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JEWELERY WITNESSES TO GREAT HISTORY

DIRECTED BY KYRA BRENZINGER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

À the occasion of the next exhibition-sale of 58 Facettes at the Swiss Village in the very chic district of the 15th arrondissement of Paris, you can not only discover antique jewelry, but also have your jewelry appraised and why not give it a second life. Let's discover some experts offering a new take on ancient jewelry.

Emylienne: the know-how of forgotten jewelry and upcycling

The designer Audrey Barbier, with her 15 years of experience at the Cartier house, knows how to immediately detect exceptionally crafted jewelry. “Often I buy small jewels, like small rings or hat picks, which are not very expensive but which are real treasures in terms of know-how! Through these ancient jewels, we can discover oub techniquesliées like the double tone of gold with the use of white gold underneath the jewel and yellow gold above or even the "bat", a piece which encircles the underside of the stone, often worked on. filigree ". With these old pieces, Emylienne (in homage to her grandmother's first name) gives them a second life by mounting them on jewelry that is easy to wear on a daily basis. "For the exhibition and sale of 58 Facettes, I am going to present small rings like the Discrète model, adorned with a small gold lace pattern and set with small pearls which was on a hat pick. I also made an open and coordinated bracelet with a pretty pearl ”. Another very trendy piece: a 19th century cameo reassembled on a rosary chain which offers a new worn.

When her clients bring her family jewels, she makes transformation proposals to bring a more current look. “On the other hand, I do not especially touch signed jewelry which must remain intact to keep their value! ".

Upcycling, Audrey Barbier claims it by starting from existing jewelry, but also by respecting know-how. “I sometimes saw a few old pieces that we melted down quite simply to recover the gold or the stones… So, I wanted to pay homage to these craftsmen of the time by transforming old jewelry to make more jewelry. in the mood of time ".

Delicata: meet antique jewelry

With her multiple Mediterranean origins (Greece, Malta, Sicily), Florence Delicata quickly developed a passion for history and mythology. “Passionate about antiques, my husband gave me an amulet that I transformed into a jewel. I had a lot of positive feedback and in 2018 I started to create jewelry from old coins. I work with the best numismatists, experts in Roman, Egyptian or Napoleonic coins ”

For the exhibition and sale of 58 Facettes, Florence Delicata mainly reveals her Roman pieces, transformed into rings or pendants. To add a precious touch, it adorns them with rubies which enhance the color of the silver patinated over time or affix small granules around the bezel setting. Famous emperors such as Constantine or Maximian Hercules take us to the heart of great history. “I want to sublimate these treasures from the past, in order to bring them back to life. True witnesses of history, I respect their memory because the pieces are neither pierced nor damaged. I transform them in my workshop into unique jewelry to wear ”.

Some clients seek the symbolic value of mythological figures like strength with Hercules or a sense of achievement through the figure of Victory. "Customers wear these pieces like amulets to bring them good luck or to give them strength." This is the theme of his next project: the creation of jewelry from Egyptian amulets and arrowheads to help us better face our world today!

Karine Chedid: the jewel of feeling

Gemologist and passionate about beautiful stones, Karine Chedid works at heart. “When I'm looking for an old piece of jewelry, what interests me are atypical stones such as Champagne-colored diamonds or salt and pepper or Icy with frosted effects. For sapphires, I prefer two-tone with subtle colors such as blue-green or red-orange which give a shimmer like velvet ”.

For jewelry transformations, she attaches a lot of importance to the meaning as indicated by her baseline: the sentimental jewelry. “I work with stones, but also with the emotions of people who entrust me with family jewels! I try to keep the memory of the jewel's history while transposing it into modernity to wear it on a daily basis ”. Thus, she transforms a ring from the 40s into a necklace or an imposing diamond dome ring into small bracelets and rings to share within the same family.Currently, several trends are emerging such as Art Deco, but also the Victorian era or Art Nouveau. “We come back to naturalness and the floral side. Besides, I have made several Art Nouveau-inspired creations for young women ”.

Thus, for the exhibition and sale of 58 Facettes, Karine Chedid offers an Art Nouveau-inspired floral brooch as well as a magnificent Art Deco brooch by Mauboussin (circa 1920) or animal brooches from the 50s such as the charming Fawn or Squirrel from the house of Hermès.

A gemologist by training (ING Paris and Gem-A in London), she also advises certain clients in their choice of purchasing investment stones. "Of course, they often want diamonds, but I steer them towards colored diamonds or even stones whose value is climbing, like spinels." All its suppliers are members of the RJC (Responsible Jewelery Council) and for diamonds, they are part of the Kimberley Process because traceability is essential for investment stones and for their personal values.

Find Karine Chedid's interview in the “Brillante” podcast

Exhibition-Sale Vintage Jewelry & Creations
From 30 September to 3 October 2021
from 11AM to 19PM
58 Facettes at the Swiss Village
78, avenue de Suffren
paris 15ème

With the participation of: Délicata, Elliade, Emylienne, Karine Chédid Joaillerie, Les Modernes Paris, Les Pierres de Julie, Savaje Paris, Siéra Bijoux Vintage, Trésors de Luxe

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