Piaget unveils a new Sunlight pendant to mark UAE National Day

In gold, white and green, the piece pays homage to the region's eternal sunshine

The new Middle East exclusive Sunlight pendant by Piaget. Photo: Piaget

Ahead of the UAE’s National Day celebrations, jewellery house Piaget has created a special new Sunlight pendant for the region.

The new piece is exclusive to the Middle East and features tones of white and green, echoing the colours of the UAE flag. In addition, the green was chosen for its association with good fortune, fertility and peace. The sun motif, meanwhile, pays homage to the region's eternal sunshine.

The first Sunlight jewellery collection was launched in 2017 to salute what the company describes as the "life, brilliance and joy" of sunshine, and to capture the "radiance, optimism and lively spirit" of light.

Like the other Sunlight pendants, it takes inspiration from our nearest star, captured in a central disc, surrounded with bursts of sunrays. Made in 18K rose gold, it is covered in 147 white diamonds (about 2.33 carats) that fill the central space in a snow setting.

Invented by Jaeger-LeCoultre, a snow setting is a technique that involves mixing stones of different sizes together, in a painstaking and difficult process. The result should feel charmingly random, rather like the way snow falls (hence the name) while leaving as little metal exposed as possible.

Piaget has also used the "camaieu" technique, where different shades of the same colour are used to give the piece radiance, allowing for a subtle shift of light to dance across the surface.

Around this disc, sunrays made of white diamonds and 22 emeralds (0.32 carats) fan out to create overlaying triangles around most of the pendant. Only the top is left unadorned, to offer a visual pause and allow space for the chain. The pendant is 30mm by 32mm.

It joins the other pieces in the family, in a range of colours, from white diamonds to green malachite and yellow gold, and even white opal with rose gold.

Founded in 1874, Piaget is a high jewellery house known for its bold use of colour and for the ultra-thin watch movement that lies at the heart of its Altiplano collection that launched in the late 1950s.