South Korea’s Kim Go-eun (Photo: Chanel)
There is a reason that an invitation to attend a high-profile event such as the Met Gala or perhaps the Wimbledon men’s singles finals is so sought after. Oozing with exclusivity and the chance to rub shoulders with the who’s who of the financial, social and celebrity kingdoms, such prestigious functions offer a glimpse into a charmed world, a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime exposure to the ultimate in inspirational, experiential and aspirational elements.
But aside from the Met Gala, the various Fashion Weeks and even well-known Film Festivals such as the one in Cannes, France — all of which can sometimes be a bother because of the media circus that follows in their thrall — the apex low-key but hard-hitting luxury events to be invited to could well be the ones organised by the world’s top jewellery houses.
Intrinsically linked with success, affluence and power, high jewellery must not be confused with fine jewellery. The latter, although well-crafted and beautiful, is a world apart from the former, which is often one-of-a-kind, exquisite, more akin to being a work of art, and accessible to only the top percentage of the global rich.
Naturally, the gatherings reflect this exclusivity and offer an immersion into the maison’s universe, encompassing five-star travel and hotel stays, fine dining, celebrity guests and, above all, unique storytelling that not only gives a tangible representation of the brand but also fosters a deep sense of connection with it. For an idea of just what goes on in this rarefied world, here is a round-up of some of the unforgettable high jewellery affairs the Options team had the privilege of attending this year.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Phuket, Thailand
vanda.jpg
Since 2000, Van Cleef & Arpels has launched a thematic high jewellery collection almost every year, drawing ideas from the realms of art, literature, theatre and poetry. From Jules Verne’s Extraordinary Voyages to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the maison’s haute joaillerie creations are not only an attempt to immortalise various popular characters, but also transpose their spirit into a tangible and most certainly precious objet d’art that will last for eternity.
250225_vca_jewerly_cu_76.jpg
The French house first unveiled its interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island in sun-drenched Miami, Florida, last year before setting course for paradisiacal Phuket to showcase its jewels to the Asia-Pacific market.
Structured in three chapters, the eponymous collection charted a sweeping narrative: a thrilling sea adventure, the exploration of a verdant island and the discovery of a hidden trove, all while weaving in the brand’s signature motifs and techniques.
Adroit goldwork is demonstrated in a trio of pirate clips portraying the main corsairs of Stevenson’s story while a gradation of blue and violet sapphires, enhanced by the maison’s Vitrail Mystery Set technique, depicted a shoal of fish swimming through sunlit waves in the Poissons Mystérieux clip. La pièce de résistance? The Palmeraie Merveilleuse necklace, featuring a juicy elongated emerald cabochon, weighing 47.93 carats, that hangs among swooping diamond fronds. The pendant, whose deep green recalls the shades of lush foliage, is detachable, as are many of Van Cleef & Arpels’ transformable pieces.
Held at the beachfront Trisara Resort, the Asia-Pacific launch and exhibition was accompanied by educational presentations by art historians and high jewellery pundits from L’École School of Jewelry Arts. The celebration concluded with a gala, featuring models silhouetted against a stunning sunset and seascape as they paraded the veritable treasures.
Bvlgari
Siem Reap, Cambodia
bulgari-276_1_2.jpg
The sandstone faces of Bayon Temple are never in a hurry. For more than eight centuries, they have watched the sun rise and fall over a landscape of elegant spires and honeycomb towers. On a warm evening, under the first shimmer of stars, those same serene visages — believed to portray Jayavarman VII, the visionary king who presided over Angkor’s golden age — became silent witnesses to a procession of light, silk and diamonds. The Roman jeweller had arrived at one of Southeast Asia’s most enigmatic monuments, transforming the ancient ground into a stage for Aeterna, an opulent presentation that drew its name from the Eternal City and the brand’s ever-evolving serpent emblem.
serpenti_aeterna.jpg
Not all the sparkle came from the jewels. Around tables aglow with candlelight and arrangements of orange roses as well as Persian buttercups sat a constellation of luminaries whose presence matched the evening’s glamour. Cambodia’s First Lady, Her Excellency Dr Pich Chanmony, was warmly greeted by Bvlgari’s global leadership, led by CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. Nearby, jewellery creative director Lucia Silvestri played the gracious host to friends of the house such as actress Mai Davika, former Miss Universe and UNAIDS goodwill ambassador Pia Wurtzbach, and actors Mile Phakphum and Ayden Sng. Guests dined on a three-course meal while apsara dancers, draped in gilded silk brocade, performed to a choreography narrating classical myths and religious tales. Taking centre stage was the runway, which came alive with models glinting at every turn, their movements catching the light as beams swept across the Bayon, rising and fading in sync with the music.
