About Chaumet Brand
Chaumet is a French jewelry and watchmaking brand with a rich history dating back to 1780. The company has a distinguished reputation for creating exquisite jewelry, timepieces, and accessories.
As the first jeweler to arrive on the famous Place Vendôme in 1812, ever since Chaumet jewelry has remained a staple of the traditional Parisian style.
Chaumet pieces have long been a favorite with the French aristocrats. In the 19th century, Joséphine Bonaparte, the Empress of the French and the first wife of Emperor Napoleon, was one of the brand’s famous clients and appreciators. Fast forward two centuries, Chaumet style is based on exploration of all things nature. The brand itself calls it “naturalist jewelry”. The Maison’s designers use symbolism of plants, opulence of gardens, and delicacy of grass to permeate Chaumet creations with the energy of the wild nature.
In the modern world, the most popular Chaumet collections are the Liens, Bee My Love and Josephine.
In addition to jewelry, Chaumet produces luxury watches. Their timepieces combine Swiss watchmaking expertise with the brand’s design sensibility. Chaumet watches are known for their elegance and precision.
Find more of our Chaumet pieces here.
About French Jewelry
Vintage French jewelry is highly valued by jewelry experts and enthusiasts. Since the late Renaissance, France has established itself as one of the world trendsetter in art and fashion. A quick look at the top 5 French jewelry companies — Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermes, Chaumet, Chanel — describes the French level of greatness.
How did France went on the top of the jewelry world’s hierarchy? In a nutshell, it started with French apprenticeship system. In the beginning of 1950s, in France anyone at the age 14 could start learning the craft. Learning was primarily hands-on, with apprentices assisting in various stages of jewelry creation under the guidance of their mentors. They would start with basic tasks and gradually progress to more complex ones as their skills improved. This way French jewelers, like no others in the world, gained a substantial portion of experience in the early age. Even non-designer jewels were produced by the high skilled masters. The 1950s was a period when various design movements, such as Art Deco and the beginning of the Mid-Century Modern era, influenced jewelry aesthetics. Apprentices would be exposed to these design trends and learn to adapt their skills to create pieces reflecting these styles. Masters passed down not only technical skills but also their values, ethics, and artistic sensibilities.
Modern jewelry is not handcrafted anymore and mass market oriented production is prevailing. Jewelry designs are streamlined to use as less hand labor as possible. That’s why today vintage French jewelry is in such high demand. Nadine Krakov Collection offers the most desirable vintage jewelry online made by French experts.
