Pierre Hardy explores the emotions of colour in Hermès’ dazzling high jewellery collection ‘Les Formes de la Couleur’
If we say the name “Hermès”, what do you visualise? A flash of orange? A whisper of the brand’s signature rouge H, maybe? Perhaps the bold geometry of its scarves inspired by a jockey’s silks, a kaleidoscope of colours signalling speed, skill and tradition? For Hermès, colour is more than an accent; it’s intrinsic to the brand’s DNA, woven into its history from its equestrian origins.
Even back in the early days, when Hermès was a purveyor of saddles and harnesses, the house understood the power of colour, using it to subtly distinguish quality, enhance the beauty of leather and create objects that were not only functional but also visually arresting. The iconic orange box was a serendipitous result of wartime material shortages but today is a beacon of luxury recognised the world over. And of course, the legendary carrés—the square silk scarves that have adorned the necks of royalty, movie stars and discerning collectors for generations—are masterpieces of colour artistry.
Hermès Arc en Couleurs necklace with 1,400 stones (Photo: courtesy of Hermès)
Now, Pierre Hardy, the creative director of Hermès jewellery, takes this chromatic legacy to new heights with Les Formes de la Couleur, a high jewellery collection that is as much a philosophical exploration as it is an exercise in design. With this collection, Hardy embarks on a journey to capture the intangible essence of colour, translating its effects into tangible, bejewelled forms. Hardy dares to ask: what if we could feel colour? What emotions would it evoke? What form would these emotions take?
“This collection expresses colour in shapes. I wanted to find a way to express this fundamental phenomenon—of colour, at Hermès—and build a strong, autonomous and independent identity,” says Hardy. “[At Hermès] there is even a colour library for silk that contains almost 75,000 references. Paradoxically, this is the first time in the house’s history that such a wide variety of stones has been used in haute bijouterie: we have emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. Colour is a natural resource on which we can draw infinitely, and I wanted to explore the whole spectrum. In addition to precious stones, we have also used semi-precious stones to give us a broader, more precise palette.”
Hermès Color Flash brooch (Photo: courtesy of Hermès)
The collection isn’t just a random assortment of pretty stones, though. It’s based on carefully orchestrated colour theory; a deep dive into the relationships among primary, secondary and tertiary hues. Hardy constructed a series of interconnected stories, each exploring a different facet of our perception of colour. He says, “I re-immersed myself in [colour] with passion and method to develop this collection.”
The collection is made up of several series. In the whimsical Portraits de la Couleur, rings become visual metaphors and colours are assigned geometric identities: the ruby becomes a square, the sunlit beryl a triangle, the contemplative sapphire a circle. The assignment of shapes to colours is a clever prompt: how do our senses intertwine and what unexpected connections can we discover between colours and shapes?
In the Fresh Paint chapter of the high jewellery collection, Hardy mimics the impasto texture of an oil painting, layering precious and semi-precious stones to create colourful swirls. The result is almost trompe-l’oeil—the illusion of movement, of paint still wet on the canvas, captured in shimmering gems. Meanwhile, Arc en Couleurs pushes the boundaries of jewellery engineering. These supple, flowing pieces, designed to mould to the body, include bracelets, a brooch and a necklace. The necklace alone features nearly 1,400 stones, each chosen for its precise placement in a subtle gradient.
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Hermès Diaprés ring (Photo: courtesy of Hermès)
The collection’s Hermès Diaprés chapter highlights emerald-cut diamonds and sapphires against architectural motifs crafted from mother of pearl.
It ’s a study in contrasts: diamonds juxtaposed with nacre. The Color Vibes range shakes things up, pairing classically cut gems like emeralds and tanzanites with asymmetrical forms, while Color Flash nods to the digital age, using pavé-set stones to create geometric patterns that resemble pixelated images.
Hardy sees the jeweller’s craft as an almost alchemical process, “a magical transformation from one substance to another”. It’s about orchestrating a shift “from the theoretical to the ornamental”, taking an abstract idea and turning it into something tangible, beautiful and thought-provoking.
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