When she was principal dancer at the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Ukraine-born Svetlana Zakharova cut an impressive figure, lauded and admired for her fluid, eloquent movements and technical mastery. As the days went by, the long-legged young ballerina transformed herself into a brand of her own, so to speak. She even had a celebrated stint with the Paris Opera. But having enjoyed an excellent stint as principal at the Kirov, often partnering Igor Zelensky, she left the Mariinsky family for the Bolshoi in Moscow for the 2003-2004 season. The Bolshoi stage became richer for her presence.

Just as much as she filled the stage of two hallowed theatres creating silken brush strokes in space with her stellar technique, she is now representing the precision movements that Audemars Piguet is renowned for. Zakharova has been signed up as a brand ambassador by the Swiss watchmaker.

Audemars Piguet chief executive Philippe Merk observes that the highly-decorated ballerina “embodies high standards, rigorous discipline and excellence’’ and that these are values “deeply cherished by our brand’’.

As her stature grew in North America, Europe, Russia and elsewhere, so did the number of honours she was bestowed with. Zakharova was named People’s Artist of the Russian Federation in 2008, and was the first Russian dancer conferred the title of the La Scala Ballet Company Étoile. In 2005 she was awarded the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation; also, for her performance as Hippolyta-Titania in John Neumeier’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she was awarded the Benois de la Danse International Dance Association prize. In 2007, she was awarded the State Prize of Russia for ‘the talented evocation of stage characters and the development of Russian ballet great traditions’ and Ballet magazine’s Soul of Dance prize (Queen of the Dance nomination). In 2006, she was invited to the Presidential Council for Culture and Arts.

Whatever the accolades, Zakharova almost never became a ballerina. A few years ago, she recalled in an interview how she pleaded with her mother that she was not eager to study at a ballet school in Kiev, where her mother had attempted to enroll her. She was just 10 years old. Despite her initial reservations, she did embrace the art form and blossomed through her new-found love.

Recently in town to exhibit a private collection, Lorenz Bäumer, the newly-appointed Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton Fine Jewellery and creator of his own namesake brand, presented a series of exquisite rings.

Jaw-dropping designs from his expansive portfolio are granted a surreal existence by combining vibrant contrasting jewels with smart and creative structures.

“My creations are eclectic! I separate them in three universes,’’ Bäumer told The PEAK.  “First of all there is the universe of the gardener inspired by nature.  Next the poet’s universe, a world of hidden messages, riddles, secrets. Finally, the universe of the architect comes from my years at the engineering school.”

Tourmaline is a favourite gem of the talented jewellery designer. “Its crystalline structure allows for all sorts of fantasies of size and its index of refraction makes it glitter as an infinity of fire.”

As a custom jewellery designer, Bäumer says he needs to meet the clients before being able to create unique pieces.  “Creating a jewel for someone is like falling in love with this person and trying to translate into jewellery all the desire and passion,’’ he says.  “I love to meet my clients, take the time to listen: their lives, their wishes and their dreams.”

A bewitching blue sapphire necklace with a HK$42.13 million price tag is just the rare piece to command attention on a red carpet anywhere. This exceptionally-large, 160 carat vivid blue cushion-shaped Ceylon blue sapphire (mined in Sri Lanka), is suspended from a necklace with 3,227 pavé-set diamonds totalling 53 carats.

This precious piece stood out among more than 50 splendid creations paraded by Chopard as a part of its Red Carpet collection recently in Hong Kong at the Landmark Oriental. It was also the highest-priced item. The entire collection, Chopard says, is worth in excess of HK$240 million.
The Haute Joaillerie collection has been inspired by the stars of La Croisette at Cannes and designed to elevate their beauty when they ascend the steps. 

Chopard says the jeweller’s co-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele wore this stunning necklace to Sir Elton John’s White Tie & Tiara Ball.  It was held in June last year at Sir Elton’s Windsor mansion. The balls, held every year, benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The Chopard Red Carpet Collection Necklace (HK$16.53 million) with 27 white round pearls (475.36 carats), 46 Marquise diamonds (23.17 carats), 36 pear shape diamonds (35.60 carats), 49 round diamonds (15.09 carats) and 5,111 brilliant diamonds – 52.93 carats full cut, and a HK$20.81 million diamond ring with (a 10.05 carat damond), and 136 diamonds (1.47 carats full cut) were some of the pieces that went on display.