Madonna knows a thing or two about breaking boundaries.
Over a four-decade career, the Holiday singer has delighted in being unpredictable, shocking and even downright scandalous at times. From her fearless approach to self-expression to her sense of fashion, the Queen of Pop has always pushed the envelope.
It makes sense, then, that Madonna, 67, would wear a one-of-a-kind diamond necklace and bracelet to a nightclub.
At the London party to announce her new Confessions II album, the star took to the stage donning the sparkling pieces created by Lebanese jewellery house Mouawad.
She teamed these with a pink latex corset and long fuchsia gloves, which called to mind her look in the 1985 video for Material Girl. The video itself was an homage to Marilyn Monroe singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from the 1953 musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
While the Material Girl pieces were costume jewellery, worth little despite their glamorous look, the pieces from Mouawad's Majestic Suite are distinctive for each being designed around a central, pear-cut, D-flawless diamond.
The Majestic set, comprising the necklace and bracelet, as well as a ring and pair of drop earrings, nods to Regency-era design codes.
No two pieces are the same, and the complete set contains 274 carats of diamonds. Utilising different cuts and setting techniques, each stone is painstakingly matched for colour and clarity.
Founded in Beirut in 1890, Mouawad was launched by David Daoud Mouawad. What began as a small workshop in the Lebanese capital has grown into a global brand with headquarters in Geneva and a flagship boutique in Dubai. The house also has boutiques in London, Bangkok, Jeddah, Riyadh, Manama, Muscat, Doha and Los Angeles.
High jewellery, by definition, represents one-of-a-kind pieces, prices for which are rarely divulged.
The pieces that Madonna appeared in at Magazine London club in Greenwich would have taken a skilled artisan tens, if not hundreds of hours to handmake.
Teaming the jewels with a pink latex corset is not a choice many would make, yet it proves that while Madonna may be approaching her 70th birthday, she still has the instincts to shock.
