Coutts Woman

Sparkling heights

It’s February in the French Alps and a very select group of people have been invited to a special launch in Chamonix, close to Mont Blanc. The occasion? Montblanc, makers of luxury products such as their famous pens, are unveiling their first collection of jewellery.

Valentina Masu, Montblanc’s international marketing manager for jewellery, was there and noted the reactions. She said, “All of them were super fascinated by the pieces. They liked the way that the assortment harmonised between contemporary classic and the different materials. They were looking at them as pieces of art. And they immediately recognised it as something belonging to Montblanc.”

So what makes this collection special? According to Kevin Boltman, managing director for the UK, “The Montblanc diamond is the inspiration and centrepiece of this Fine Jewellery Collection.”

The diamond is flawless, weighs in at six carats, and with its 43 facets is cut to resemble the unique Montblanc star in homage to the company’s trademark. It took eight years of research and development to create the optimum cut. Valentina previously worked for De Beers and knows diamonds well. She said, “The Montblanc diamond is flawless, which in my experience I have never seen. Looking at them they have a light which is incredible.”

Three necklaces, one-off pieces, form the Red Carpet Collection. They all feature the six carat Montblanc diamond which is set-off by smaller diamonds. So, ‘Etoile’, a flat, baguette-shaped necklace has cut diamonds, totalling 22 carats. ‘Passion’ has 17.42 carats of diamonds in round and heart shapes. And the third, ‘Dentelle’, a name that recalls finely worked lace, as well as the design, has 5.42 carats of diamonds highlighting the six-carat Montblanc diamond.

The 65 models of the four new collections are made of 18-carat gold. They combine diamonds, black nephrite jade and white freshwater and black Tahitian pearls to create the distinct Montblanc jewellery. All in keeping with the black and white of the brand.

“The Montblanc diamond is flawless, which in my experience I have never seen. Looking at them they have a light which is incredible.”

Valentina briefed the designers, driving their creativity towards her vision. She said, “What I’ve done is really an intellectual exercise. Somehow trying to answer what makes Montblanc famous. It has been something that has been discussed in length with the management to be sure it was exactly in line with the brand personality. When you have perfectly understood that, you have to have someone who is really capable to translate that into the jewellery.”

Once the concept had been agreed, initial designs were drawn up. The designers explored the ideas, making prototypes first in wax, and then in gold or material of the same colour. The whole process through to final prototypes and quality control took one and half years.

The jewellery collection is mostly aimed at women in their early thirties, although one is devoted to those in their early forties. Valentina’s typical client is, “Very well balanced in her life. Meaning she has a career, she has a family, and she tries to keep the two halves of her life in balance. It’s not a feminist person, it’s not a housewife, it’s really the educated audience that Mont Blanc has.”

The four collections are ‘La Dame Blanche’, ‘Magie en Blanc et Noir’, ‘Etoile Secrete’, and Montblanc 4810.

Montblanc 4810 is a magic number for Montblanc as it refers to the height of the mountain the company is named after.  Its snow-covered summit was the inspiration behind the legendary star-shaped trademark. In this design the star radiates in solid white or yellow gold in a new interpretation of classical bracelets and rings.

‘La Dame Blanche’, The White Lady’, combines white diamonds with black nephrite jade to create timeless pieces of jewellery. And ‘Magie en Blanc et Noir’ creates the magic of contrasts combining Montblanc stars with white freshwater and black Tahitian pearls. Pearls hang from smoothly flowing linked chains while interlocking Montblanc stars are fascinating features. Valentine says, “These are timeless, perfect jewels for a more formal occasion.” She goes on to say, “Wearing black and white pearls will be more or less a forever trend.”

‘Etoile Secrete’ brings the collection back to its roots with the option to have a hidden engraving concealed behind star-shaped windows. Valentina explains, “On one side we are celebrating the handwriting culture of the brand. On the other side it’s somehow going back to into the old tradition of jewellery. It’s a new interpretation of a classic.” But unlike classic engraving this is Montblanc’s ‘signature engraving’. That’s to say a person can write their name and have an exact replication of their handwriting, so it can be extremely personal. And this can all be done in the store.

The collection is so new it’s only just appearing in Montblanc’s shops. It will feature in London’s Bond Street store and private appointments to view it can be made at Sloane Street. As Kevin Boltman says, “There are seven boutiques in London and some 300 worldwide.” But if you’re not close to any of those you can always visit the website, something you could argue is indicative of this new collection which combines tradition with the more experimental approach.