Jewelry Design, a mysterious art form brought to light by L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

The long-awaited moment has come! As the reopening of restaurants, shops and cultural venues brings us a little joy and vitality, we can finally enjoy the exhibitions and in-person classes organized by L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts. After giving us free training during lockdown through its captivating online talks, L’ECOLE is ready to welcome everyone back on its premises on rue Danielle Casanova to keep sharing jewelry culture.

Much to our delight, the establishment, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, has just announced the reopening of the exhibition “Jean Vendome, Artist Jeweler”, extended until August 28, 2021, as well as a new program around Jewelry Design, an art form that remains largely unknown to the public and little studied, although essential to the creative process. Supported by the Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry Culture Fund, this program is the result of an ambitious research project set up 3 years ago under the supervision of Guillaume Glorieux, Teaching and Research Director at L’ECOLE.

To shed some light on this long-ignored field of decorative arts and reveal its beauty, L’ECOLE is not only offering a class, called “Once Upon a Time There Was Jewelry Design”, but also a free exhibition, “Designing Jewels” (postponed to October 2021 due to the pandemic). You will also be able to buy the beautiful book co-published by Norma and L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, entitled Designing Jewels, starting this fall!

A class: “Once Upon a Time There Was Jewelry Design”

Who are the authors of jewelry drawings, the “designers”? What techniques do they rely upon? What are the uses of jewelry drawings over time?

It is on these three topics that this exclusive class, delivered by an art historian and a designer, will focus. During your journey through the history of jewelry design, you will observe the evolution of this mysterious practice from the Renaissance to the present day, discover the different techniques used and follow the creative process, from the sketch to the final piece.

While the art historian unveils both beautiful and remarkable works, the designer will bring a contemporary point of view and share her experience as a gouache artist working for several Maisons of the Place Vendôme.

You will also have the opportunity to handle the different materials used over time, such as parchment or tracing paper, and leaf through several illustrated catalogues of gouachés.

An excellent gift idea for a birthday or any other celebration! You can book your ticket here. L’ECOLE also offers savoir-faire classes on gouaché in fine jewelry for those wishing to develop practical skills in jewelry design.

Class length: 4 hours
Price: €200
Number of participants: 12 max.

An exhibition: “Designing Jewels” (from October 14, 2021)

“Sometimes reduced to a few pencil lines thrown on a sheet of paper, but often taking on the appearance of a true work of art, rich in color and in nuance, jewelry drawings are unique in that they move us with their beauty, as much as they teach us about the process of creating a piece of jewelry.”

Marie Vallanet-Delhom – President of L’ECOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Nicolas Bos – President & CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels

Jewelry drawings are not only technical tools guiding artisans involved in the production of jewelry but also delicate artworks. Delve into the world of jewelry design and explore its technical, historical and aesthetic aspects…

A true tribute to jewelry design, “Designing Jewels” is the first exhibition to examine this topic with such a broad approach, both in terms of chronology and content, thus opening up a new field of study.

It will present a rich collection of unpublished graphic art works spanning a long period, from the 1760s to the First World War, marked by creative excitement and eclecticism. The sketches and notebooks, produced by famous Maisons such as Lalique, Tiffany or Vever, or lesser-known workshops like Paillet or Brédillard, all come from the Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry Culture Fund and reflect the different stages of the creative process.

The exhibition design will offer a wonderful immersive experience: you will navigate through an entirely drawn space, divided into three chapters. The first one, dedicated to the execution of the drawing, will take the form of a jewelry workshop overlooking the roofs of Paris and will address the techniques, the materials used and the standards. The second chapter will question the identity of the author: who is he, a draughtsman-jeweler, a specialist designer, an artist? How many individuals can participate in the making of the drawing? Finally, the third space will explore the different uses of jewelry drawings. First and foremost a technical tool allowing the materialization of an idea and guiding its realization, it is also likely to be a source of inspiration, a free reverie, a commercial support, an archive document or even a work of art in its own right. You will be surprised by some of the functions that drawings can fulfil!

From October 14, 2021, to February 14, 2022
Specialist curators: Stéphanie Desvaux, independent archivist and historian and Michaël Decrossas, Doctor of the École pratique des Hautes Études
Free admission, reservation required

A beautiful book: Designing Jewels

Written by Guillaume Glorieux and exhibition curators Michaël Decrossas and Stéphanie Desvaux, the book expands on the exhibition by reproducing the drawings while broadening the subject, thus crystallizing the beauty of jewelry design. With its biographical repertoire and its study of the techniques, authors and uses of jewelry design, it is the first work to shed light on this art form and thus constitutes a true reference.

Available from Fall 2021 for €39, a true gem to gift to a loved one or to yourself!

Don’t forget to book your class because spaces are limited! It will give you a glimpse into the mysterious world of jewelry design while (eagerly) waiting to discover the exhibition and the book…