Business & Finance Club - PARIS—The 25th Biennale des Antiquaires looks to be a glorious year for jewelers, with hints of record sales, myriad unique pieces, and truly impressive presentations by some dealers.
Patrick Bazanan’s delicate screens provide a subtle counterpart to dealer stalls, some of which veer into the unabashedly theatrical. Van Cleef and Arpels stun visitors with a tribute to Jules Verne, created with the multitalented Alfredo Arias. The walk-in is reminiscent of a Fellini-esque town fair or oddities shop, with an octopus stretching across the ceiling of the underseas-themed corridors. The jewelry is anemones, diamond algae, sapphire wales, and a mysterious black opal.
Newcomers are also making a splash at the Biennale; Vuitton with monogrammed sets and Piaget with cocktail rings named Mojito, Whisky, and Cosmopolitan. At Dior, Victoire de Castellane tweaks her floral collections with diamond-studded craniums for an excuisite memento mori.