Four years after the 1892 death of Louis Vuitton, who had built his humble trunk-making business into a Victorian-era colossus, his son, Georges, created a repeating quatrefoil motif to distinguish the brand’s canvas-and- leather goods from widespread copies. Combining medieval simplicity, neo-Gothic refinement and the tasteful Japonisme of the time, the four-pointed mark continues to adorn the maison’s designs today, including collaborations with the architect Frank Gehry and the artists Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. Now, Francesca Amfitheatrof, the artistic director of watches and jewellery at Louis Vuitton, has found a new way to express the symbol’s enduring power: an elaborate proprietary diamond cut, as seen in this dazzling white-gold- and-platinum bejewelled collar. Set directly above the brilliant centre emerald, among 51 other custom-cut diamonds, the many-faceted, two- carat flower is a subtle yet dynamic sign that the historic house refuses to remain stuck in place.
