Noël — La Parure (8 Plates)

A young woman turned three-quarters to the light, cropped close enough that the picture becomes her jewels: garnets clustered at the ear, a beaded collar at the throat, a sliver of white lace below. A parure is a matched set of jewels, worn together and meant to be noticed. Cropping the portrait this tightly does what the jeweller intended — the red catches first, the face second. Set it out in December and the garnets read as holiday; set it out in June and they read as a portrait. Available in 9″ dinner and 7″ salad or dessert sizes, with a coordinating bowl. Eight plates.