It all began with an irregularly shaped pearl. Apple-round at its crown, then progressively tapered towards its base, the pearl resembled a light-bulb, its lustrous shade of pale gray with a bluish tinge further accentuating the likeliness. Too small to be on a necklace and too unique to be a set of earrings, it became an octopus.

This spectacular, tentacular, sapphire-studded octopus broach signed by Marchak was recently on display at the Aaron Farber Gallery, where ten of France’s most elite and original créateurs displayed their latest oeuvres.

Gallery visitors were invited to admire the jewels and to delight in their sumptuous stones while chatting with the jewellery designers and revelling in the stories behind their creations. The majority of the pieces on display were unique, each with a tale of the inspiration behind it.

Philippe Tournaire, for example, displayed watches from the “Doors of Time” collection, whose design incorporates elements from as far back as the last ice age. With faces fashioned from mammoth-ivory, Tournaire’s watches are flanked by 18-carat gold carvings that represent the symbols of the world’s greatest civilizations: Doric Columns, Roman arches, Incan doorways, Stonehenge, Persepolis, Mycenae...Quite curiously but perhaps not accidentally, the Incan door resembles an Ethernet port, perhaps a subtle suggestion another august civilization is upon us?

Hovig Khorchidian of Loris Paris was also in the gallery, sharing the story behind “la bague passion,” his favourite ring in the collection. Perhaps the most eloquent way to express to a woman that she has you wrapped around her finger, this ring is a diamond-studded man’s tie that coils around the finger.

For those who prefer to express their sentiments more discreetly, there was the Waskoll heart pendant necklace inscribed with love poems personally composed by Cyril Waskoll in a Nerudian flash just two minutes before they were sent to the engraver.  

Movement was en vogue, as witnessed by the Alain Roure “Stairway to Heaven” ring, a series of cascading diamonds so fluidly arranged they resembled a miniature Iguazu. Likewise, Jean-Marc Garel displayed “Envol,” a weightless diamond pendulum that appeared poised to take flight with the slightest brush of air…and quite appropriately, given the jewels’ subsequent trunk show appearance in the Windy City.