De Grisogono: Daring Creativity | Assouline

Fawaz Gruosi, the inspired visionary behind Swiss jeweler de Grisogono, instinctively understands his craft. His dynamic creativity and nonconformist approach have been rejuvenating the conventions of jewelry since the brand was established in 1993 with a boutique on Geneva’s rue du Rhône, where he eschewed the minimalism characteristic of the decade in favor of rich, sensual, ornate pieces. De Grisogono’s first creation was a bespoke pair of pearl and diamond earrings for the Begum Salima Aga Khan, who epitomized the luxury and exclusivity that would come to define the jeweler. Since then, influential women such as Sophia Loren, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall, and Sharon Stone have donned Gruosi’s glittering designs, which explore black and white diamonds, uniquely colored stones, and innovative yet classic form. But de Grisogono is about so much more: its opulent mix of Florentine and Byzantine influences, its striking gem combinations, and Gruosi’s unsurpassed handcraftsmanship make it singular in the jewelry world, as the arresting images in this luxury volume attest. Jewelry historian Vivienne Becker is an award-winning journalist and author of many books on the history of jewelry design. Based in London, Becker is a contributing editor to Financial Times’s How to Spend It magazine, writes for newspapers and magazines around the world, and lectures and broadcasts on her subject. She organized and wrote the catalog for the first major exhibition of the jewelry of René Lalique, and curated Jewels of Fantasy, a traveling exhibition of twentieth-century costume jewelry. Becker’s previous books with Assouline include The Impossible Collection of Jewelry (2012), Sevan Biçakçi (2014), Cartier Panthère (2015), Messika (2015), and Chaumet: The Art of the Tiara (2016).