Chanel Jewelry

Chanel Jewelry: Timeless Elegance

The Style

French designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel strode into fashion with a ladylike rebellion. Her styles were bold, without being brazen, vibrantly feminine, without being overwhelming. Her utterance that a girl should be both classy and fabulous is a mantra that must have whispered itself long after her death -- today Chanel offers the same timeless elegance and wonderful appeal that Coco began in the 1930's.

Beginnings

Her original jewelry collection began with what the world has long since known as a girls' best friend -- the classic diamond. Her jewelry debuted with an exquisite collection termed "Bijoux De Diamond," pieces designed from diamonds and platinum.

Often credited with popularizing costume jewelry, Coco Chanel subverted the haute jewelry scene by creating pieces that combined real jewels along with glass stones, rhinestones, faux pearls, and colored synthetic stones. The result was buoyant, extravagant, jewelry that women hungered for and cost less than comparable gem-bedecked pieces.

Today

Today Chanel jewelry designs continue to be inspired by and reflect her classic style, but pieces are interlaced with contemporary and futuristic touches, resulting in wonderfully unique jewelry.

Types of Jewelry from Chanel

Chanel offers fine jewelry that is breathtaking and beautiful -- jewelry marked by the finest craftsmanship and an unending inspiration. Chanel Jewelry is made from gold, platinum, gems, stones, and pearls. Other materials may be included with metals and stones as well, such as ceramic. Jewelry items in her collections include:

• Necklaces
• Rings
• Bracelets
• Earrings
• Brooches

Modern Fine Jewelry Collections

Drawing on the words and original designs of Coco Chanel, today's Chanel artists and designers create wonderful collections. These include:

Ultra

The Ultra collection rings, composed of 18 karat white gold, diamonds, and black or white ceramic, offer an appeal to those with a love of stark contrasts and simplistic designs.

Cometes

The Cometes collection is composed of sparkling, celestial pieces created from materials such as rock crystal, sapphires, platinum, white gold, and Tahitian and Japanese pearls. Rings, Earrings, brooches, necklaces and pendants in this collection are at once delicate in their design and bold in their use of diamonds.

Matilesse

The Matilesse Chanel jewelry collection offers rings, earrings, and pendants characterized by striking diagonals. Dangling diamonds and diamond shaped nuggets of white gold form the pendants and earrings, while the rings reflect the diagonal/diamond pattern in rich yellow or white gold.

Camelia

Created from Coco Chanel's love of the exquisite perfection and spherical shape of the camelia flower, this collection brings rings, pendants, and earrings to life with gold, diamonds, and the brilliant colors of stones such as aquamarine, sapphire, tourmaline, and chocolate diamonds.

Mademoiselle

The Mademoiselle collection offers a delicate, feminine blend of colored stones, colored sapphires, freshwater pearls, and pink, yellow, or white gold. Charms, charm bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, and rings make up this Chanel Jewelry collection.

Elements De Chanel

The Elements De Chanel collection offers incredibly striking pieces. These include a white gold necklace with a cascade of diamond station pendants falling from a central drop diamond and a tremendous south sea pearl ring encircled by diamonds and white gold.

Coco

The Coco collection is an exquisite collection of color and design. Florals and framed stones are part of what characterize the pieces in this collection. The colors of aquamarine, peridot, citrine, amethyst, colored sapphires, tourmalines, iolites, and creamy freshwater pearls create an interplay with gold and diamonds that offers a refreshing and feminine appeal.

Vintage Chanel

Vintage Chanel jewelry is highly popular as well. Her inspirations from Byzantine and Baroque jewelry are evident, and the startling juxtaposition of bold, chunky looks with feminine elegance are loved just as much today as when they were first introduced. Despite its being termed costume or "junk" jewelry, vintage pieces are still costly, as they beautifully emulate the innovation and attention to detail of their designer.

Prices and Where to Buy

Current collections are sold through authorized Chanel Jewelry Boutiques. To find the boutique located closest to you, visit the Chanel website, or call the Chanel customer service department (800) 550-0005 for a fine jewelry and watch catalogue.

Chanel and Vintage Chanel pieces are also sold on auction sites such as eBay. As with any designer jewelry item, take care to purchase only from authorized, reputable sellers. Look for original pictures of the jewelry item and ask questions to the seller about the item to ensure its authenticity.

Prices for Chanel jewelry vary, but costs generally range from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the piece, materials, and design. Vintage, original, or specialty pieces may cost significantly more, in the tens of thousands of dollars.