By BarbaraAnne

In 1932, worldwide economic depression gripped the diamond industry. DeBeers asked Chanel to design a collection of diamond jewelry, hoping it would mirror the enormous success of her costume jewelry. Her stunning exhibition premiered November 1, 1932, at her home, 29 Rue du Fauborg-Saint Honore, Paris. DeBeers stock rose 20 points 2 days later.

She constructed pieces with minimized, even invisible settings, so the stones stood alone. “I want jewelry to be like a ribbon around women’s fingers.” She chose diamonds because “they had the greatest value in the smallest volume” in a struggling world, which hungered for authenticity.

However, her most revolutionary piece was the Collier Comète. Chanel envisioned a necklace with over 600 diamonds in the form of a light French silk scarf. One side mimicked fabric, the other side featured an irregularly shaped star. It took 9 months for the Paris jewelry workshop to figure out how to make it. They had to invent a spring system for an arched setting. Today, the Collier Comète remains the signature work of Chanel Fine Jewelry.

These images are from the original 1932 collection.

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