From Vine to Stone: An Evening with Perrier-Jouët and IVAR Fine Jewelry

Inside the crystalline elegance of the Petit Salon at Baccarat Hotel New York, Perrier-Jouët and IVAR Fine Jewelry joined forces for an intimate master-class style experience exploring their shared language of craft. As part of Facets of Nature, their Spring gathering invited guests to explore color, craftsmanship, and sensory expression through a thoughtful pairing of Champagne and fine jewelry. Founded in 1811, Perrier-Jouët is celebrated for its floral, Chardonnay-driven champagnes shaped by a deep reverence for nature, while IVAR Fine Jewelry is known for its meticulous craftsmanship and expressive use of rare gemstones. 

Guided by Sarai Shivana, General Manager of IVAR Fine Jewelry, and Natalie Hayes, Cellar Specialist and Brand Ambassador for Perrier-Jouët, guests moved through Champagne’s hues, aromas, and textures alongside gemstone palettes, discovering how raw elements of the natural world are transformed through time, artistry, and generations of expertise. From vineyard to cellar and stone to setting, their conversation revealed a shared devotion to heritage and the careful balance between honoring tradition and evolving for the present. Behind every cuvée and every jewel lies a story shaped slowly guided by nature, craft, and the hands that carry these legacies forward.

Behind the Details with Perrier-Jouët and IVAR Fine Jewelry: A Conversation with Sarai Shivana and Natalie Hayes

Both Perrier-Jouët and IVAR are rooted in longstanding traditions of craft. How has your heritage shaped the way you approach your work today?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: Our heritage has taught us that luxury is built slowly, through mastery, restraint, and intention. At IVAR, tradition isn’t about repeating the past; it’s about understanding it enough to evolve it with contemporary vision.The techniques, materials, and artisanal values that shaped our origins continue to guide every decision we make today—from how we design, to how we source, to how we work with craftsmen.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: Since our founding in 1811, Perrier-Jouët has been guided by a deep connection to art and nature. Our founders were passionate botanists, and their sensitivity to the natural world established the floral elegance that defines our House today. That heritage continues to shape how we work. Rather than simply preserving tradition, we approach it as a living philosophy. One that encourages creativity and respect for the vineyard in each and every cuvée.

In Champagne and in fine jewelry, time is not just a measure, it’s an ingredient. How does patience influence your creative process, from vineyard to bottle or from stone to setting?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: In both Champagne and fine jewelry, time is what allows character to emerge. Patience gives materials the space to reveal their  nature, whether that’s a grape developing complexity over seasons, or a stone slowly finding its perfect setting. We don’t always set the stones we source immediately or force a design on it, because we believe that eventually the gemstone will find it’s place in the perfect piece. In that sense, time is a collaborator. It refines decisions and sharpens intuition.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: The most important ingredient in Champagne is time itself. Our vines grow slowly in the vineyard followed by extended aging in our underground chalk cellars. Patience allows complexity and elegance to emerge naturally with each of our cuvees unfolding with harmony and precision.

Every great house is built on transmission, knowledge passed from one generation to the next. What traditions or techniques remain unchanged within your Maison, and why are they essential to preserve?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: We continue to rely on time-honored techniques in our handcrafted jewelry, traditional goldsmithing methods like the setting and use of polki diamonds, the use of enamel and in our take on traditional forms of jewelry, such as the Charu ring. All the shapes and techniques, passed down through generations of artisans have an important role in the development of all our collections.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: One of the defining traditions of Perrier-Jouët is our devotion to Chardonnay. For generations, it has been the grape that shapes the elegance and floral character of our champagnes. In 214 years, our house has had only eight cellar masters, with each Chef de Cave holding the title for an average of 30 years. The knowledge passed down preserves the intuition and craftsmanship that define the House.

Perrier-Jouët is known for its devotion to terroir, and IVAR for its reverence for gemstones. How do you honor the natural material while still leaving your own creative signature upon it?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: When working with gemstones it is important to keep in mind that every stone has distinct characteristics, histories and also limits. Understanding what those are for each stone is an integral part of how we set those gemstones. Honoring the material means allowing its natural qualities to lead the design: its color, cut, weight, and even its imperfections inform every decision. Our creative signature emerges not by overpowering the stone, but by framing it so its individuality is amplified.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: For us, honoring the natural material begins with caring for the living ecosystem that produces it. Through regenerative viticulture, we work to restore soil vitality and encourage biodiversity so the terroir can express itself fully. Our role is not to impose, but to guide. By nurturing the health of the vineyard and respecting the natural growth of the vines, we allow the grapes to reveal their character. That expression is then carefully interpreted through the winemaking of our Cellar Master, Séverine Frerson, the first woman to hold this role at the House.

With houses that carry such rich histories, how do you balance honoring tradition while continuing to evolve for a contemporary audience?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: At IVAR, we see heritage as a foundation, not a framework that confines us. The values that shaped the Maison—craftsmanship, precision, and respect for material—remain constant, even as the expressions change. We honor tradition by preserving what is essential: the traditional techniques, the time we devote to each piece and the quality of the gemstones. At the same time, we evolve by responding to how people live today through cleaner lines, lighter forms, and a more intuitive relationship with jewelry that reflects modern sensibilities.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: For us, tradition provides the foundation, while creativity keeps it alive. We remain faithful to the floral elegance that defines our champagnes while continuing to engage with the contemporary world. Each year the House collaborates with artists inspired by nature, reflecting the same botanical sensitivity that has shaped Perrier Jouët since its founding. These collaborations offer new creative interpretations of our heritage and allow us to connect our history with a modern audience while staying true to the natural inspiration at the heart of the Maison.

When guests experience your work in an intimate setting like this one, what do you hope they understand about the generations of expertise and intention behind what they are tasting or wearing?

Sarai, IVAR Fine Jewelry: I hope guests understand that true luxury is not about excess or immediacy. It’s about care, continuity, and respect for craft. When you experience it up close, you’re not just engaging with an object, you're stepping into a story that has been patiently, and purposefully, built over time. In a setting like this, I hope guests feel the quiet depth behind what they’re experiencing. Whether they’re tasting or wearing something, it’s not just the final moment that matters, it’s the accumulation of time, knowledge, and intention that led there.
Natalie, Perrier-Jouët: We hope guests feel that what they are tasting carries a deeper story. Each glass reflects generations of knowledge, from the care of the vines to the patience of aging in the cellar. In an intimate setting, that history becomes more tangible. Through the storytelling of our East Coast Brand Ambassador, Natalie Hayes, a Certified Sommelier, deeply passionate about the heritage of Perrier-Jouët, guests experience not just the champagne itself, but the time, craftsmanship, and intention behind it.