Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012

by Jim Mamoulides, December 26, 2012

Montblanc launches bejewelled collections inspired by the life of Princess Grace of Monaco - A global celebration of style, charisma and the preciousness of beauty

Monaco, a tiny country located on the French Riviera with an area of only .76 square miles, is the second smallest country in the world, and yet was the adopted homeland of one of the brightest stars from Hollywood's Golden Age, Academy Award winning actress Grace Kelly. She was the star who became the fairytale princess.

Monaco is a charming place, located east of Nice, France and only ten miles from Italy, and blessed with a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. It's a place where the wealthy come to play, where Bentleys are as common as Chevrolets in the USA, where huge yachts and cruise ships dock at its harbor, and where the hotels are exclusive and expensive.

Monaco is also a charming place to visit and while exploring one can't help but see the impact that Princess Grace still has.

Following is the official press release from Montblanc, including the sections relevant to the pens in the collection:

In an ambitious contemporary creative project that crosses design disciplines and brings together all the facets of the brand’s renowned expertise, Montblanc celebrates the life and style of the late Princess Grace of Monaco with a collection of Watches, High Jewellery and Fine Jewellery and Writing Instruments.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition ballpoint pen cap top detail

A true icon of the 20th century, Grace Kelly, who became H.S.H. Princess Grace, is remembered and revered for her classic beauty and her inimitable style, both effortless and timeless. Far more than mere surface style, it was an innate elegance, an integral part of her character, touching every aspect of her life and work. Elegance that shone out through her talent as an Oscar-winning actress, through her indefatigable charity work, her commitment to family and her ongoing, lifelong support for emerging artistic talent. This style and spirit, charisma and compassion are now distilled into a dramatic series or “family” of precious, hand-crafted collections of High Jewellery and Fine Jewellery, Watches and Writing Instruments. The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco is the most refined ever crafted in Montblanc’s own ateliers. Every detail of design and artisanship is inspired by and imbued with the Princess’s serene sophistication, poise, pursuit of perfection, her values and philosophy. The exquisite and emotive leitmotif linking all four collections is the rose: Princess Grace’s favourite flower, quintessentially feminine, an emblem of romance, passion and beauty.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition fountain pen

Specifically, Montblanc has drawn on the Grace de Monaco rose, which was created in 1956, to mark the occasion of her fairytale marriage to H.S.H. Prince Rainier. The wedding was the culmination of a much-talked about whirlwind romance between the Prince and the movie-star, following their meeting the previous year at the Cannes film festival. In 1984, Prince Rainier inaugurated a magnificent rose garden, in the Fontvieille Park in Monaco, fragrant with the scent of some 4000 roses, both American and European species in homage to the Princess’s heritage and her great love of the rose.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition rollerball pen

Montblanc honours a Precious Beauty

The carefully considered and artfully conceived collections – High Jewellery, Fine Jewellery, Timepieces and Writing Instruments – are timelessly contemporary and global and universal in their appeal, underlining Montblanc’s status as a truly international luxury brand. All exude a vivacious femininity and a spirit of freedom balanced by an understated elegance, the hallmark of Princess Grace’s unforgettable style. Distinctive characteristics run through all four collections: a depth of meaning and profound emotion, dynamism of design and exquisite refinement of details. The rose petal, ravishingly romantic and evocatively emblematic, an allusive feature in so many fairytales, is re-imagined in precious materials, gold, diamonds and petal-shaped sapphires of a meltingly sweet and tender pink, the colour of the Grace de Monaco rose. Each piece in each of the four collections – many of them one of a kind or limited editions – is hand-crafted to the highest standards for which Montblanc is renowned.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition ballpoint pen

The drop-cut pink sapphire highlights the Montblanc Writing Instruments, diamond scattered, the pen clip and cap top designed to echo the curvaceous V- shaped neckline of a black velvet dress worn by the Princess in a celebrated photograph, Prince Albert’s favourite image of his mother. The quality and detailing, the hallmarks of the world-famous Montblanc pen, are taken to a new level; champagne coloured gold fittings, rubies cut in a rhombus-shape taken from the Grimaldi coat-of-arms, and the 18 carat gold nib with a heart-shaped opening. The purple precious lacquer of the Special Edition conjures the majesty of the Monegasque royal family.