The maison’s paean to eternity was, quite literally, gem-packed. Among its standouts was the Infinite Chase, anchored by a 26.54-carat Sri Lankan sapphire whose deep blue brilliance seemed to hold its own light, a piece first seen on Oscar winner Anne Hathaway at the maiden launch in Rome last year. The avant-garde Serpenti Chiselled followed, featuring a 77.78-carat pear-shaped rubellite in a vivid strawberry-hue, suspended dramatically from the reptile’s mouth. Crowning the 156-piece collection was its magnum opus, the Serpenti Aeterna: seven D-coloured, ultra-clear pear-shaped diamonds weighing a total of 140 carats, all cut from a single 200-carat rough stone to maintain that symbolic number. Dubbed “the necklace of the 21st century”, it required some 2,800 hours from design to completion — a reminder that in the hands of time, even stone and lustre can be coaxed into permanence.
Cartier
Stockholm, Sweden
anna_sawai_0285_cmjn.jpg
The luxury industry was initially surprised when Cartier announced it would be unveiling its latest high jewellery pieces in the Swedish capital. But upon learning of the collection’s name, which is En Équilibre (or “in balance” in English), it made perfect sense, as the Scandinavian city of cool has always succeeded in striking the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, urban life and nature, and also comfort and durability. It also speaks volumes of Cartier as a pioneering maison, constantly breaking new ground and reinventing itself.
en_equilibre_edito_pavocelle_necklace_still_life_rvb_24x30.jpg
The year before, it debuted the lauded Nature Sauvage amid Habsburg opulence in Vienna, Austria. For 2025, En Équilibre teased and tempted with 113 new pieces of exquisite technicality, creativity and unrivalled stones. This was reflected in jewellery that included the Panthère Dentelée necklace fashioned out of white gold, with emeralds, onyx and diamonds, as well as the dreamy Hyala necklace in pink gold with diamonds, and yellow and pink sapphires. All this subtly channels a distinctively Swedish philosophy. Termed lagom, En Équilibre artfully balanced various opposing forces, including opulence and simplicity, as well as symmetry and asymmetry.
The gala dinner, held at the Johan Nyren-designed Artipelag Museum, which is ensconced in 22 acres of forest and practically blends into the stunning natural landscape, was attended by a slew of celebrities, including Hollywood and Bollywood stars Zoe Saldana, Alexander Skarsgård, Anna Sawai and Deepika Padukone.
Chanel
Kyoto, Japan
chanel_all_dinner_3-hd.jpg
Although Chanel is considered a relatively new name in high jewellery, historians would be quick to correct that notion: Gabrielle Chanel herself conceived the maison’s first high jewellery collection in 1932. Called Bijoux de Diamants (Jewels of Diamonds), it was groundbreaking, eternally modern and featured celestial motifs such as stars and comets. Fast forward to 2025, the same design codes inspired by the heavens remain but with a fresh injection of Hollywood glamour, inspired by a trip Mademoiselle Chanel made to California in the 1930s.
books_800px_4.png
The new collection, aptly named Reach for the Stars, is visually arresting, dramatic and designed for those who do not fear attention. Three main symbols serve as the anchor-piece: comets, lion heads (a nod to the founder’s astrological sign and strength) and wings. The pièce de résistance was, of course, the Wings of Chanel necklace, which reportedly required nothing less than 1,500 hours of labour, dazzling in its dramatic openwork gold wings and showstopping 19.55-carat padparadscha sapphire in a rare and unusual pink and orange hue.
Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto, where the country’s cultural heart beats strongest, offered the perfect setting for the collection’s unveiling — steeped in craft and heritage and with no shortage of stunning shrines and temple complexes. Chanel kicked off the event with a complete immersion in Japanese arts at Ōbai-in, a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, featuring musicians on the koto and shō, master calligraphers and origami artists, before the collection finally presented itself at the Shōgunzuka Seiryūden temple, perched atop Mount Higashiyama in the city’s east. In attendance were some of Asia’s most recognisable female celebrities: Hannah Quinlivan (Taiwan), Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying (Thailand), Nana Komatsu (Japan), Kim Go-eun (South Korea) and Fala Chen (China).
Fred Jewelry
Seoul, South Korea
2025_hj_event_jin_final_1.jpg
A respectable player in haute joaillerie since its inception in 1936, the French jewellery brand Fred was sought after by aristocrats who admired founder Fred Samuel’s artistic vision and contemporary approach to design. Many of his wondrous objets d’art were inspired by his childhood in Argentina. The traces of allure and hidden gems of Buenos Aires that coloured his youth and shaped his understanding of the world continue to influence the maison’s creative direction to this day.
books_800px_5.png
One such example can be seen in the Monsieur Fred Ideal Light high jewellery collection, which honours the visionary’s appreciation for natural landscapes and fascination for striking architecture. Divided into four chapters — Exalting Joy, Bright Vitality, Blazing Audacity and Endless Horizon — it demonstrates the house’s ability to embrace challenges and push the boundaries of design with the introduction of one-of-a-kind pieces that feature unique constructions. A new gemstone called Opalazur, a combination of white opal and turquoise, was specially crafted for the Exalting Joy range. Among those that steal attention, the transformable Endless Horizon long lasso necklace especially impresses with its distinctive structure, boasting a braided white-gold rope on one side and an articulated mix of lapis lazuli and white diamonds on the other.
Introduced in June last year, the exquisite jewels travelled from one mega city to another, before landing in Seoul in a grand yet intimate gala night at Josun Palace in Gangnam mid-March. Besides selected media from Asia-Pacific and key clients, the event was also graced by Fred’s first global brand ambassador Jin of BTS, actress-singer Lee Sungkyung, actor Cha Seungwon, actress Kim Hyesoo as well as athletes Oh Sanguk and Park Se-ri.
Tiffany & Co
Bangkok, Thailand
marion_caunter.jpg
For decades, Jean Schlumberger has been revered as one of the greatest designers to collaborate with American maison Tiffany & Co — a maestro who transformed the grace of the natural world into whimsical, fantastical masterpieces.
While his playful pieces have become regular sources of inspiration and reinvention for the house’s annual Blue Book collections, this year is marked by a special honour — the 60th anniversary of Schlumberger’s famed Bird on a Rock. In celebration of the former vice president and renowned artist’s ingenious oeuvre and cultural impact, the brand launched the Legendary Legacy: A Tiffany & Co Exhibition in Bangkok.
hj2.png
Spanning just over two weeks, the event was the teal jeweller’s first dedicated showcase of Schlumberger works. Each of the five display spaces focused on a specific influence for the designer, including his Caribbean home, pastoral gardens, the bizarrely dreamlike submarine scape and the ethereal spirit of the sky. At the heart of the precious presentation was the luminous Tiffany Diamond, brought to Southeast Asia for the first (and possibly last) time. Its fifth setting — a sweeping circle of five bejewelled birds surrounding the yellow stone — was crafted by chief artistic officer Nathalie Verdeille based on Schlumberger’s winged icon. Many articles, particularly the Elephant Head clip and Big Bird brooch, had never been shown before.
Marking the opening of the exhibition was a launch party at One Bangkok, attended by ambassadors and friends of the brand from the region including Faye Peraya, Win Metawin, Marion Caunter and Anne Curtis-Smith.
Tiffany & Co also unveiled its Bird on a Rock collection reimagined by Verdeille, featuring two exquisite high jewellery suites. The first stars deep, brilliant tanzanites, a legacy stone introduced by the house in 1968, while the turquoise line-up recalls Schlumberger’s affinity for the luscious stone. Verdeille’s elegantly contemporary and technically outstanding vision of the soaring symbols Schlumberger once channelled retains not only a visual homage to the bird, but its heartening spirit: a reminder for its wearers to dream beyond their limits.
This article first appeared on Nov 10, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
