The world of jewellery, as much as it caters to the tastes of and targets itself at women, is a historically male-dominated one. Think of nearly every heritage or legacy maison, and its founders are almost inevitably men. In France, where Place Vendôme is the world’s spiritual heart of high jewellery, the trade is often a patrilineal one. And when a family-owned jewellery firm begins to expand in scale and ascend prestigious heights, leadership tends to transmit through generations of men.
Gladly, things are different today. A survey of some of the most prestigious names in jewellery will reveal that a good number of them are led creatively by women. While the creative and artistic directors of jewellery brands are not as famous, perhaps, as those in fashion, there’s no denying the creative influence and power they hold. The gemstones they choose to use in their collections can, for example, influence wider trends and elevate these gemstones’ growth in value and prestige.
There are more out there, to be sure, but in this feature Vogue reached out to six women creative directors of jewellery to comment on their tenures thus far and a recent piece they are particularly proud of. They include maverick talents like Claire Choisne of Boucheron, who has turned one of the oldest jewellers on Place Vendôme into a source of hyper modern—postmodern at times, even—designs that push the envelope on what ‘preciousness’ can mean. From using aerogel to create quite literally feather-light high jewellery, to her latest Quatre 5D Memory ring which encodes the sound of waves in it, there’s no telling what could come next out of Choisne’s imagination.
“The outstanding rough [diamond of over 200 carats] was shown to me the first time randomly—just to see the beauty of such a large stone… At the time, I was the only woman among seven men who were discussing politics, business, crises… I isolated and immersed myself in the beauty of such a special stone” — Lucia Silvestri, creative director and gems buying director of Bvlgari
The list also includes stalwarts, like Stéphanie Sivrière of Piaget and Lucia Silvestri of Bvlgari. Both of whom have been with their respective brands their entire careers: the former for 22 years at Piaget, and the latter for nearly 45 at Bvlgari. Sivrière started her career as a jeweller before joining Piaget as a designer. There, she eventually carved out and established fine and high jewellery for what was originally a pure watchmaking house. Horology, as it happens, is another notoriously male-dominated field—imagine now bridging the two.
As for Silvestri, her career in jewellery began with purchasing raw materials in the 1980s when the brothers Paolo and Nicola Bulgari were at the helm of the brand. No doubt that foundation of chasing down gemstones to make a heart tremble explains how her Bvlgari jewels today still manage to set one’s imagination soaring.
There are echoes in their arcs, too, with that of Francesca Amfitheatrof of Louis Vuitton and Valérie Samuel of Fred.
Amfitheatrof, like Sivrière of Piaget, is behind an extremely challenging feat of creation: that of a division from scratch. High jewellery is relatively new ground for the French luxury house Louis Vuitton, which debuted just five years ago in 2019 under Amfitheatrof. In little time, she has given the category a distinct identity that even extends to fine jewellery with Vuitton-branded cuts of diamonds.
“…it’s all about structuring the incredibly rich patrimony, pulling details to turn them into artistic signatures which will last forever, and discovering new things to reach new heights.” — Stéphanie Sivrière, director of the Piaget design studio for jewellery, high jewellery and watchmaking
Valérie Samuel, meanwhile, can boast of lineage—something increasingly rare in a corporatised field. She is the granddaughter of Fred Samuel, the eponymous jeweller and founder of Fred. Now as artistic director and vice president, she’s continuing and building on the house’s uniquely sunny identity, with the most recent high jewellery collections exploring her grandfather’s perspective on colour and joie de vivre.
Finally, on this list, the French designer Nathalie Verdeille, who commands the chief artistic officer position at the New York jeweller Tiffany & Co. Verdeille is a veteran of Parisian, Place Vendôme high jewellery, with former jobs at Lorenz Bäumer, Chaumet, and—prior to Tiffany—Cartier. Stacked is an understatement with regards to her curriculum vitae. Verdeille is a fascinating talent to watch now as she mines the creative riches of Tiffany & Co.’s archives, those of Jean Schlumberger in particular, to reinvigorate one of the world’s most important jewellery houses.
