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- SIGNED JEWELERY -

Fred, the strength of design

DIRECTED BY KYRA BRENZINGER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fred Samuel was born under a lucky star that guided him throughout his life, notably with his planetary success, the Force 10 bracelet. Let's discover the success story of this jewelry dandy who succeeded in everything!

The beginnings of his passion for cultured pearls

Born in Argentina, from an Alsatian jeweler father and stone dealer, Fred Samuel left at the age of 16 for Paris. He began an apprenticeship with Worms, the first cultured pearl dealer in France from the Mikimoto house. Her passion for pearls will remain a common thread in her imaginative creations such as her Bubble collection using cultured pearls to put bubbles in our lives. He particularly likes the slightly pinkish cream color of the pearls, which will become his favorite color, baptized “Fred color”. Moreover, he sees life in pink because always positive, he opened his own shop in 1936 at the age of 28, writing on his business card “Fred Samuel, the modern creative jeweler”.

The 50s: the multiplication of colors and shapes

Fred Samuel is a sunny man who loves the beaches of the Côte d'Azur or Argentina. He is passionate about the stones that feed his creativity. Very quickly, he received a prestigious order from the royal couple of Nepal who ordered him adornments to match the various saris of the court, which he associated with multicolored sapphires and diamonds. Another characteristic of his design, the beaches he likes inspire him with forms with feminine curves or are similar to pebbles.
His love for color and especially light can be found today in the creations of the Pain de Sucre ring. The interchangeable stones play with all the nuances of fine stones and are faceted in the shape of the famous mountain of the city of Rio.

Force 10: a wind of freedom

Created in 1966 as a tribute to the sport of sailing that Fred Samuel was particularly fond of, the Force 10 bracelet has become over time the iconic collection of the house. Created in braided steel cable and adorned with a gold shackle, it symbolizes perseverance and courage. Today, the variations of this collection are endless playing with the colors of the bracelets, but also declined in rings or necklaces.

The passion for felines  

In 1976, Fred Samuel opened a boutique in Monaco and Princess Grace of Monaco presided over the inauguration evening wearing a new creation: a ring made up of two crossed legs of a panther. Today, this ring is reinterpreted in the Ombre Féline collection by Valérie Samuel, granddaughter of Fred Samuel and artistic director of the house. Fred Samuel does not stop at this figure of the black panther, but declines many variants of cats. These domestic felines can have amusing figures or are sometimes adorned with an elegant bow tie.

The jeweler of cinema: Pretty Women 

Rubbing shoulders with movie stars thanks to his boutique in Beverly Hills, Fred Samuel plays to his strengths by creating the famous ruby ​​and diamond necklace of Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman by Garry Marshall in 1990. Sporting a magnificent heart, the house of Fred today unveils its Pretty Women collection in homage to this iconic film. Hearts have always been a favorite shape for this great lover of life and playing on the colors of fine stones. 

Jewelry for chic dandies

Particularly elegant, Fred Samuel did not only think of women in his creations. Its success Force 10 is a perfect example because today it is worn by both men and women. It is a perfectly mixed jewel which has become a real international success. In addition to bracelets, he declined cufflinks in the Force 10 collection, but also more traditional pieces of gold and ruby ​​jewelry. Essential accessories for going to the casino or attending prestigious races!

The power of the diamond

The company relies on precious stones and Fred Samuel will acquire in 1977, an exceptional yellow diamond of 105,54 carats, baptized Soleil d'Or and presented during a press lunch in the company of actress-model Margaux Hemingway . Today, the brand belongs to the bosom of the LVMH group and after so many years in the hands of collectors, the house of Fred has once again acquired this extraordinary diamond. The new CEO, Charles Leung, has asked Valérie Samuel, vice-president and granddaughter of the founder, to find the history of this diamond. Next fall, the Soleil d'Or will be unveiled during a wonderful retrospective exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo.

Find all second-hand Fred jewelry on 58 Facettes !

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