Who are the jewelry artisans of the label?
Rings, necklaces, earrings or bracelets… The ornaments contained in your jewelry cases are a must to personalize your style. Each of these jewels is have a specific story written by creators perpetuating an ancestral know-how. Who are they and how do they work ? Affaires Étrangères tells you more about the world of jewelry artisans.
Artisan jewelers shape and restore jewelry in harmony with traditional craftsmanship. This art craft requires meticulous work which can take hours or even weeks, depending on the desired result.
A golden know-how
A handmade jewel is an intimate object that represents seduction. It highlights the beauty of a neckline and sublimates a hand or a wrist. But it is also an object full of history that can be offered at certain important moments in life. From the creator to the buyer, a love story is created and transmitted.
In their workshops, the artisans create and design the jewelry according to their inspirations and personal history. It is also in these workshops that the creative step takes place and the transition from drawing to material. With their hands, the jewelers will guide their tools to sculpt a durable, resistant and aesthetic piece. They will delicately hammer, chisel and weld the piece in detail, like a miniature sculpture.
In contrast to the master jeweler who works only with precious materials, the jeweler is open to a variety of metals such as fine gold, silver or platinum. Some of them, like the designer Laëtitia Piffeteau, marry their creations with Bohemian pearls or fine gemstones.
But, before taking shape, the jewel is born in the creator’s imagination.
Jewelry imbued with refined poetry
Like a silent poetess, Laëtitia Piffeteau retranscribes what she loves in the creations of her eponymous brand. His passion for jewelry has been with him since childhood. Confiding to AE, she said : « My jewelry is delicate but full of contradictions, a bit in my own image. My objective is to create an accessory that, with finesse and delicacy, brings the femininity we need in our daily lives. »
To create this accessory, she works mainly with brass wire that she hammers and welds until the ideal shape is obtained. The result ? Pieces with unique reliefs, sometimes offset and often asymmetrical. She draws her inspiration from nature and architecture, but also from rock, ethnic and poetry. Light and elegant, her creations are easy to wear to sublimate our everyday looks, such as the Eglantine short necklace.
You may also be seduced by the retro pop universe of the designer Nina Janvier. Norman by birth and Montrealer by adoption, she celebrates artists and is inspired by them. In her Ojo collection, which is inspired by the surrealist art movement, she pays homage to the artist’s skillful and critical eye. For her Dada collection, she chose to honor women from Dadaism.
This intellectual and artistic movement of the 20th century has indeed seen the participation or influence from different artists, female companions and muses.
Her different inspirations allow her to create jewelry similar to sculptures with harmonious and original curves. The artist plays on the superimposition of colors, the combination of materials and asymmetry. She also offers the possibility to order single earrings in order to wear them separately.
Poetry is also part of the journey and it is the nomadic spirit of Elisabeth Dàvila that carries it. The Mexican designer makes us discover the culture of her native country through jewels such as the Inca-inspired graphic ring Pyramide Luna. In her collections, she likes to play with the accumulation of accessories and, as with the cuff, her iconic piece. It is available in rich materials such as copper or brass, which it covers with a thick 3-micron gold plating.
Thus, each creator of the label is unique, and stands out by his or her tastes, identity and history. They immortalize their inspirations and feelings in timeless, artistic and ethical pieces.
Eco-responsible creations
The material is not lost, it is transformed ! In contrast to mass-produced jewelry, the label’s artisans try to have as little ecological impact as possible. Indeed, jewelry artisans make jewelry in limited series or by unit, which means that they do not need to hold stocks.
This is the case, for example, of the Bresma brand with its jewelry with an antique and raw character. To create these, the brand uses scrap metal and solid silver from recycling. This method of production reduces to a minimum carbon footprint and encourages a circular economy.
Furthermore, if your ornament breaks or wears out, there is no need to throw it away: a craftsman can repair or restore it. The history of the jewelry will only get longer and richer over time. Wearing jewelry from artisan jewelers means letting yourself discover a diversity of artistic and aesthetic inspirations from around the world. By showing these jewelry artisans on its website, Affaires Étrangères Paris aims to help you discover their work and encourage the perpetuation of their art.
