Studio and Boutique Tours

Chanel’s Jewelry Boutique Looks Like Coco’s Paris Apartment

The two-story flagship on Fifth Avenue features the designer’s favorite things

by Marion Fasel

February 9, 2024—Today in New York a new Chanel Fine Jewelry & Watch boutique throws open its doors. Located at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in the Crown Building, Chanel joins the big-name jewelers clustered around the intersection—Bulgari, Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels—not to mention all the jewelry labels overflowing in the cases on the first floor of Bergdorf Goodman.

In order to shine bright in the dazzling neighborhood, Chanel pulled out all the stops for its two-story boutique. New York-based architect Peter Marino, who remarkably is also responsible for the design of Bulgari and the Tiffany Landmark not to mention the Louis Vuitton store in the luxury district, found his main sources of inspiration for the Chanel boutique in Coco Chanel’s apartment at 31 Rue Cambon which is essentially around the corner from the Place Vendôme where she kept a suite at The Ritz.

Details cribbed from the apartment, which looks the same now as it did when the designer died in 1971, infuse the store with a glamorous sense of coziness.

The décor provided a vocabulary of design that’s as rich as Chanel’s signature creations for her company like the little black dress, the two tone shoes, the tweed suit skirts and the list goes on.

Find out about the details and see some of the brand ambassadors who helped celebrate the new store in Chanel diamond jewels below.

The Beaux-Arts inspired architecture of the Crown Building, built in 1921, frames the grooved black granite and bronze screens on the iron and glass façade of the Chanel Watch & Fine Jewelry boutique.

The gold and black palette of the boutique are the same color scheme in Coco Chanel’s Rue Cambon apartment.

Rock crystal, one of the designer’s favorite materials, appears in various places like the Dream Catcher chandeliers by the goldsmith Goosens. Fine art, antiques, custom made furniture can be found throughout the boutique.

Coco Chanel was fascinated by astrology and celebrated her astrological sign Leo with lions throughout her apartment. I remember an expressive small painting of a lion head in a Rococo style frame on a table, when I had the chance to tour the property several years ago,

Lions have been part of Chanel’s contemporary diamond jewelry collections in 2013 and 2018. In celebration of the New York boutique another lion line dubbed “Lion Solaire de CHANEL” is making its debut.

While the staircase leading to the mezzanine floor at the boutique may not be facetted and mirrored like the famous one in Chanel’s apartment, it still reminds me of it.

The New York staircase has a custom balustrade crafted from 24-karat gold framed plates of rock crystal by Goossens.

One of the salons at the Chanel Jewelry boutique features a light brown sofa, Coromandel-style wall finish reminiscent of design details in Chanel’s apartment.

It is believed the stars in Coco Chanel’s first diamond jewelry collection launched in 1933 were inspired by the constellation mosaic on the floor of the orphanage where she grew up.

The motif appears in jewels on display in the boutique like the Fil De Comète Necklace worn by America Ferrera at the opening party.

Beyond the gold and black color scheme in the watch salon, the bookshelves seem like they could be a hat tip to the library in Chanel’s apartment.

In celebration of the boutique opening Chanel has put the 55.55 High Jewelry Patrimoine necklace on display.

Made in 2021 to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Chanel No. 5, the center diamond for the jewel was cut from a rough to the exact carat weight of 55.55-carats. It’s almost impossible to comprehend all the variables that went into the achievement from finding a large enough rough to cutting it to such exacting specifications. To make matters more amazing the color grade on the emerald cut stone is D Flawless. The gem is set in a necklace with 104 round diamonds and 42 baguettes.

The jewel is not for sale. It is part of Chanel’s archival collection exhibited as an example of the expertise of the House in the High Jewelry arena. It makes a convincing case (if any evidence was needed) that Chanel will be holding its own in the neighborhood among the other historic companies.

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