Dior has taken its high jewellery storytelling to Venice, unveiling the Diorissima collection for 2026 in a setting that aligns with its theme. Presented this May under the direction of Victoire de Castellane, Artistic Director of Dior Joaillerie since 1999, the collection uses nature, colour and fantasy as its starting point, then pushes them into something more constructed and theatrical.
Diorissima follows a three-part journey featuring gardens, underwater landscapes and celestial scenes. The opening section focuses on botanical forms, with clover, wisteria and fruit motifs translated into layered gemstone compositions. Rather than realistic floral renderings, the designs use a collage-like approach, building texture and movement through colour and shape. Bright greens and opalescent tones set the visual direction.
The middle chapter shifts into an aquatic world, where coral forms, fish and bubble-like details are interpreted through saturated blues and turquoise.
One of the key pieces in this section is the Récif Fleuri necklace, centred on a 10.27-carat pear-cut blue sapphire. The design incorporates more than 1,300 stones and required over 2,100 hours of craftsmanship. It also highlights Dior’s use of lacquer to create depth and a water-like finish.
The final section moves into a celestial theme, with suns, eclipses and cloud-inspired forms. Yellow diamonds, layered stones and lacquer effects are used to suggest movement and light, with contrasting tones creating a sense of scale within compact designs. The approach continues the collection’s focus on transformation rather than literal representation.
Across the collection, Castellane’s design language is consistent: strong colour contrasts, layered construction and an approach influenced by collage.
References to modern art, including figures such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, are reflected in the way gemstones are assembled and offset rather than symmetrically set. The result is a visual structure that prioritises composition over uniformity.
Craftsmanship is central to the collection’s execution. Dior’s ateliers use techniques such as the doublet method, layering gemstones to intensify colour and depth, alongside lacquer work that shifts between opacity and transparency.
The scale of Diorissima allows for a wide range of jewellery forms, including necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, brooches, ear cuffs and hair accessories. Despite the variety, the collection unifies through its emphasis on colour-driven design and layered construction rather than traditional sets or single-stone focus.
Venice plays a key role in shaping the presentation. The city’s influence is reflected in the collection’s transitions between garden greens, canal blues and sky tones, while the launch event at the Palazzo del Casinò added a theatrical backdrop to the reveal.
Key highlights include the Glycines necklace, designed to echo cascading wisteria and set with thousands of stones and 12 pink spinels, and the Sunset earrings, which combine a central yellow diamond with pearls, turquoise beads and lacquer to evoke a horizon line.
Together, the pieces underline Dior’s focus on jewellery as structured storytelling, combining technical precision with visual experimentation.
