With Fabergé, imagination within design runs wild in the best possible way with its latest partnership, bringing Game of Thrones into the high fine jewelry realm.
This latest work by the artist jeweler is in collaboration with Michele Clapton, the award-winning costume designer for the beloved HBO series. Fabergé and Clapton debuted its Game of Thrones collection in November, and Fabergé jewelry designer Liisa Tallgren tells JCK it has been an inspiring journey from the start.
“Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Fabergé’s creative director, and I met with Michele Clapton to share ideas and sketches, and it developed further from there,” Tallgren says. “We had so many ideas, some of them pretty crazy, but we narrowed it down to a selection that we thought best epitomized the key features of the series.”
In a series of what they are calling chapters, Fabergé and Clapton will work through the storytelling in Game of Thrones; this first chapter focuses on dragons. This series will continue over two years, Fabergé says, with new creations coming in 2023 and beyond that blend Fabergé’s artistic insights with the fantastical world Clapton helped create.
Fabergé has participated in the dramatic work found in Game of Thrones for some time now: It revealed its Game of Thrones Egg in April 2021 to industry acclaim. A private collector purchased that egg for $2.2 million.
This new Fabergé x Game of Thrones High Jewellery collection is an extension of that, Tallgren says, bringing the show’s fantastical world to life.
“Game of Thrones is full of fascinating stories and fates, so for me it was easy to be inspired by it,” Tallgren says. “We tried to stay faithful to the unique aesthetics of the show and create pieces that share that fantasy world but are contemporary and comfortable to wear.”
To design the jewelry, Tallgren says the creative team drew upon the character Daenerys Targaryen, imagining her journey from orphan to warrior. Her passion for her dragons and her pursuit of the Iron Throne are reflected in the jewelry, she says.
These first five designs are set in black and red, the Targaryen house colors. Red also is used to symbolize Daenerys’ spirit throughout the series. Fabergé used red rubies from Gemfields’ Montepuez mine in Mozambique to create these works, Tallgren says.
“We wanted to create jewelry that makes the wearer feel confident and attractive. It was important for us that the pieces are visually striking yet comfortable to wear,” Tallgren says.
Using precious materials alongside dramatic sculptural elements, such as a dragon’s skeleton, is what brings this jewelry to life, Tallgren says.
For example, the Flame Egg pendant is transformable—the tail can be detached as can the egg, creating a versatile necklace that both shows Daenerys’ progression as a character and the wearability of this jewelry.
“The difference between jewelry from the film set to our collection is that these high jewelry pieces are made from precious materials, gold, diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, and because of that the craftsmanship needs to be at another level,” Tallgren says.
“The designs need to be incredibly accurate, and all the sizes and measurements need to be specified,” she adds. “It’s a creative yet technical process. High jewelry also needs to be more wearable and comfortable so that the wearer can concentrate on enjoying themselves.”
Top: The Fabergé x Game of Thrones white and rose gold diamond transformable ear cuff (price on request) is an interconnected design that represents Daenerys’ ability to transform herself and harness her power when needed (photos courtesy of Fabergé).
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