Fashion designer extraordinaire Karl Lagerfeld has created an emerald and black diamond piece for a jewellery exhibition that’s so striking that it’s sure to make you a bit hot under the collar.

 

This lavish piece of jewellery, that’s thought to be inspired by a pet collar, is worth a total of £29,000. It features 40 carat black diamonds and a large emerald centrepiece set in black rhodium-plated silver.

 

Lagerfeld’s innovative jewellery design will be part of Brilliant, a diamond exhibition held as part of the Masterpiece London Fair in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

 

The exhibition will be curated by Carol Woolton, Jewellery Editor of UK Vogue, who aims to push the boundaries of how diamonds are used and viewed. She has organised the diamonds into four disciplines - art, architecture, fashion and sculpture – in the hope of provoking surprise and discussion about the world’s most desirable gems.

 

Other pieces in the exhibition include shoes embellished with diamonds and feathers by Bruno Frisoni for Roger Vivier and a remarkable diamond chandelier by Solange Azagury Partridge. Brilliant takes place at Masterpiece London, The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, from 28th June until 4th July.

Carol commented:

“Masterpiece London already has the best of antique diamonds on show but this was a way to add contemporary diamond design into the fair.

 

“Diamonds have something magical about them - it's hard to define, but you recognise it when you see it.

 

“When this magic and ephemeral sparkle is combined with a strong design then I believe something of great power is created.”

 

Chanel’s creative genius, Karl Lagerfeld, told Vogue about why he chose to design that particular piece:

 

“I'm renowned for my love of a high collar and I wanted to create a true collector's item with this one-off piece...Merging the masculine with the feminine and uniting the world of fine jewellery and high fashion, to me this collar is a work of art and a real show-stopper.”

 

After the exhibition, the one-off piece will be sold along with a hand-signed sketch courtesy of the fabulous designer and all profits will be donated to children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.