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Claire Choisne, creative director of Boucheron
Her creative tenure so far
“Like Frédéric Boucheron, I believe in creative and emotional high jewellery that pushes the boundaries through techniques and materials. For example, by using Cofalit, a ‘final material’ made by recycling an industrial by-product, burnt wood or sand, in my creations, I’m questioning the notion of preciousness. My aim is to demonstrate that certain materials, not considered noble at first sight, are actually just as precious as gold and diamonds.”
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A recent Boucheron creation Choisne is proud of
“Since 2020, we’ve unveiled innovative capsule editions every year that apply the innovative approach of the Carte Blanche high jewellery collections to our jewellery icons.
“This year, we created the Quatre 5D Memory ring. My aim was to encapsulate, for billions of years, a memory of my childhood spent by the ocean—the endless sound of waves. We collaborated with IRCAM (the French Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) – Centre Pompidou to develop this unique score.
“By using an optical storage process for digital data, we managed to encapsulate this audio work inside the ring. I’m particularly proud of this piece because it proves that we still haven’t reached the boundaries of jewellery. We will continue to push them so as to fully express the strength of our vision that Boucheron is the most stylish and cutting-edge French high jewellery maison.”
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Nathalie Verdeille, chief artistic officer of jewellery and high jewellery of Tiffany & Co.
Her creative tenure so far
“Before joining the company (in 2021), I did not know how rich the DNA of Tiffany was. I was impressed. When I started in the company, I needed to learn about everything—the house’s DNA, the city [of New York], the language. I really enjoy what Jean Schlumberger did. He had a lot of freedom to create, which is unusual at other jewellery companies. I love the themes he used because they could be abstract and modern, and, at the same time, figurative and traditional. My team and I work together closely every day and I enjoy how I am creating a new chapter in the Tiffany story with them.”
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A recent Tiffany & Co. creation Verdeille is proud of
“A symbol of fantasy and rarity, the unicorn is a legendary creature that captured Schlumberger’s imagination. Drawing from his unicorn-inspired brooch, as well as the spirit of mysticism in the sky, we designed pieces centred on the majestic quality of this elusive creature. Focusing on its strikingly swirled horn, we took design cues from one of Jean Schlumberger’s beloved ‘crazy twist’ designs. An otherworldly bicolour tourmaline is showcased in the unicorn brooch, emitting an undeniable atmosphere of magic.”
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Stéphanie Sivrière, director of the Piaget design studio for jewellery, high jewellery and watchmaking
Her creative tenure so far
“Piaget has been a huge part of my creative journey. Most of it, actually, as it’s been more than 20 years that I’ve been here. It might seem like a long time, but every year has been different. I’ve learnt and grown so much that I never felt it, and I’m still enjoying myself and improving.
“I started as a jewellery artisan, then I joined Piaget as a jewellery designer in 2002. Soon starting to include high jewellery in 2011, and now I overlook all the fields including the watch department since 2017.
“Just as Piaget was a watchmaker that became a jeweller, I like to ask my jewellery designers to design watches and vice versa. That’s what gives us this unique finish. For instance, if you look at the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, we have given it a jeweller’s vibe with the blue and gold hues, the elegance of the finishing and the nod to polished gold mesh on the 3D-printed calfskin bracelet.
“If I were to sum up my daily life, it’s all about structuring the incredibly rich patrimony, pulling details to turn them into artistic signatures which will last forever, and discovering new things to reach new heights. Never a dull moment.”
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A recent Piaget creation Sivrière is proud of
“It’s always hard to pick as we give our heart and soul to every creation. But if I were to choose, I’d say the carnelian necklace from the Essence of Extraleganza collection.
“First, because this collection meant a lot to me and the maison as it embodied our 150th anniversary. Second, it’s so Piaget because of its flamboyance. The colours, the ornamental stones, the extravagant yet completely supple and wearable aspect.
“Thirdly, because one of the themes of this couture collection was to pay homage to our art of chain-making. In the high jewellery world, people tend to hide the structure of the necklaces as much as possible to show the stones. Here, it’s the opposite. I’m beyond proud that the mesh and hand-woven chains of the structure are visible. It really balances and forges the singularity of this necklace.”
