The high jewelers of Paris opened their doors on a fantastic world. It included Boucheron’s collection of pavé-work masks, of diamond “Water World” drops and of Elvis sparkling in Las Vegas. The 20 pieces, inspired by Cirque du Soleil performances, were bought by Guy Laliberté, the group’s Canadian founder, to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
 
The necklaces — each a meld of imagination and craftsmanship — also will be sold to private clients, who can choose among the different continuing spectacles. Perhaps only an aficionado of the Cirque’s shows could read the origin of the fiery wings of a mythical sapphire lizard. But any jewelry lover would see the emotion in the energetic colors and shapes.
 
Butterflies were the message from Van Cleef & Arpels, whose incandescent winged insects nested on flower-patterned walls or hung inside a cage, the better to see the transparent wings.
 
The sophistication of the work moved the multi-jeweled collection beyond entomological studies or just pretty things. Some butterflies incorporated the message of metamorphosis in their half-open wings. Stanislas de Quercize, the company’s chief executive, also referred to the underlying sensuality, epitomized by the author Vladimir Nabokov and his dual fascination with butterflies and young girls.
 
Without contemplating the myths behind the winged treasures, a trellis of sapphires in different shades of blue and mauve made a stunning display.
 
The bee that is the Chaumet symbol has never looked so sophisticated than in the honey-colored stones of a ring or in the malleable arms of a jeweled bracelet. Taking nature beyond mere representation, the house turned reality into artistic objects — a process akin to the way that couture inspirations morph into high fashion.