The hexagon leaves its mark on the world of jewelry
France has always left its mark on jewelry. But our title evokes the geometric shape , and not our beautiful country. Indeed, the love affair of jewelers for the Art Deco style shows no sign of slowing down. The proliferation of the hexagon on recent designs of luxury jewelry is perfect proof of this.
Hexagonal jewelry: the trend is accelerating
Hexagonal motifs or stones cut in the shape of a hexagon are increasingly seen in luxury jewelry for 2023. 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 “ really artistic and quite architectural ” jewelry. The shape, she said, has been particularly embraced by jewelers who are “ quite creative .”
Hexagon jewelry has a playful style, she told the NYT, and gives it a new dimension. This summer, the hexagon was a centerpiece of Gucci’s high jewelry collection: its iconic horsebit (celebrating its 70th anniversary) was interwoven with geometric shapes, including the hexagon, on rings, necklaces and single and double bracelets in yellow gold.
Hexagonal emeralds have appeared at Venyx, the brand owned by Eugénie Niarchos, 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 emphasize the stone’s hexagonal shape, each of its six faces was accented with tiny triangular orange garnets.
- Chaumet medals for the Paris 2024 Games
Chaumet Jewelry: Pioneer in the Use of the Hexagon
For over a decade, the hexagon has been the cornerstone of Chaumet’s Bee My Love jewelry collection. It’s a natural fit, given that a honeycomb is composed of hexagonal cells . In 2021, the house took it one step further by creating its own exclusive hexagonal cut, the Impératrice 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. These origins are metal and stones, especially diamonds . The Empress cut has 88 facets . It therefore produces more light and reflections than other cuts. For comparison, a brilliant-cut diamond has 57 facets.
The Empress cut is now a staple in the entire Bee My Love jewelry collection. Chaumet's exclusive cut is also featured 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 symmetry of the hexagon, some jewelers like 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 the shape in a ring set with an antique hexagonal emerald surrounded by six hexagonal diamonds , all presented on a platinum band paved with diamonds. Goldsmith Sabine Roemer said she appreciated the hexagon’s “ symbol of unity and balance .”
British jeweler Graff has also experimented with Art Deco jewelry. Its Laurence Graff Signature line of diamond pendants uses round brilliant-cut diamonds in hexagonal settings.
