Tweed de Chanel: Chanel’s new tweed-inspired high jewellery collection

Schenelle Dsouza

Among its many signature motifs and elements, tweed is one fabric that has been associated with Chanel for well over a century now. The handwoven Scottish woollen fabric was a favourite of Gabrielle Chanel and was used as a background fabric in almost every menswear and womenswear collections. And now, the iconic fabric is making its way into the jewellery segment as well, serving as inspiration for the brand’s latest high jewellery collection: Tweed de Chanel.

Envisioned by Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, the house first launched the tweed-inspired High Jewelry back in 2020, with a collection of 45 unique pieces. These recreated the distinctive intertwined pattern of the fabric using gold metal that is embellished with diamonds and precious stones. Expanding the lexicon, Chanel introduced as many as 63 new tweed-inspired jewellery pieces. These have been divided into five sets, each dedicated to five iconic Chanel symbols – the white ribbon, the pink camellia, the comet on a blue background, the yellow sun, and the lion highlighted with flashes of red.

Tweed Étoile

The comet was the main motif in Bijoux de Diamants, the first and only high jewellery collection created by Gabrielle Chanel herself. Bringing back that memorable motif, the Tweed Étoile selection draws a breathtaking image of a starry sky in shades of black, blue, and yellow. Strings of lapis lazuli and onyx take centre stage with precious white diamonds and yellow sapphires shining through.

Bold, contemporary and completely dramatic, many of the pieces get an extra oomph with a massive 9.16-carat yellow sapphire sitting at the centre. Interestingly, each of the different stones is displayed in a rather haphazard manner, which mimics the uneven texture of the tweed fabric.

Tweed Soleil

Paying tribute to its iconic sun motif, the Tweed Soleil collection showcases warm, vibrant tones with yellow and white diamonds,  a perfect complement to the gold-toned jewellery.

This collection is broken down into three categories, Tweed Cambon, Tweed Byzance, and Tweet Soliare, with an additional Tweed Icône ring.

Additional gemstones like beryls and rock crystals give the pieces an interesting geometric silhouette with different shaped stones interlining the weave pattern.

Tweed Lion

One of the most consistent motifs in all of Chanel’s collections, the lion always appealed to Gabrielle Chanel, and that might just have to do with the fact that her sun sign was Leo. The Tweed Lion collection is a blazing collection inspired by the king of the jungle himself.

Bold, brilliant tones of red, orange and yellow culminate this selection with rubies spinels, yellow sapphires, and spessartite garnet. This is without a doubt one of the standout selections in the entire collection, with the Tweed Royal Necklace being the biggest highlight.

The necklace is handcrafted using 37 rubies alongside brilliant diamonds in different shapes and sizes. A three-dimensional lion’s head attached to a 10.17-carat, pear-shaped diamond stands at the centre of the necklace; the lion’s head can be detached and worn as a brooch, while the diamond can be styled as a ring.

Tweed Ruban

Everyone recognises Chanel’s ribbon motif, it’s hard not to. It is the motif that displays the elegance and sophistication that Chanel has come to be known for. The interlacing of the ribbon is beautifully translated into the Tweed Ruban collection in a loose, unfinished tweed design.

Elegant and radiant, the pieces display a clean waterfall of diamonds in varied cuts like marquise, round, oval and baguette, interlaced with pearls to add softness to the weave design.

Tweed Camélia

A more elegant, feminine collection, the Tweed Camélia collection pays tribute to Chanel’s signature flower. Playing blush pink tones, the collection is filled with powder pink and fuschia sapphires mixed with white diamonds and elegant rose gold camellia flowers embroider into each piece of jewellery.

The namesake Tweed Camélia necklace is the highlight of this selection. It features a woven framework crafted from 18k rose gold and embedded with diamonds, oval, pear and round pink sapphires, and topped with a diamond lace camellia bloom that can be removed and worn as a brooch.

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