Style Edit: L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific launches Discover the Diamond: Art and Science programme
The programme runs until April at the jewellery school’s Hong Kong campus in K11 Musea, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels – here’s what to know
For Olivier Segura, managing director of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts’ Hong Kong campus, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, diamonds don’t just help tell a love story – they can shape them, fostering an appreciation for the passage of time, the importance of lasting connection, and all the things that make us human. “One life is not enough to create one piece of jewellery,” he explains. “You have a diamond buyer, the designer, the diamond cutter, the jeweller, the polisher, the setter. All these people have trained all their life for this one gesture … We, modestly, try to bring this knowledge [and] respect for the art, the craftsmen, to the audience.”
“We really feel here a great passion to understand jewellery,” says Segura. “There’s great synergy, because Hong Kong has a lot to offer in terms of interest and audience, and also production. We have a lot of designers and jewellers here, so there’s a community of professionals and students also.”
Getting audiences face to face with artists and historians who have devoted their lives to diamonds in one way or another, Discover the Diamond: Art and Science – which runs from now until April 30, 2026 – explores the full life cycle of a singular stone while bringing L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific’s mission full circle, too. “We cover the knowledge of diamonds from the mines to the finished pieces, from the history of the antique diamonds, the symbolism, to the craftsmanship,” Segura says. “Even for myself in the industry, we don’t usually have access to this savoir faire and gemmology … [it’s] a complete 360-degree experience in-house, also thanks to some partners outside the campus.”
True to L’ÉCOLE’s inclusive spirit, the programme runs the gamut of interactive education and strives to be as widely appealing as possible. A new course centred on the study of the Lesotho Legend (shown left), a whopping 910-carat diamond discovered in the African country in 2018, is aimed at aspiring archaeologists and gemologists. Other highlights include a diamond-themed workshop for children, as well as a screening of Titanic for cinephiles at nearby K11 Art House, and field trips to Diamond Hill for urbanites keen to explore more of their home city – both free of charge. The L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific campus will also host a free condensed session, Exploration Days of Diamond, on November 29, open to jewellery enthusiasts of all ages.