In 2002, the enigmatic Paris-based jeweller, Joel Arthur Rosenthal, better known as JAR, staged an exhibition in London’s Somerset House. He insisted the jewels be displayed in the pitch dark, with visitors given a torch to illuminate each piece, which then magically came to life in the beam of light.
How to do justice to some of the world’s most dazzling jewels has long taxed curators. “When all’s said and done,” says architect Sanjit Manku, “it’s still metal and rocks transformed into something far greater than the sum of its parts, overlaid with fanciful, emotional, joyful art.”
The Jouin Manku agency is the sultan of space – transforming flagship luxury stores, three-star dining rooms, private residences, hotels and exhibitions into immersive dreamscapes. Jewellery is one of its most challenging subjects.…
