Your jewelry in the hands of trusted partners

March 23rd

The world of jewelry is a secret environment, whose representatives are keen to preserve the know-how of their craftsmen. These small hands in the shadows are nonetheless essential links in the chain of jewel creation. They are also the guardians, for many of them, of thousand-year-old manufacturing techniques.

They are the partners in whom I have put my trust and with whom I have maintained a close relationship since the beginning, based on dialogue, mutual understanding, respect for the material and the wishes of my customers. We share the love of a job well done and a common goal: to offer the best to the people who will wear my creations.

Everything starts on paper. After defining the climatic subject to be treated, research and exchanges with scientists, it is by drawing that my jewels take shape or directly by sculpting on wax. This sculpture can be realized by hand but also be modeled in 3D.

Lost wax casting

It is this wax model that allows the founder to create the jewel by practicing the technique of lost wax casting, nearly 5500 years old. The principle consists of covering the wax model with plaster, then melting it to leave only the imprint of the jewel, which is then filled by the founder with molten gold.

The gold here is entirely recycled. It comes from old jewelry, electronic waste or manufacturing waste... The smelter I work with is RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council) certified, a certification that guarantees the good practices of a company in terms of sourcing gold or diamonds, from the mine to the distribution.

I then work on filing, sawing, welding and grinding the metal.

The setting & the choice of stones

This is a key and particularly delicate step that I have chosen to entrust to a gemmologist and gem setter known in the jewelry world for his truly meticulous know-how.

Together, we talk a lot about the diversity and quality of the gems I want to use, as well as with my five Parisian suppliers whose stones come mostly from Madagascar and Queensland, Australia.

My supplier of diamonds, all recycled, is also located in Paris.

Polishing

This final step belongs to me. It is the result of a manufacturing process aiming to sublimate the jewel and give it the final and unique aspect as desired by the customer.

However, it is up to the French customs to add the final touch. A hallmark more specifically, guaranteeing its compliance with legal standards of purity of gold and the number of carats. My jewels, all made of 18 carat gold, are thus stamped with an eagle head. This is in addition to another obligatory hallmark, in the form of an elongated diamond, which is none other than that of the craftsman, where a unique motif and my initials appear.

With the exception of the packaging, which I subcontract in Italy, all the participants in the manufacturing chain of my jewelry are located in Paris, the world capital of jewelry. This is a godsend for me, as my workshop is located in the Paris region and allows me to favor the short circuit.

Capucine Huguet