For locked-down lovers of Italian culture and la dolce vita, dreams of strolling the currently deserted piazzas of Venice might be a recurrent fantasy. The Floating City, as it is sometimes known, was a favourite destination of Gabriel Chanel and it is to this most romantic of destinations that the new Chanel high jewellery collection transports us.

Chanel Escale à Venise is a playful high jewellery collection that captures the fun-loving spirit of the Italians. The 70-piece collection, which made its debut during Paris Couture Week, was designed by Patrice Leguéreau and is split into four chapters: La Sérénissime, Gran Canale, Isle della Laguna and Spirito de Venezia.

The Chanel high jewellery collection takes inspiration from the city’s waterways, architecture and culture.

Chanel

Escale à Venise Ruban Canotier ring in white gold and rose gold with diamonds, and red and black enamel
price on application, available at Chanel

In the water-inspired Gran Canale, the classic boater hats worn by Venetian gondoliers have been faithfully reproduced as quirky cocktail rings, with ribbons of red and black enamel adding colour to diamond pavé. Meanwhile, strips of blue enamel on necklaces, bangles and earrings pay homage to the striped gondola poles that edge the waterways.

One of Gabriel Chanel’s favourite talismans – and the emblem of her Leo star sign – makes a return in Spirito de Venezia. It is the fifth time that the lion motif has been used in a Chanel high jewellery collection, with the beast making its first appearance in 2013. This time, the magnetic animal has been selected to pay homage to its winged golden counterpart clutching a bible in the arches of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice. In Chanel Escale à Venise, the lion instead guards a 10.07ct pear-shaped diamond on a one-off Chanel ring.

The azure and golden sky scene painted behind the Saint Mark’s Basilica lion also caught the attention of Leguéreau. To capture it, he used custom-cut tiles of lapis lazuli – a nod to the tesserae of Italian mosaic art – to create articulated colliers, earrings, cuffs and rings decorated with gold stars set with yellow sapphires.

Chanel

Escale à Venise Secret Lion ring in white gold and diamonds, with 10.07ct pear-shaped diamond
price on application, available at Chanel

Another classic Chanel motif to appear within Escale à Venise is the camellia, found within the Isle della Laguna chapter. Recognising Venice’s history with the Murano glass trade, the jewels mimic the famous decorative artwork but do so with rock crystal, which is hand carved into the shape of the Chanel camelia flower. The precious Chanel Camélia Vénitien blooms are nestled amongst diamonds and set in yellow gold.

La Sérénissime has a different aesthetic to the other chapters, offering up unyielding geometric lines rather than romantic whimsy. This chapter is devoted to the architecture of Venice, with jewels made up of miniature baguette-cut diamonds or pairs of round diamonds grouped within rectangular settings. The effect recalls the mosaic tiles of Byzantian architecture that can be found throughout the city. The palate of this chapter softens its designs, with Padparadascha and mandarin sapphires bringing warmth to the diamonds, as does the use of warming rose gold.

Though a real trip to Venice might be off the agenda for some time to come, the Chanel Escale à Venise high jewellery collection offers us just the kind of escapism we need, and will keep us dreaming of that magical city on the water until our wanderlust is sated.

Chanel

Escale à Venise Constellation Astrale necklace in white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires and lapis lazuli
price on application, available at Chanel