Coco Chanel's passion for fabulous jewels, for exceptional stones, and forimprobable marvels produced pieces that were unparalleled in their insistenceon luxury and refinement. Drawing inspiration from tradition, Chanelwas never the slave of everyday formulas or market values. Yet she reinventedtradition in the most arresting and modern jewelry pieces, based on herlove of color and her assured command of austere classical beauty.Chanel was a creature of contrasts: there was the Chanel of sumptuousbaroque, of rococo mirrors and dazzling, playful, unrestrained jewelry; andthere was the Chanel of the utmost restraint, of classicism<em> à la française</em>.Out of this dialogue between ostentation and austerity, the jewelry thatChanel created throughout her long career has been celebrated in manyrevivals of her exceptional taste.From the direct re-creations of the 1932 Collection to the newest interpretationsof comets and stars, plumes and feathers, and Chanel's signatureflower, the camellia, this book is true to the spirit of her enterprise. Classicimages from the archives combine with exciting new photography to bringold and new together.