The Maisons Making The World’s Most Exquisite High Jewelry
Presented in Paris for Haute Couture Week each summer, the high-jewelry collections display the maisons’ most sumptuous gemstones and master craftsmanship – artisanry and expertise that permeates their everyday collections, too. By CHARLIE BOYD
De Beers London
An ode to the maison’s Talisman collection, De Beers London has presented four new high-jewelry designs for 2026 – a decadent cuff, medallion, pair of earrings and a ring that reinterpret the bold proportions and elegant silhouette of the house’s most iconic designs. First launched in 2005, Talisman was the first high-jewelry collection to combine rough and polished diamonds, inspired by the raw beauty of South Africa – home to its scintillating stones – and the sleek setting of the brand’s London-based identity. Each piece requires specialist goldsmithing; sculpting precious metals around the unique contours of each stone and finished with the poinçon technique, whereby the gold is delicatey hammered with a pyramid-shaped chisel to achieve its uniquely reflective and glistening surface. Reflecting the process beautifully is this exquisite 18-karat white-gold ring featuring scores of brilliant, rose-cut and raw diamonds, or this 18-karat yellow-gold medallion set with shimmering raw-brown diamonds and polished white diamonds. Each faceted stone is, of course, selected to uphold the maison’s impeccable standards when it comes to cut, color and clarity – an ethos that echoes across the brand’s Lotus, Arpeggia and DB Classic collections, too.
Repossi
An avant-garde collection that has enchanted minimalists and modern aesthetes for over 70 years, Repossi’s Serti Sur Vide collection has been reinterpreted with 13 new high-jewelry creations, each heroing the iconic design’s signature pear-shaped diamonds. The maison’s magic touch lies in its unique setting technique – known as the Eiffel Tower setting – which mimics a geologist holding the stone between their fingers, allowing light to flood each diamond and appear to float upon the skin. This year, the maison has riffed on cascading diamond compositions across rings, ear cuffs, earrings and a brooch – and has even experimented with color; a Fancy Serti Sur Vide capsule collection combines white diamonds and colored diamonds to striking effect. But this isn’t the first time the brand has employed colorful gems – this ‘Serti Sur Vide’ ring, which is tipped with a verdant emerald alongside two exquisite diamonds, is perfect for those who like to sport a vibrant ringscape. For 2026, the collection’s classic pear-shaped stones are joined by cushion-cut and marquise diamonds – and a clutch of pieces that celebrate the maison’s 40-year tenure in its Place Vendôme store have been crafted in similarly bold Indicolite tourmalines, green tourmalines and aquamarines. Embrace the magic of the collection with this 18-karat white-gold cuff from our edit, and pair with earrings from the brand’s Berbere and Antifer collections – chic and contemporary hoops designed for real life and the red carpet.
David Morris
Renowned for acquiring some of the most extraordinary jewels in the world, David Morris didn’t disappoint at this year’s Haute Couture Week. Unveiling its new collection, Legacy of Colour: Volume II, the house presented 12 creations that play on dramatic color combinations – bold pairings of sapphires, emeralds and rubies along with rare pink diamonds, cobalt spinels and Paraiba tourmalines. The maison’s all-diamond collections, including its ‘Frozen Kiss’ designs, still reflect this rarity – focusing on unusual cuts such as rose-cut diamonds, showcased in this dazzling pair of ‘Sempertino’ earrings. David Morris high-jewelry creations are often years in the making, requiring many months of stone sourcing, redesign and rearranging in order to perfectly balance the correct tone, proportion and saturation of each gem – but this is an approach that extends to its everyday diamonds, too. Its Triolette collection, designed by Cecily Morris, is intended for all-day wear and creative stacking, yet still scintillates with splendor. Morris’s latest remimaging includes new white-gold pieces available in our exclusive edit. These are jewels to be passed down for lifetimes.
Nikos Koulis
This year, Nikos Koulis has entered an age of experimentation with its high-jewelry creations, making its first foray with tortoiseshell acetate. The new 77 collection explores how this lightweight material plays with light to offer a unique shimmer and glow in earthy tones – a switch up from the Greek designer’s signature black enamel designs, such as these ‘Look’ earrings or this ‘Oui’ ring crafted in 18-karat yellow and white gold respectively. Eco-conscious collectors will rejoice – this new medium is a renewable, plant-based material that has been set with the finest diamonds, juxtaposed with white and yellow gold. The collection was named after the year of the founder’s year of birth, and each piece is undeniably imbued with the bohemian spirit of the ’70s – from statement necklaces to hoop earrings and bold rings. Those who have already invested in a Nikos Koulis creation – such as his sculptural ‘ME’ 18-karat gold and diamond necklace, or this utterly irresistible 18-karat gold and pear-shape diamond cigar band ring – will find that the new collection boasts similar design codes and will effortlessly chime alongside.
Buccellati
Serenissima is the name of Buccellati’s new high-jewelry collection; a tribute to the Republic of Venice – once known as “the most serene republic” – and the origin of the tradition of lacemaking. Many of the maison’s everyday designs, such as its ‘Ramage’ necklace, feature intricate filigree techniques; while its ‘Hawaii’ creations, including this 18-karat gold necklace, showcase carefully spun gold threads. This latest collection elevates that artistry to a new echelon. Inspired by the delicate needle lace of Burano, Mario Buccellati wanted to translate its lightness and transparency into glimmering jewels, brought to life thanks to master goldsmiths. Shaped with a hand-held saw, each piece features individual cells that are carefully refined, much like the individual sections of lace crafted by Burano’s expert lacemakers. Authentic Italian fabrics have long been an inspiration for the maison, reflected in its ‘Ghirlanda’ necklace, which highlights its traforo technique and arranges diamonds and a glittering pink sapphire in a crochet-inspired motif. Returning to the region’s Renaissance techniques, from Modellato engraving to Colpi di Lucido mirror polishing, each masterpiece aims to celebrate the maison’s Italian excellence.
Mikimoto
The ultimate authority on pearl-jewelry making, Mikimoto is globally renowned for its day-to-day designs, such as this pearl, diamond and blue sapphire bracelet and elegant double pearl and diamond drop earrings – but also for its showstopping high-jewelry masterpieces. The brand’s new high-jewelry collection, L’éclat, explores the beauty of light emerging from stillness; highlighting a pearl’s inner brilliance, and paying homage to the maison’s origins, with a flurry of designs that capture this jewel’s unique and mystical glow. The collection brings together a remarkable repertoire of large white South Sea pearls, set alongside a diverse variety of different diamond cuts and sculpted mother-of-pearl, as well as vivid colored stones – profoundly saturated green tourmalines, emeralds and blue sapphires. From designs inspired by the countless stars that make up a galaxy, to those that interpret rays of light shining into the endless cosmos, this is an intensely magical offering that won’t fail to enchant the pinnacle of high-jewelry collectors. Those who can’t quite justify a high-jewelry splurge can seek out the maison’s everyday designs that still channel a little of the midnight sky strewn with stars, such as this exquisite pearl, blue sapphire and diamond pendant – the epitome of contemporary classicism.
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