Montblanc and Monaco

The Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco collections have evolved as part of an ongoing highly privileged relationship between Montblanc and the Principality of Monaco. The connection began in 2007 with the world premiere of the Montblanc Prince Rainier III Limited Edition 81, a supremely crafted and original skeletonized fountain pen created to celebrate the life of the late Prince Rainier. Montblanc donated half of the proceeds from sales of the pen to the Princess Grace Foundation, supporting artistic and cultural projects. In July 2011, Montblanc was honoured with a commission to design and create a sumptuously precious and bejewelled white gold writing instrument adorned with 161 rubies and 128 diamonds to celebrate the marriage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II to H.S.H. Princess Charlene. This unique commemorative gift was used by the newly-weds to sign their wedding register.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition ballpoint pen

In addition, Montblanc is now reinforcing its long-time support for culture and the arts through a new partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation–USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and encouraging emerging talent in theatre, dance and film. Princess Grace was committed to helping artists and creators realize their full potential. To perpetuate this mission, Montblanc will award scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships through the Princess Grace Awards programme. The collaboration was launched in Los Angeles in 2010, on the night before the OSCARS. Celebrated guests from the worlds of entertainment, art and culture were invited to sign a “wish wall” and dedicate their messages to the memory of the late Princess Grace, in support of the Foundation’s work. The “wish wall” has since travelled across the world to take its place at high-profile cultural events, including the Montblanc New Voices Award at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg in June 2011, the celebration of 10 years of the Young Directors’ Project powered by Montblanc at the Salzburg Festival in August 2011, and New York, in November 2011, where it drew much attention at the annual Gala of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA.

The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Writing Instruments – Limited Edition of 3

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Limited Edition of 3 fountain pen

As a tribute to Princess Grace’s three children, Caroline, Albert and Stephanie, the most precious “gems” in her life, Montblanc has created a very rare edition fountain pen, limited to just three pieces. Crafted entirely from champagne coloured solid gold, the elegant lines of the pen, and its jewel-like quality, are highlighted with diamond (2.69 carats) and rubies (0.26 carats) on the cap and barrel. The cap top and clip are designed in the distinctive, feminine curved “V” shape, inspired by the neckline of a gown worn by Princess Grace in an iconic photograph.

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Limited Edition of 3 fountain pen, cap detail

The Princess’s monogram is finely hand engraved on the cap top, and the clip shimmers with a drop-cut diamond of the finest quality (0.41 carats). As a memento of her aristocratic bearing and her royal status, the cap is embellished with a circle of specially cut rhomboid-shaped rubies, in a design taken from the coat of arms of the Principality of Monaco. Mother-of-pearl details add yet more lustre: a cabochon enriches the cone, and the Montblanc emblem crowns this rich, rare and superbly crafted jewelled creation.

The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Writing Instruments – Limited Edition of 29

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Limited Edition of 29 fountain pen

Celebrating 1929, the year of Grace Kelly’s birth in Philadelphia, this sumptuous series of writing instruments is limited to just 29 pieces. A further fitting tribute to the Princess, this fountain pen is intricately detailed and ornamented with precious gemstones. Princess Grace’s monogram is engraved on the cap and barrel, and, innovatively interpreting the theme running through every part of this collection, the pen is immaculately finished in an exquisitely delicate rose-coloured lacquer. The fittings are finely crafted in pale, champagne coloured solid gold and embellished with white diamonds (0.55 carats), while the clip is set with a drop-cut pink sapphire (0.45 carats), reinforcing the image of the Grace de Monaco pink rose. The 18 carat gold nib is pierced with a heart-shaped hole, a refined detail to accentuate the exclusivity and the message of the collection. Again, the pen is finished with a mother-of-pearl cabochon and the Montblanc star-shaped emblem, also in mother-of-pearl, on the very top of the pen cap.

The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Writing Instruments – Special Edition

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco 2012 Special Edition Writing Insruments

Embodying Princess Grace’s timeless iconic style and the power of her presence, this series, a special edition, is crafted from a majestic deep purple resin, creating a dramatic contrast with the champagne-toned gold fittings. In true Montblanc tradition of attention to the finest detail, this pen, richly regal, is designed with the feminine “neckline” clip set with a petal-shaped drop-cut pink topaz. Both the gold-plated cap and barrel rings are intricately engraved with a rhombus pattern, inspired by the Coat of Arms of the Principality of Monaco. The 18 carat gold nib of this impressive fountain pen is decorated with a heart-shaped opening. As on the other editions, Princess Grace’s monogram is engraved on the cap top. Sophisticated and arresting, this luxurious edition is available as a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint pen.

The Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco Writing Instruments – Special Edition is planned for availability in Montblanc boutiques in October 2012. The retail price of the fountain pen is set to be $985.00, the rollerball pen $825.00, and the ballpoint pen $690.00.