Chaumet’s Joséphine Collection Reimagines the Power of an Icon

Some jewellery is designed to be admired. Other pieces become part of the way a woman presents herself.

That distinction sits at the heart of Chaumet’s Joséphine collection, which returns in September 2026 with a fresh selection of jewellery and a renewed take on the codes that have defined one of the maison’s most recognisable collections.

Inspired by Joséphine, Empress of the French and one of the most influential women of her era, the collection has never been about simply recreating the past. Instead, it takes the qualities associated with its namesake — independence, confidence, character and a distinct sense of style — and translates them into jewellery for the women of today.

This time, those familiar codes appear with a more contemporary attitude.

The Woman Behind the Name

Long before her name became synonymous with one of Chaumet’s signature collections, Joséphine was known for having a style of her own.

The former Empress was portrayed by the maison as a free spirit, fashion icon and woman of character — independent, avant-garde and confident in her choices. It is precisely this sense of individuality that continues to shape the Joséphine collection.

Chaumet describes its latest creations as pieces for the “Joséphines of today”: women who want their jewellery to reflect their personality rather than dictate it.

And that idea becomes particularly apparent in the way the new pieces are intended to be worn.

Jewellery Without a Rulebook

The latest Chaumet Joséphine jewellery is designed with layering and stacking in mind.

Rings can be combined for a more pronounced look, pendants and earrings can be mixed across different variations, and asymmetry becomes part of the styling rather than something to avoid. The result is jewellery that feels less prescriptive and more personal.

It is a natural evolution for a collection built around a woman who was known for her own taste.

Two motifs remain central to the Joséphine identity: the pear shape and the distinctive V-shaped aigrette.

The aigrette was a type of hair ornament featuring a spray of gemstones worn across the forehead. Chaumet transforms that historical reference into tapered V-shaped lines that appear throughout the collection, while the pear motif continues to provide one of its most recognisable signatures.

Rather than leaving these elements untouched, the maison continues to reinterpret them with a contemporary eye.

The Art of the Stack

One of the more compelling aspects of the new collection is its approach to stacking.

The Joséphine rings are particularly suited to this way of wearing jewellery, allowing individual pieces to build into something more expressive. A ring can remain delicate on its own or become considerably bolder when paired with others.

The Joséphine High Jewellery parure takes this idea further, with slender pavé diamond bands intertwining and overlapping to create an openwork bracelet that follows the contours of the wrist. Pear-shaped brilliant-cut diamonds punctuate the design, contributing to the trompe-l’œil effect for which the maison is known.

It is jewellery that rewards looking twice.

From a distance, the forms appear light and fluid. Closer inspection reveals the precision of the construction and the way individual elements intersect.

Diamonds, Pearls and a Touch of Blue

The collection also moves beyond diamonds alone.

A Triomphe de Chaumet ring is finished with a delicate sapphire, bringing together two of the maison's signature elements: the pear shape and its emblematic blue.

Elsewhere, new Joséphine rings appear in rose gold, including a pavé diamond design centred around a 0.5-carat pear-cut diamond.

The choice of rose gold gives the otherwise familiar silhouette a warmer character, while its proportions make it particularly suited to pairing with other pieces from the collection.

Akoya pearls also enter the conversation.

New Joséphine pendants and earrings are offered in rose and white gold, with variations featuring Akoya pearls as well as designs where the V shape is emphasised through polished gold beads set against diamond pavé.

The contrast is subtle but effective: the softness of the pearl, the brilliance of the diamonds and the reflective quality of polished gold create different textures within the same visual language.

When High Jewellery Meets Everyday Style

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the new Chaumet Joséphine collection is that it does not treat elegance as something rigid.

The new Joséphine earrings, for instance, take a more graphic direction, with clean lines and textured relief pavé on white gold. Their design echoes the aesthetic of a coordinating necklace, giving the pieces a distinctly modern quality.

Meanwhile, the Joséphine watch takes the collection beyond jewellery in the traditional sense.

Combining rose gold and steel, the watch introduces a more relaxed interpretation of the collection's codes. Its white dial is encircled by diamonds and faceted to recall the shape of a pear cut, bringing the signature motif into a timepiece that feels polished without being overly formal.

It is an especially fitting addition to a collection centred on personal style: jewellery, after all, does not need to be reserved for an occasion.

A Legacy Rewritten for Now

The Joséphine collection has always had history behind it, but its latest chapter is less interested in nostalgia than it is in interpretation.

The pear shape remains. The V-shaped aigrette remains. Diamonds, pearls, sapphire, rose gold and white gold continue to give the collection its unmistakable identity.

What changes is how those elements are allowed to live together.

A pendant can be worn alone or layered. Rings can be stacked. Earrings can be mismatched. Rose gold can sit alongside white gold. A watch can carry the same visual language as a piece of fine jewellery.

There is no single way to wear Joséphine — and that may be exactly the point.

For a collection inspired by a woman remembered for her character and independence, the freedom to make the jewellery one's own feels less like a styling suggestion and more like a continuation of the story.

Chaumet’s Joséphine collection will be available from September 2026.