The designs of the Maison often repeat assembled parts in smooth gold, matte titanium or covered in pavé diamonds. Whereas the recognisable Calla motif is smooth and conical, the new Ardis High Jewellery collection presents a more boxy motif with graduating squares of precious metal, adorned with colourless diamonds, black diamonds and sapphires. The collection is a perfect homage to Vhernier’s elegant and understated aesthetic, as well as its ability to comfortably skim the curves of the body in ergonomic fashion.

At the heart of the collection is the interplay between light and shadow, the contrast between satiny, pearlescent and gem-set surfaces, and the combination of hard materials with flexible construction. Each module of the Ardis necklace can move in relation to the next, so it’s voluminous yet comfortable to wear.

At Paris Haute Couture Week, the brand revealed that the Ardis collection required two years of development, with the initial shape of the necklace changing during the process to achieve the desired proportions. At the same time, the team was engineering the new Ardis ear clips (designed for size, comfort and security) and employing some complex gem-setting processes, especially for the sapphire necklace in which stones graduate in both size and colour.

Each of the Ardis necklaces are similar, but also characterful in their own ways. There are some unifying factors, such as the overall shape and the asymmetric lines that encircle each piece to enhance the feeling of movement. However, differences emerge in the use of materials, like titanium, rose gold, and aluminium. The first suite, Ardis Forma Di Luce, features a necklace, bracelet, ring and ear clips (this is consistent across all eight) with colourless diamonds and 18k rose gold. Imagine these materials covering different faces of a three-dimensional cube as they wrap around the neck. 

Next, there’s the Ardis Profilo Di Luna suite with an all-white ensemble of diamonds, aluminium and gold. Vhernier says this version “shines like the moon at its peak with diamonds dispersing like stardust across the night sky”. The necklace alone contains 2,695 diamonds with a total weight of 19.35 carats, while the matching bracelet is set with 1,387 diamonds weighing 10.55 carats. It’s amazing how the choice of finish can make a necklace look totally different, too, like the satin matte white gold in the Ardis Profilo Del Vento set. These two chapters in the Ardis story are like twins with different personalities… one has a shine while the other is more softly luminescent. On that note, if these are the twin daughters, then the Ardis Forma Assoluta is the matriarch of the family, fully paved in white diamonds in white gold. The necklace contains 5,459 diamonds weighing 42.50 carats, the bracelet adds a further 19.95 carats, and there are approximately 20 more carats in the ear clips and ring. No wonder Vhernier describes this suite as “like stars in the galaxy”!

The four remaining chapters are bolder, with starker contrasts or more complex gemstone setting in action. Personally, I love the blend of white gold, black titanium and diamonds in the Ardis Forma D’Eclisse set, which perfectly articulates the ‘light and shadow’ story behind the collection. Titanium also has the benefit of being lightweight, enhancing the wearability of this new creation even more. At the other end of the spectrum is the Ardis Profilo Del Sole quartet with a gradient of sensational white and yellow diamonds that appear to rise like the sun around the neck, wrist and across the ears. The necklace contains 7.50 carats of white diamonds and 12.80 carats of yellow diamonds, equating to more than 2,700 individual diamonds that had to be individually set. 

Finally, there are two suites encrusted in either deep blue sapphires or black diamonds, both of which have real impact when worn. The former, Ardis Profilo Di Stelle, is inspired by the swirl of twinkling stars in the inky depths of the Milky Way, incorporating more than 10,000 individual sapphires and diamonds set in 18k white gold. The Ardis Forma Infinita suite achieves a similarly intense depth of colour with matte black titanium and black diamonds, including 22.15 carats in the necklace and 12.70 carats in the bracelet. 

https://www.katerinaperez.com/articles/vhernier-ardis-high-jewellery