IMAGE: GUCCI

If there’s one thing that Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele is absolutely obsessed with (well, aside from his muses Florence Welch, Harry Styles, Jared Leto and Lana Del Rey), it’s jewellery, evident in the numerous shots on his personal Instagram page which show him stacking his beloved rings and rows of eclectic-looking bracelets.

IMAGE: GUCCI

So it doesn’t come as a surprise that he has been tasked with creating the Italian luxury brand’s high jewellery collection, several of which come with unique stones personally sourced by Michele himself. To celebrate this momentous milestone, Gucci is launching the collection (along with an assortment of fine jewellery pieces) at 16 Place Vendôme, the Italian luxury house’s first high jewellery boutique in Paris that’s situated alongside some of the world’s finest jewellers.

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Titled Hortus Deliciarum, it comprises over 200 one-of-a-kind pieces that come in 3 distinct themes. The first consists of classic pieces that pay homage to eternal love, timeless classics rendered in coloured gemstones and precious diamonds. The second is an ode to the animal kingdom, evident in the diamond-encrusted lions, Ouroboros serpents and tigers found on a generous selection of rings and opulent bracelets, just to name a few. The third is all about singular solitaires with a maximalist allure; just picture your favourite pear-cut coloured gemstones (blush rosé topaz, honey hued imperial topaz, velvety green tourmaline) decked out with sparkling diamonds and finished with an exquisite setting that reinforces Michele’s maximalist aesthetic.

And if there are two words that can be used to describe the brand new boutique, it would be elegance and sophistication. Step within and you’ll find the boutique furnished with a monochromatic mosaic floor, with cabinets crafted from ebony wood lined with verde aqua satin that only serves to illuminate the precious jewellery within. It other words, it’s still Gucci, but a whole new universe that’s on another level altogether, created to beautifully showcase the high jewellery pieces. Heading to Paris soon?

IMAGES: GUCCI