Jin on the Côte d’Azur, a jewellery special with FRED

All his life, Fred Samuel, the founder of FRED, followed a path of light. His love of light started in his home country of Argentina where ecstatic colours blend with joie de vivre, all the way to the sparkling blues of the French Riviera. It’s this adoration of light that gives the Maison its nickname of The Sunshine Jeweller, and its signature style.

“I looked back at my childhood in Argentina,” wrote Samuel in his memoirs, “filled with sunshine and the reflections of water, and I realised that my passion for jewellery had inevitably stemmed from there, from the purity of those natural elements.”

fred jin vogue — Force 10 Winning Spirit necklace set with a FRED Hero Cut 2.72-carat diamond, bracelet set with a FRED Hero Cut 2.04-carat diamond, and ring set with a FRED Hero Cut 1.53-carat diamond, all in white gold with diamonds, onyx and mother-of-pearl, from the Monsieur Fred Inner Light high jewellery collection Mok Jungwook

In Monsieur Fred Ideal Light, vice president and artistic director Valérie Samuel pays tribute to the light that inspired the creativity, and passion for coloured gemstones, of the Maison’s founder. She designed pieces that embark on a grand journey across Argentina, from La Boca to Montserrat, set with dazzling gemstones—Australian opals, Tanzanian spinels, Colombian emeralds and Sri Lankan sapphires among them—in jewels that are bursting with life.

jin fred — Blazing Audacity necklace set with an oval red spinel weighing over 10 carats and with red spinel beads; toi & moi ring set with a vivid-orange spessartite garnet and a cushion-cut red spinel; and cocktail ring set with a 16.91-carat spessartite garnet; all in white gold with diamonds, orange spessartite garnets and pink rubellites. Mok Jungwook

BLAZING AUDACITY

Picturesque La Boca, the birthplace of bewitching tango music and its sensual dance, buzzes with life. The Blazing Audacity set of high jewellery embodies the warmth, spontaneity and liveliness of the region.

Five jewels with a fiery palette of red spinels, pink rubellites and orange spessartite garnets blend organic and geometric shapes—doubly inspired by the tango duets and architectural facades—for a solar effect.

fred paris blazing audacity ring — Toi & moi ring in white gold, set with a vivid-orange spessartite garnet and a cushion-cut red spinel, with diamonds, orange spessartite garnets and pink rubellites. Courtesy of FRED

fred blazing audacity — Fred Samuel designed his jewellery with a love for exultant light and colour, the source of the house’s moniker as The Sunshine Jeweller. Courtesy of FRED

fred paris high jewellery — The oval red spinel at the heart of the Blazing Audacity high jewellery necklace. Courtesy of FRED

fred jin — Exalting Joy tie necklace set with a 16.96-carat Australian opal and a trapeze-cut royal indicolite tourmaline; and ring set with a cushion-cut 9.34-carat tourmaline; both in white gold, with diamonds, and Opalazur doublets of white opal and turquoise. Mok Jungwook

EXALTING JOY

Montserrat may be the oldest district in Buenos Aires, but it is certainly its beating heart. Here, revellers twirl and whirl in colourful costumes, fabulous finery that inspired the Exalting Joy set.

Instead of cloth and embroidery, FRED has woven its own fabric out of gold and gemstones. In their geometric silhouettes, Opalazur doublets combine the iridescence of white opal and the blue hues of turquoise to create a dazzling effect of brilliance and transparency.

fred exalting joy high jewellery ring — Exalting Joy ring in white gold, set with a cushion-cut 9.34-carat tourmaline; with diamonds, and Opalazur doublets of white opal and turquoise. Courtesy of FRED

fred exalting joy necklace — The 16.96-carat Australian opal set into the centre of the Exalting Joy necklace. Courtesy of FRED

fred opalazur high jewellery doublets — Opalazur doublets are meticulously crafted with white opals and blue turquoise to swirl with light, fire and transparency. Courtesy of FRED

BRIGHT VITALITY

It’s said that the botanical gardens of Palermo are a must-see; a place to loll in the shade of a thousand different plants. Where mottled rays of sun cast a peaceful light, palm trees sway and you can drift off into a daydream.

To capture this sensation of idyllic beauty, FRED interpreted the flow of fronds in the breeze with branches of baguette- and brilliant-cut diamonds, capped with a total of seven vibrant green emeralds from the famed Colombian Muzo mine.

fred high jewellery — Bright Vitality necklace in white gold, set with a pair of Colombian Muzo emeralds, with baguette- and brilliant-cut diamonds. Courtesy of FRED

ENDLESS HORIZON

Imagine an intense blue horizon, where sky and sea become one. It’s here on the beach of Mar Del Plata that young Fred Samuel fell in love with the sea—a passion that still influences the Maison today.

Dreams of adventure and freedom play out in the Endless Horizon set, which reimagines FRED’s sailing cable motif in two precious interpretations: braided white gold, and a cord of carved lapis lazuli and rock crystal.

fred paris high jewellery jin — In Endless Horizon, a precious interpretation of sailing motifs, with braided cables of white gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli. Courtesy of FRED

fred paris — Sailing ropes and cables are one of the core inspirations at the maison Fred. Courtesy of FRED

A gaze towards the azure sea, a boy dreaming of the waves. In the south of France, Jin wears fine jewellery designs by FRED variously inspired by the colours of a sunny sky and the sporty chic of sailing.

fred jin pretty woman — Pretty Woman Sunlight Message necklaces in 18K pink gold with diamonds. Mok Jungwook

A secret note in golden light. FRED’s novel Pretty Woman Sunlight Message pendants are paved with diamonds in the front, and engraved with an invisible message on the back that only reveals itself when shone with light.

fred jin vogue force 10 — Force 10 large bracelets in 18K yellow gold with pavé diamond buckles on corderie cable and 18K yellow gold cable. Mok Jungwook

fred vogue singapore jin — Force 10 XL and large bracelets in 18K white gold with pavé diamond buckles and, from top, corderie cable, steel cable and 18K white gold link. Mok Jungwook

Henri Samuel, the eldest son of Fred Samuel, designed the utterly modern Force 10 bracelets in 1966 as a gift for his wife. Inspired by the family’s love for the sea, the sailing cable-inspired jewels are an icon of the house that symbolise enduring strength and beauty born of passion. And with a panoply of interchangeable cables and buckles, they’re jewels that can be worn in a thousand and one ways.

The Pain de Sucre collection embodies FRED’s modern design sensibility. The classic signet ring is opened to a world of possibilities thanks to a host of interchangeable centres with colourful gemstones in the sugarloaf cabochon shape or subtle gem-set flat plaque designs.

jin vogue fred pain de sucre — From above, on Jin’s right hand: Amethyst, Amazonite and Pink Tourmaline Pain de Sucre rings in 18K pink gold with diamonds. On Jin’s left hand: Turquoise Pain de Sucre ring in yellow gold with diamonds, and Pain de Sucre ring with flat cabochon in turquoise, 18K yellow gold and diamonds. Mok Jungwook

Photography Mok Jungwook
Styling Kim Youngjin
Fashion editor Sohn Kihoh
Words Shin Eunji and Gordon Ng
Hair Han Som
Make-up Kim Dareum
Producer Bae Woori

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The November ‘Nurture’ issue of Vogue Singapore is available online and in-store.