"High Line: jewelry meets eyewear

When two Maisons where excellence is the watchword meet and seek a point of convergence between the work of one and that of the other, an original object is born.

Ludovic Elens, founder of Lunetier Ludovic, and Moïse Mann, Manalys jeweller, were destined to meet. The reputation of these two exceptional craftsmen is well established, and each in his own field, they cultivate high standards, tradition, know-how, quality and, sometimes, a little bit of madness that makes all the difference and allows them to step out of their comfort zone. This is undoubtedly what led them to imagine an object that perfectly expresses the talent of each of them. A pair of resolutely jeweled eyeglasses. An original piece called High Line that will appeal to lovers of beautiful frames as much as to those who appreciate the art of jewelry. The starting point is the drawing, an essential step in analysing proportions, imagining the perfect shape and already grasping the place of the setting. Then come the first acetate prototypes to visualise the piece in three dimensions. The two craftsmen speak the same language and comply with each other's technical imperatives. The weight of the object is one of the factors to be mastered. The glasses must be easy to wear. Next comes the choice of material. For Ludovic, it's important to choose a noble material that perfectly matches the precious stones selected by Manalys. This was to be domestic Indian buffalo horn. They had to find the best way to marry it to the metal required by the jeweller. But those are well-kept secrets!

16-hand glasses

Of course, everything was manufactured in the Brussels workshops of Lunetier Ludovic and Manalys. It took over six months to finalise the piece. It's a masterpiece that's been thought through to the smallest detail!

While Ludovic Elens and Moïse Mann conceived the idea and developed it further, eight other craftsmen from their respective teams contributed their know-how to the creation and realisation of this exceptional piece.

A first opus for gentlemen

"When we make an object, we naturally think of a customer, someone we can imagine wearing it. In fact, we've tested the glasses by virtually placing them on different faces. Unlike other crafts, we have the chance to meet with the end customer. We'll know who's bought it and who's going to wear it," explains Moïse Mann. This time, the piece was created for a man. A true signature for the man who will have the pleasure of acquiring it.

An infinitely adaptable idea

While this first single piece is very geometric, very structured, the two Maisons are already imagining a thousand and one territories to explore. Why not create a more organic piece? Just one of many possibilities. Ludovic also talks about wood: "As eyewear craftsmen, we work with different materials. Our part is the object, which can be made of wood, solid gold, horn...". Moïse is already imagining other decors: "This time, we chose diamonds, but next time, at the request of a customer, we might favor colored stones and even play with white, yellow or pink gold." The future is sure to hold more wonderful surprises!

This pair of "High Line" sunglasses has been crafted from domestic Indian water buffalo horn. The high-end lenses are tinted 75% gray (category 4) with an anti-reflective coating on the inner base of the lens. This frame is adaptable to both optical corrective and solar lenses.

Components: 32 g white gold (18K), 206 brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 3.37 carats