The French jewelry industry owes its notoriety both to the excellence of its fine jewelry and to the inventiveness of the fantasy segment. Between the two, traditional houses and a myriad of small designers manage to do well. The field of possibilities thus widens to all consumer styles. Some accumulate iconic jewelry from major brands, as if to identify with a social belonging that reassures them. Others prefer to stand out by wearing a piece with a singular design, generally worn asymmetrically, or even solo. Some people still imagine new ways of combining materials and shapes. If they transgress the codes somewhat, their posture nevertheless retains a certain sense of derision. In fact, each contributes to redefining the standards of timelessness.
“In the 17th century, men wore jewelry. Why wouldn’t they no longer do so four hundred years later?” asks Hugo Marchand, principal dancer at the Paris National Opera and Mellerio ambassador. “Fashions come and go,” he recalls. “Today, we are living in an era that is redefining the notion of masculinity.” While she tends to assert herself in an increasingly liberated manner, she finds herself faced with a plurality of femininities.
Hermès Chaîne d’Ancre necklace in white gold and diamonds.
© / Hermes
To address this large gap, brands have several solutions. Some prefer to go out on a limb and simply offer gender-neutral collections. Others take up the gauntlet and consider this societal evolution as an enrichment of the field of possibilities. Claire Choisne, creative director at Boucheron, happily designs versatile high jewelry: pieces that can be worn by both gentlemen and ladies, often separable into two parts to allow the couple a certain stylistic freedom.
The most daring men simply select the jewelry they want, without asking any questions. Like Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles or Justin Bieber, they divert white pearl necklaces, a classic feminine attribute that has become trendy. Or take on iconic references, like the Alhambra by Van Cleef & Arpels, worn by some famous athletes, such as LeBron James or Grigor Dimitrov. Like fashion, the world of jewelry tends to blur the line between masculine and feminine. The beauty of a jewel speaks to everyone, the emotion it provides remains universal.
.