At Homo Faber 2022, the celebrated Swiss Maison displays its expertise and excellent savoir-faire in the transformation of gold.
Text by Adriano Davoli
For almost 150 years, Maison Piaget has been a passionate creator of unique timepieces and jewels
that combine unsurpassed technique with surprising beauty and audacity. Since the 1950’s, the transformation of gold, a material that the Maison uses for the construction of watch cases, bracelets, engraving and high jewelry creations, Piaget has wanted to perfect his expertise in all the phases of gold processing and transformation.
Piaget High Jewellery watch presented during the 2nd edition of Homo Faber in Venice.
All images courtesy of Piaget.
At Homo Faber 2022 along with other luxury brands of the Richemont Group, Piaget encourages, celebrates and revolutionizes craftsmanship and the concept of excellence, so perfectly interpreting the motto of the Venetian exhibition “Crafting a More Human Future”.
At Homo Faber, Piaget has proposed its savoir-faire in the goldsmith field thanks to artisans who will demonstrate the art of engraving technique and the creations of gold chains.
Vintage models of past magnificent collections were on display: my preferred one is a splendid “collier ruban” all made of supple gold fabric featuring the so iconic “Palace” workmanship, used since the 1960’s, consisting of sculpting the metal with delicate grooves, all horizontally placed, obtaining an iridescent and luminous effect similar to tree bark. Fluid and very tactile (1). Slightly asymmetrical, the two sections of the necklace are reunited at the centre thanks to a superb sunburst motif made of golden rays, turquoises and marquise-cut diamonds. A group of dangling gold chains detaching from the star are set with diamonds and turquoise boules, adding a splendid movement to the jewel once worn. All the happy mood of the Swinging Sixties is perfectly represented by this necklace.
The piece, part of the 2014 “Extremely Piaget“ High Jewellery Collection, was expressly created for the “Biennale des Antiquaires”, held at the Grand Palais in Paris in the same year.
As each artisan specialized in this very elegant technique has its own method of engraving the metal, only the same hands can start and complete a watch bracelet or a complex jewel, in order to guarantee that the final piece is perfectly homogeneous regarding the final gold appearance, the type of reflections and iridescence on it.
Another superb vintage piece visitors had the chance to admire in Venice was a large cuff-watch characterized by an airy gold chain bracelet, almost like a delicate lace, with the single gold elements interlocking one with the other, resulting in a light, very precious net. At its centre a slightly trapezoid dial has its base completed paved with diamonds, set with the refined technique of the "tapis neige", or snow carpet.
The small diamonds, all of round cut and of minimal difference in size, are set one next to the other giving the optical impression of a fresh snow fall. Magic, almost a fairy-tale and extremely sophisticated, this jewel is a model created in 2012 for the then Collection "Couture Précieuse". A true innovator in the world of timepieces and refined jewels, Piaget strongly believes in creativity and artistic values. It is within the production of "Atéliers de l’Extraordinare" that the Maison’s master craftsmen continue to exploit the rare skills that have been preserved from generation to generation, to transform gold, rare gems or semiprecious stones in authentic works of art.
Adriano Davoli
This article was originaly published in print and online on Moralmoda Magazine 50th Anniversary Issue.
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