Gabrielle Chanel and the rebirth of diamonds in 1932

Since the stock market crash of 1929, the diamond industry had struggled to recover. London's Diamond Corporation Limited , formerly affiliated with De Beers, brought in Gabrielle Chanel , the famous French fashion designer, to revitalize the market. Her mission was to make diamonds desirable again.

In 1932, Gabrielle Chanel launched her first and only High Jewelry collection, which she named Bijoux de Diamants . The collection included 47 pieces designed by the Parisian ateliers Lemoine and Rudhart, made of white and yellow diamonds set in platinum and yellow gold.

The jewelry is inspired by the stars and freedom and is designed to be worn every day. This idea comes from her childhood and the years spent at the Aubazine Abbey in Corrèze , where she remembers the hopscotch games in the courtyard, incorporating the symbols of the sun, the moon and the comet.

For this collection, Gabrielle Chanel collaborated with Paul Iribe to create the designs, which were exhibited in his mansion at 29 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Gabrielle Chanel introduced fashion rules and a common theme, and decided to temporarily display the pieces on wax mannequins—a first in the jewelry industry.

The exhibition, which charged an entrance fee of 20 francs, donated the proceeds to two charities. It attracted immense interest, including from high society figures such as Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau . Thanks to the efforts of Gabrielle Chanel, the price of diamonds soared, and their popularity returned to the market.

However, the announcement of the Diamond Corporation Limited caused tensions in the jewelry industry. Houses established on the Place Vendôme, such as Cartier and Chaumet , opposed the entry of a woman into the sector. They demanded that the jewelry not be sold and that it be dismantled after the exhibition.

Years later, in 1998, when it was thought that all the jewels in this collection had been dismantled, an iconic comet brooch , adorned with 28 antique cut diamonds, made a remarkable reappearance at an auction. Chanel purchased the brooch, which is now preserved as a treasure of the Chanel heritage.