Backes & Strauss, and Gemfields, the leading supplier of responsibly sourced coloured gemstones, partner to create a diamond and emerald ‘pièce unique’ watch for Harrods’ Biennale des Antiquaires.
The Harrods Princess, made exclusively for the famed luxury department store, is hand-set with 80 Gemfields Zambian emeralds and 241 natural diamonds for a total of 23.5 carats and will be unveiled at Harrods in the Fine Watch Room for the Biennale des Antiquaires exhibition.
The pièce unique was crafted in Switzerland, each Gemfields emerald has been carefully selected, and cut specifically for the Harrods Princess, ensuring depth and consistency of colour, combined with Backes & Strauss’ signature diamonds. The white gold case is set with Ideal Cut diamonds to match the dial, and a beautifully engineered bracelet created from a series of hand-crafted links adorned with a further 136 diamonds and emeralds, alone weighing 18.6 carats.
Ian Harebottle, CEO, Gemfields, “It gives me great pleasure to see our Zambian emeralds being used in such diverse ways and set by such fine craftsmen and who are so clearly able to showcase the inherent value contained within each and every gemstone. As a watch enthusiast myself, I am envious of the lucky woman who will have the pleasure of wearing such an exquisite and rare timepiece and look forward to creating future masterpieces with a company as highly regarded as Backes & Strauss.”
Exceptional in every detail, the Harrods Princess is recognisable due to its unique and elegant design. A part of the Princess collection, it draws its inspiration from the Blue Velvet suite and the Red Rose drawing room at Carlton House, the palatial London residence of the Prince Regent, gifted to him in 1783 by his father, George III, to mark his coming of age.
“We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Gemfields. Backes & Strauss uses only the finest natural conflict free diamonds and it was of the utmost importance for us to find an equally discerning partner. Their Zambian emeralds are among the finest responsibly sourced coloured gemstones and the perfect complement to create the Harrods Princess. This ‘pièce unique’ underlines our credentials as bespoke craftsmen ready to rise to the challenges of our most demanding clients,” comments Vartkess Knadjian, CEO, Backes & Strauss.
