Editor’s Note
This article explores how innovative jewelers are embracing circularity, from sourcing recycled gold to redefining luxury for a new generation.
On the occasion of the fourth edition of the We Are French Touch event on November 26, 2024, at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, Big media invited Pierre Groppo, a journalist from Vanity Fair, for a debate on the renewal of the jewelry sector. A roundtable discussion featured three entrepreneurs who shared their innovative approach and their vision of the new luxury: Héloïse Schapiro (founder, Héloïse & Abelard), Manuel Mallen (president, Courbet), and Kitesy Martin (founder and artistic director, Kitesy Martin Studio).
The jewelry sector is undergoing a real paradigm shift, driven by a growing awareness of environmental and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) issues. The choice of materials, circularity, and greater accessibility both in terms of image and price seem to be the new winning trifecta to succeed in this market and move away from the rather traditional narrative long imposed by this industry.
The first entrepreneur on the panel, Héloïse Schapiro, worked on Place Vendôme (a universal symbol of luxury and craftsmanship in the jewelry sector, home to the greatest houses such as Boucheron, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet) for nearly 10 years. Then, aware of the consequences of the diamond trade (diamonds are often mined from conflict zones and used to finance armed conflicts, their extraction is generally associated with dangerous and precarious working conditions and has a definite environmental impact), she decided to found her own jewelry house, Héloïse & Abelard, in 2019, becoming the first French circular jewelry house.
If precious materials offer the same aesthetic and durable qualities whether new or second-hand, it makes sense to bet on the latter, which avoids extracting and transporting new resources. This significantly reduces the ecological footprint and social backlash of jewelry production.
The entrepreneur admits this model is challenging, mainly because the design of her collections depends heavily on her supply from the second-hand market (pre-owned market, or pre-loved market), and her selling price depends on auction prices.
But she does not deviate from her principle of circularity, which she sees as a return to the fundamentals of jewelry, and on which she has structured her entire company. And she is pleased that this transparency allows her to reach a broad clientele.
What is the place for technological innovation in this traditionally reputed sector? Also at this roundtable was Manuel Mallen, who founded the Courbet house in 2018 and set up shop on Place Vendôme with his partner Marie-Ann Wachtmeister. Gold from electronic waste (from mobile phones and computers), but especially synthetic diamonds, appeared to this entrepreneur, who has worked for several jewelry houses, as much more than an alternative—as an obvious choice.
According to him, lab-grown diamonds indeed possess the same characteristics as natural diamonds, while having the advantage of being produced ethically and sustainably, without the environmental and social impacts associated with mining.
From his point of view, luxury jewelry remains an important marker in a person’s life. It is also a responsibility for the brand entrusted with this moment (a birth, an engagement, a marriage…). That is why he finds it meaningful to innovate to meet the CSR expectations of a clientele that is getting younger (over 50% of his clients are between 25 and 36 years old), while remaining true to the tradition of jewelry: timeless design, excellence in artisanal craftsmanship and materials… The next step? Probably, a boutique.