Jewellery and wintertime often seem to go hand-in-hand: the sparkle; the glamour; the romance. No surprise then that jewellery maisons have long had a presence in the Swiss resort of Gstaad, and on February 16-18 the young and dynamic Geneva-based Margaret will showcase its latest gems in an exhibition at the Gstaad Palace hotel.
Founded 10 years ago by childhood friends Oriana Melamed Sabrier and Candice Ophir, Margaret began by making bespoke pieces – lovely pendants and bracelets commissioned with individual messages and names – and has since expanded to include antique-style gems designed by Sabrier, who cut her teeth at Christie’s and Cartier.
Star motifs are the house’s signature, and these make their way into the one-off Gstaad pieces. Inspired by antique Russian jewellery, designs include the Celeste ring (price on request) set with three rare Ceylon sapphires – a 10ct stone top-and-tailed with two 7ct versions – and punctuated with diamond-set stars; and the magnificent Boule ring ($45,000), its 5.64ct cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire embraced by a microset of grey-blue stones.
Margaret has focused in the past year on bolder, stronger-coloured stones, in a more mature collection. The results include the fabulous Star Light (Etoile) bracelet ($150,000) with three eye-popping Ceylon sapphire cabochons offset by vintage-like diamond-studded points, and the Sundust earrings ($28,000), which feature a burst of 186 diamonds surrounding bright orange antique tourmalines totalling 5.08cts.
Although the gems will take centre stage, the show itself is rich in atmosphere too; its rustic décor peppered with lush purples and oranges. “Think starry nights, woodland and fairy tales,” says Ophir. “It’s a place to escape the craziness of Gstaad and discover our intimate, dreamlike world.”