Lalique unveiled its second fine jewelry collection recently.

"The story is the continuation of the first one, but it's totally different because last year was Lalique's rebirth (of fine jewelry)," says Quentin Obadia, the brand's jewelry head designer.

He says the inspiration for the near 100-piece Soulmates collection came from the story of Ethos and the Greek goddess Psyche, who was half woman and half butterfly.

Last spring, Lalique launched the first collection in a four-part series based on nature's four elements: fire, earth, air and water. The initial offerings, The Sacred Fire Odyssey, were based on fire.

Maz Zouhairi, president and chief executive officer of Lalique North America, reveals the collection inspired by earth will come out in 2014, and the water collection in 2015.

Pieces from Soulmates range in price from $1,200 to $75,600, but the majority of the items retail from about $8,700 to $42,000, according to Zouhairi.

A delicate white gold and diamond Eros' Arrow ring is the entry point at $1,200, while a rose gold Egyptian Serpent ring with yellow sapphires, diamonds, yellow gold and eight lacquer serpents encircling the center stone, a 4.95-carat brilliant-cut mandarin garnet, costs $75,000.

A butterfly brooch-pendant necklace in rose gold with 62 pink sapphires, 23 brilliant-cut diamonds, a triangle-cut orange sapphire and a detachable pompom is $50,400; and a white gold ring paved with 64 blue sapphires, 64 aquamarines, eight brilliant-cut diamonds and a sapphire central stone is $11,760.

"This is a lifestyle brand, and the pillar of jewelry is a significant part because of the fact that it appeals to a different range of customers, (as well as) a younger consumer base," Zouhairi says, citing the glass and precious gemstone jewelry that Rene Lalique began designing in the 1880s. Currently the business is almost evenly split among Europe (25 percent) and the brand's native France, with the US and Asia (the fastest-growing market) at 20 percent each.

Last week the brand also showed pieces from the Clock 15 Days collection - where only 15 clocks were produced in clear, blue and red crystal. These cost $98,000 each, while a one-of-a-kind black-crystal version retails for $196,000.

Because of the handiwork involved in creating each clock, introduced by Parmigiani Fleurier in 2012, only eight to 10 can be made each year.

The New York Times

(China Daily 06/16/2013 page13)