Originally a display designer-decorator, a job that no longer suited her, Jocelyne Rocher-Jublanc decided to move towards creating jewelry but not in just any material.
She trained in the mother-of-pearl craft with a former master pearl-maker from the Île d'Aix.
“It’s difficult to master this material.
We must sublimate the shells in order to reveal the pearly reflection.
But, of the 55,000 kinds of shells that exist in the world, only around forty are mother-of-pearl shells.
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In her mother-of-pearl workshop in Audierne (Finistère), Jocelyne selected around ten, including abalone from the Île de Sein farm.
“I buy the shells which I choose very carefully, much to the chagrin of the breeder because I spend a lot of time there.
It’s worth around €20 per kg of shells.
The most expensive mother-of-pearl shell comes from Tahiti.
I also like working with Réunion burgot which has a whole gradient of reflections.
Alas, I buy them from a supplier in France, failing to pick them up on the beaches of these islands.
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Once the shells have been selected, Jocelyne gets to work on polishing them.
“I'm going to clip the shell to remove all the reflection-free layer.
Then, I draw a shape for the piece that I will cut out with a scrolling machine.
It is a diamond blade that operates continuously with a water supply.
For what ?
Simply to prevent the mother-of-pearl from browning.
Water removes dust and also prevents the smell of polishing.
A sort of smell of
grilled pig
,” smiles the designer.
She then glues the mother-of-pearl pieces onto a support.
Besides mother-of-pearl, Jocelyne likes to add other materials to her jewelry.
“I work with a founder and a gilder to combine mother-of-pearl, steel and gold metal.
» Each piece is unique and its price varies depending on the mother-of-pearl used, from €45 to €60 for a pair of earrings but can go up to €200 with crystal elements.
The reputation of the designer has crossed the borders of Brittany.
The singer Gwennyn fell for her jewelry and wears them on stage during her concerts and Jocelyne participates every year in the Festival des Voiles de travail in Granville.
She is also working on a fashion show project in May.
Jocelyne Rocher-Jublanc also organizes demonstrations by appointment in her workshop, limited to four people.
“People don’t touch machines, especially hole saws.
I start from an already clipped shell that I formed beforehand so as not to waste too much time.
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L’Atelier de la Nacre, 2, quai Anatole France in Audierne, tel.
06.84.48.69.32