Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire Frédéric Zaavy
Frédéric Zaavy became one of our workmasters on 22nd April 2008, the first appointed since the Russian Revolution. In pursuit of excellence and innovation, we proudly collaborated with Zaavy to present a truly remarkable High Jewellery collection, which embodied the spirit and ethos of our founder, Peter Carl Fabergé. 100 pieces were presented together when we relaunched in 2009.
Frédéric Zaavy was an extraordinary Parisian jeweller. Dedicated to perfection, he worked with both precious and semi-precious gemstones, to marry exquisite combinations of colour with superb craftsmanship. Zaavy sadly passed away on 15th September 2011 in Paris. Due to launch on 16th November, 2020, Stardust: The Work and Life of Jeweler Extraordinaire Frédéric Zaavy encapsulates the last year of his life, from the moment he was diagnosed with cancer, right through to the end. With a text by acclaimed French philosophical writer Gilles Hertzog and an incredible visual narrative by renowned photographers, John Bigelow Taylor and Dianne Dubler, Zaavy's work and life are presented in a portrait of what was and of what might have been.
Perhaps the most astonishing piece of the collection, and best representation of his iconic style, is the Nymphéa Bracelet – paying homage both to Monet’s waterlilies. Finely articulated, in platinum, yellow and white gold and silver, the diamonds range from white, blue and yellow through to violet and black; the coloured gems include rubies, aquamarines, alexandrites, amethysts, fire opals, moonstones, paraiba tourmalines, tsavorites, spinels and blue, pink, violet and padparadscha sapphires.
Zaavy considered himself heir to the legacy of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, gem dealer to Louis XIV. Zaavy's artistic genius lay in painting with precious gemstones and in engineering remarkable settings to hold those gemstones almost invisibly. His works achieved a pre-eminence in the thousand-year evolution of French jewellery. The influences on his life and work were myriad. Nature, quantum physics, art, music, spirituality, poetry, literature, and even science fiction all shaped his extraordinary world view and taste.
“All these millions of stones I am using are like musicians in front of me that I am conducting…now I am about to bring the symphony together.”
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