection: its iconic horsebit (celebrating its 70th anniversary) was intertwined with geometric shapes, including the hexagon, on single or double rings, necklaces, and bracelets in yellow gold.
Hexagonal emeralds appeared at Venyx, Eugénie Niarchos's brand, which often favors angular and geometric jewelry. And London jeweler Hirsh recently sold a platinum ring set with a 3.84-carat navy blue indicolite tourmaline. To highlight the stone's hexagonal shape, each of its six sides was enhanced with tiny triangular orange garnets.
Chaumet Jewelry: Pioneer in the Use of the Hexagon
For over a decade, the hexagon has been the cornerstone of Chaumet jewelry's Bee My Love collection. This is a natural association, given that a beehive is made up of hexagonal cells. In 2021, the house reinforced this by creating its own exclusive hexagonal cut, the Empress cut.
"We thought: let's go back to our roots, to the heart of what makes Chaumet a jeweler," said Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of Chaumet jewelry. These origins are metal and stones, especially the diamond. The Empress cut has 88 facets. This produces more light and reflections than other cuts. For comparison, a brilliant-cut diamond has 57 facets.
The Empress cut is now featured throughout the Bee My Love jewelry collection. Chaumet's exclusive cut is also present in the house's high jewelry creations, including Le Jardin de Chaumet, presented this summer 2023.
The Hexagon, a Shape with a Spiritual Dimension
In addition to the hexagon's symmetry, some jewelers appreciate its spiritual dimension. Krishna Choudhary is a 10th-generation jeweler and founder of the Indian house Santi. In Indian culture, the hexagon is a symbol of sacred geometry. It is found in temples and used for spiritual rites.
"It signifies the union of feminine and masculine energies," he explained. Mr. Choudhary recently exploited this shape in a ring set with an antique hexagonal emerald surrounded by 6 hexagonal diamonds, all presented on a diamond-paved platinum band. Goldsmith Sabine Roemer said she appreciates the hexagon's "symbol of unity and balance."
British jeweler Graff has also experimented with Art Deco jewelry. Its Laurence Graff Signature diamond pendant line uses brilliant-cut round diamonds in hexagonal settings.
