In a spectacular setting, referring to historical luxuries, the contemporary interpretations of luxury by international designers for the What's Luxury collection of CHP were shown as samples of topical jewellery for the first time in at the Salone del Mobile in Milano in 2005.
The theme ‘what is luxury?’ inspired the 17 international designers to design reproducible jewellery of an outspoken character, offering fresh and humanistic views on modern wo/man’s desire for luxuries. The jewellery doesn’t necessarily refer to costly, expensive, extraordinary and rare commodities, in stead they can have a temporary character that just pleases the senses or mind for a moment.

The layer brooch Bloom Bloom by Tjep (NL) shows the ephemeral character of luxury, transient like a beautiful  flower.
Studio Job's(NL) Black Widow transformed a common symbol, the black spider, into a lush 100% contemporary jewel.
Intimate Luxury by Ineke Hans (NL) may be confined to the temporary imprint that a golden ring with a hidden message leaves on your finger.
The luxury to adorn oneself is provided for by a dragon surrounded by a rose design as part of Cut Here, a pink coloured temporary tattoo by Tord Boontje (NL), which leaves the user to decide which part to cut and wear.
With the Infinite Border Matali Crasset (F) designed any shirt can be transformed into something special, by attaching a line of pure 24-carat gold around a collar or band.
Fashion designer Connie Groenewegen designed clip Manga as an open mouth with a golden tooth, that can be used to drape a beautiful fabric.
The classical looking Memory ring, by Wieki Somers (NL) holds a concealed image which will reveal itself when rubbed.
In his ring Real, Gijs Bakker (NL) plays with the concept of real and fake gems.
The Data Jewel of Swiss Christoph Zellweger is a refined ornament of the digital age, constructed with the aid of new technology.
The ornamental Credit brooch by Joris Laarman (NL) suggest it could indeed be used as a credit card.
The Big Pearl Ring by Mina Wu (TWN), bears a lens in order to magnify a small pearl inside the ring – as may happen in our imagination when something important becomes bigger than in reality.
The wooden bracelet of the Paris/Berlin fashion duo BLESS creates high fashion on the basis of poor material, by precisely hand copying a cheap wristwatch in carved wood through craftspeople in Asia.
Chris Kabel's (NL)  Foamed Gold Nuggets presents a super light necklace composed of large 24-carat gold nuggets.
The gilded chips fork by Ramon Middelkoop (NL) may be worn as a tie-pin  - always ready to upgrade your fast food.
Precious Stones by Manon van Kouswijk (NL) presents a pebble stone pendant of acrylic with a hidden fossil inside.
For the Diamond Brooch by Marc Monzo (ES) a traditional ring with diamond has been ‘blown up’ to the size of a brooch.
And the Echo, a necklace composed of semi soft silicon earplugs, by Marko Macura (NL) provides the wearer the non materialistic luxury of a break or a pause from all noise surrounding him.

Photography: Rien Bazen.

The Chi ha paura…? Foundation thanks the sponsors, the Stedelijk Museum ‘s-Hertogenbosch (SM's) and the Mondriaan Foundation, for their generous support.