Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director of Jewelry at Louis Vuitton, stated: “This is the first time in my life I have had the privilege of designing a jewel of such royal importance. This piece brings together an incredible collection of high-quality, rare Kashmir sapphires, integrated with Louis Vuitton’s Monogram star-cut diamonds, moving the heart like a spectacular constellation of gems.”
A Dazzling Feast of Rare Gems
Kashmir sapphires are the rarest and most precious variety by origin, with only a handful appearing on the open market each year; stones over 10 carats are typically seen only in global annual colored gemstone rankings. This Louis Vuitton Aster necklace assembles 23 large Kashmir sapphires with a total weight of 125 carats, perfectly matched in color, cut, and crystal transparency. The process of collecting these gems alone took 20 years.
The most captivating element is the necklace’s centerpiece: a 17.88-carat Kashmir sapphire. This gem possesses a deep, velvety royal blue hue and is cut in the demanding emerald cut, which requires exceptional crystal clarity and color uniformity. The remaining 22 sapphires are cut in softer cushion shapes, cleverly complementing the visual impact of the primary stone.
Francesca Amfitheatrof specifically selected 23 LV Monogram star-cut diamonds to alternate with the 23 sapphires, like brilliant stars in the night sky. The “LV Monogram” star cut is a unique diamond cut exclusive to the brand. Each diamond has 53 facets, and the cutting difficulty and rough diamond consumption ratio far exceed those of conventional cuts, making it a perfect symbol of the brand’s identity.
Craftsmanship of the High Jewelry Atelier
This piece was meticulously crafted by Louis Vuitton’s High Jewelry workshop at Place Vendôme. Jewelers first forged each platinum link using the lost-wax casting technique. Then, polishers performed all-angle polishing; each link component required up to one hour of polishing to achieve a mirror-grade finish. Finally, stone-setters perfectly mounted the sapphires and diamonds into their settings – a task requiring immense patience, sometimes taking up to two days to set a single sapphire.
The necklace took 6 months from design to completion, with a total of over 1,500 hours of work. It features a flexible articulated structure with nearly invisible connecting links. The setting for each gem is flawless, using openwork mounts carved with a “V” shape on the sides to maximize light penetration from every angle. Furthermore, the necklace’s clasp is itself a work of art, cleverly depicting a diamond Monogram star motif, set with custom-cut diamonds and four kite-cut diamonds.
Brand Custom Jewelry Box
It is worth noting that Louis Vuitton created a custom-designed case exclusively for this Aster High Jewelry necklace. This special case was made in the Asnières-sur-Seine workshop. The body is crafted from blue crocodile leather, its color inspiration undoubtedly drawn from the Kashmir sapphires adorning the necklace. The case opens from the front with double doors; mirrors on the inside of both lids allow you to admire this breathtaking piece from any angle.
