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 broadens 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.
Elsa Vanier is a specialist in contemporary jewelry, highlighted in her gallery opened in 2003 in Paris. Today an exhibition curator, she continues to defend creators.
L’Express: Which ancient periods are reinterpreted in modern jewelry?
Elsa Vanier: The jewelry of certain great jewelers, inspired by fauna and flora, refers to Art Nouveau, when René Lalique incorporated colors and even elements like glass paste, opening the door to less precious materials. Many also rely on the Art Deco style – never dated – with its geometric lines.
How to define French taste?
Generally speaking, our compatriots appear rather traditional. For example, they only imagine gold as yellow and polished, unlike the satin or matte treatments popular among our neighbors. On the other hand, we observe a hiatus between high jewelry, ever more precious and flamboyant, and the accessories worn in the street: an accumulation of small pieces often without much character, set with tiny stones.
Will these fashionable styles survive the ages?
It is difficult to estimate whether a trend will be able to take hold. This is not the current concern of younger generations. They question more about ethical notions: origin of gems, recycled gold compared to ore and pollution, choice of a synthetic diamond, which consumes energy, or a natural diamond, requiring means of extraction colossal.
What do you think of new technologies?
3D printing makes it possible to envisage extraordinarily complex shapes, which nevertheless need to be reworked at the workbench. Manual work still has a bright future ahead of it.
Do new representations of femininity and masculinity change the situation?
The main development is the attraction of young men of Generation Z for rings and bracelets, even for ear ornaments. They seem more comfortable with these masculine adornments than their parents’ generation. Their selection, however, remains sober, we are far from the eccentric rings of the antique dealer Yves Gastou. On the women’s side, despite the #MeToo movement, and while many work and buy their own jewelry, they still appreciate it being given to them. Do they find reassurance that we love them?
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