You Belong With Me: The Dior Et Moi High Jewellery Collection

Victoire de Castellane draws on the tradition of “toi et moi” rings for this new series of audacious designs in precious stones, gold, and coloured lacquer

Dior Joaillerie may have celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, but that does not mean the brand is resting on its laurels. Indeed, the latest collection from the luxury house is as unconventional (and unparalleled) as they come. Artistic director Victoire de Castellane has dreamt up a breathtaking assortment of high jewellery that explores colour and geometry in the language of gemstones, gold, and lacquer – Dior et Moi.

The collection puts a riff on the classic toi et moi (French for “you and me”) style, which usually features a pair of near-identical gems set side by side in bypass, symbolising the entwining of two souls to become one. Napoleon Bonaparte famously gave Joséphine de Beauharnais a toi et moi ring as a token of his love, as did John F. Kennedy to Jacqueline Onassis.

Now, de Castellane revisits the trope in typical iconoclastic fashion via a series of between-finger rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, created with a pinch of art deco and a dash of sci-fi. Diamonds, emeralds, and pink or blue sapphires find a dramatic counterpoint in red spinels, tsavorite garnets, tourmalines, rubellites, kunzites, and turquoise, among others. Lacquer brings an unexpected touch of levity in vivid shades like jade green and hot pink, sprayed on brushed gold using a clever technique developed specially by the maison’s skilled artisans.

Pride of place goes to an XXL opal – one of the designer’s all-time favourites – that forms a reversible teardrop-shaped pendant, haloed with coloured gemstones on one side and a ring of black lacquer on the other, and threaded on a string of delicate cultured pearls.

1 / 2

Dior et Moi white opal and diamond necklace

Illustrating de Castellane’s penchant for asymmetry, there are no pairs of earrings in Dior et Moi, but rather mismatched dyads that are distinct yet coherent. Even the so-called simplest piece in the collection, a pear-cut diamond and pink gold ring outlined in strawberry lacquer, still stands out as a testament to the artistry and technical virtuosity of Dior.

Take a closer look at the collection below:

1 / 21

Dior et Moi emerald and malachite ring

Dior et Moi Tribales emerald and malachite earrings

Dior et Moi pink sapphire and pink opal ring

Dior et Moi Tribales pink sapphire and pink opal earrings

Dior et Moi sapphire and lapis lazuli ring

Dior et Moi Tribales sapphire and lapis lazuli earrings

Dior et Moi blue-green tourmaline and turquoise double ring

Dior et Moi Tribales white opal and blue-green tourmaline earrings

Dior et Moi rubellite bracelet

Dior et Moi black opal and emerald necklace