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Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director of watches and jewellery of Louis Vuitton
Her creative tenure so far
“The last six years have been such an exciting ride. Look at what we have created in such a short period of time. Pretty seismic, no?”
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A recent Louis Vuitton creation Amfitheatrof is proud of
“It is mind-blowing that we have created two incredible diamond cuts at Louis Vuitton; they are so extraordinary and unique.”
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A recent Louis Vuitton creation Amfitheatrof is proud of
“I am also proud of Le Damier de Louis Vuitton. It’s not about possession or ownership, it is about a bond, a touch, an emotional connection.”
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Valérie Samuel, artistic director and vice president of Fred, and granddaughter of the maison’s founder Fred Samuel
Her creative tenure so far
“My creative journey at Fred is a combination of excitement and richness. It’s also a deep connection to the spirit of my grandfather and founder of the maison, Fred Samuel.
“The excitement comes from consistently pushing creative boundaries. My role has involved defining what it means for Fred to be The Sunshine Jeweller. We’re not just crafting exquisite pieces, we’re infusing them with warmth, light and an essence of joy. Each piece I create is an ode to sunlight, the ultimate symbol of happiness. It’s more than just jewellery; it’s about capturing that ineffable glow of joie de vivre in every facet and shimmer.”
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A recent Fred creation Samuel is proud of
“After creating Monsieur Fred Inner Light, a high jewellery collection reflecting the radiant personality of my grandfather, I’m now paying tribute to his Ideal Light. It’s the light that inspired his creative energy and fuelled his passion for coloured stones. All his life, my grandfather was guided by light. The inspiration came from his native Argentina, a land of joyful moments where unforgettable panoramas mingle with radiant colours.
“More than a travel diary, Monsieur Fred Ideal Light is an invitation to escape. Sunny and ultra-colourful, there are four new sets that immerse us in a timeless Buenos Aires, at the crossroads of dreams and reality. Exalting Joy brings together fabrics, colours and geometric patterns inspired by the extravagant carnival costumes in Argentina parades.
“The multi-faceted and transformable necklace is one of my favourites. It can be easily untied to become a bracelet. The choker can be split into two necklaces: one retains the majestic Australian opal of 16.96 carats and the second, the removable trapeze-cut royal indicolite tourmaline.”
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Lucia Silvestri, creative director and gems buying director of Bvlgari
Her creative tenure so far
“Being Bvlgari’s creative director and gems buying director is an incredible honour and a great privilege, as I am one of a few women in the world holding this position. My double title is very unique: it allows to me search for and select the most exceptional gemstones, being inspired by the sensational energy they unleash. It’s essential not only to suggest the designs of our outstanding creations, but to shape the very idea of the collections.
“One of the most important lessons I learned thanks to the Bulgari brothers is that when purchasing a gem, it has to already be clear how it’s going to be used. My position allows me to follow every step of the design and production process; and every stage of this incredible journey is extraordinary in its own way.”
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A recent Bvlgari creation Silvestri is proud of
“I’m extremely proud of all our creations, and it’s quite difficult to me to pick just one. But I can’t help but mention the Serpenti Aeterna necklace, the most extraordinary piece we have ever crafted. It is the most important piece of our Aeterna high jewellery collection: a tribute to the maison’s 140th anniversary, and which required over 2,800 hours to complete. It stuns with seven D FL ultra clear and pure pear diamonds—cut from just one incredible rough diamond—totalling exactly 140 carats. One for each year of the brand’s history.
“The outstanding rough was shown to me the first time randomly—just to see the beauty of such a large stone, over 200 carats. It came from the Lesotho, a mine in South Africa where the most beautiful diamonds come from. At the time, I was the only woman among seven men who were discussing politics, business, crises… I isolated and immersed myself in the beauty of such a special stone, feeling its powerful energy, the history of this gift of nature, the work of millions of years, and I began to dream.
“Each step in its production required incredible effort, from cutting the diamonds to achieve the exact carats to creating a sinuous structure to ensure lightness and radiance of the overall composition. The work on setting the baguette diamonds took a full five months to complete.”
The October anniversary ‘Community’ issue of Vogue Singapore is available for online and in-stores.
