Rather than melting down their gold to recover a few hundred euros, many women aspire to transform the jewelry they no longer wear.
For a long time, a large part of a jeweler's activity was precisely to renew family jewelry, to dismantle a necklace and use the stones for an engagement ring, to recycle wedding rings and a medal to make one rush… But, with the development of big brands, this practice has been lost, and it is becoming more and more difficult, especially in Paris, to find the right place to repair or transform.
There are still a few historic workshops in the Haut Marais, south of Place de la République (historic manufacturers' district), taken over by younger generations or by savvy entrepreneurs.
There are also designers who have sensed the relevance of taking advantage of existing resources and applying a form of circular economy to jewelry.
Here are four, very inspired ones.
Also read: “I was pleasantly surprised that my old jewelry had such value”: the rush to sell gold
Mansano, for a more accessible tailor-made product
Three years ago, when she launched her brand, Hanna Darmon named it after the maiden name of her great-grandmother who “introduced her to beautiful things and jewelry, she who mixed Moroccan models and modern pieces.
This shows that heritage and transmission are important for this young entrepreneur, who studied with a jeweler on Place Vendôme before setting up her own business.
Word of mouth works well.
She has just opened her first store, rue du Bac in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
In addition to its collections, it has set out to make tailor-made products more accessible.
She works from old jewelry, which she recycles, and adapts them to her existing, modern and attractive designs.
From €1,000, announced delivery time of 5 to 6 weeks. mansano.fr
The creations of Mansano Mansano
Stéphanie Surer and her precious stories
All roads lead to jewelry, even those of advertising.
After a career as artistic director at Ogilvy, this fifty-year-old turned to jewelry creation.
“For me, it’s the same process,” she explains.
I listen to a person's story like I listened to big business, and I translate it into a narrative.
» Her concept is to start from the jewelry that is brought to her and to use it to imagine “a new story”, very personal (which will be made by a workshop working for Place Vendôme), which is different, according to her , of the simple transformation.
From
€3,000, stephaniesurer.com
An ancient aquamarine revisited into a contemporary ring at Stéphanie Surer Stéphanie Surer
Héloïse & Abélard brings diamonds back to life
Since 2020, Héloïse Schapiro has relied on the concept of recycling diamonds, and more precisely those of old cuts neglected by contemporary jewelry.
The success of her delicate rings and earrings was hampered by the very limited resources of these special stones, so she broadened her principle to more classic brilliants.
But the intention is still there: “In jewelry, nothing is lost, everything is transmitted and eventually transformed,” defends this HEC, who passed through the French Fashion Institute, who trained at LVMH for ten years before setting out on his own.
She runs auctions to find jewelry from which to recover gold and diamonds, but also receives more and more requests from individuals, seduced by the clusters of brilliants that make up the Héloïse & Abélard collections, and want to offer a makeover to their gems.
heloise-abelard-joaillerie.com
Chez Héloïse & Abélard brings old diamonds up to date Héloïse & Abélard
Twelve Paris, nothing is forgotten, everything is transformed
Hermine Sacau was born on 12/12/1992, the same day as her great-grandmother, an inveterate jewelry collector, who passed on her passion to her.
At Douze Paris, created in 2017, her clients quickly ask her for semi-measurements, to transform their forgotten jewelry or invent contemporary models with old stones.
“A service that classic jewelry has always offered but which today has even more meaning when you want to be a sustainable brand,” explains the designer who uses 18-carat recycled gold.
After making an appointment, a specification, a sketch board, the sourcing of possible stones to add, a 3D model and a realistic wax proposal, comes the manufacturing, from casting to setting and setting. polishing.
“Each step of the process is followed by the client, which is as reassuring as it is fascinating.
» Among his notable achievements, an old 5-carat diamond to be modernized, a tiara from the beginning of the 20th century divided into three rings for the children of the same family.
twelve-paris.fr
A transformed creation from Douze Paris Douze Paris