The Royal Jewellers S03 ep1 De Grisogono, Deborah Elvira,

De Grisogono

Fawaz Gruosi,Born in 1952, Gruosi spent his childhood in Florence with his mother. Driven by the necessity to work but also by his interest in art, he left school at 18 and trained to become a sales assistant with a renowned Florentine jeweler. Seven years later, Gruosi, then still a consultant to the firm, oversaw the opening its store in London and became a director four years later. He was only 30 when the Alizera family, Harry Winston's official agent, noticed him and proposed that he become its representative in Saudi Arabia. The young entrepreneur did not hesitate to take up this new challenge. After three years in that country, he returned to Europe where he was immediately contacted by the Bulgari company. Gianni Bulgari, a mythical name in the world of jewellery, created a new post for him. He hired him in Bulgari Precious Trading and accorded him his complete trust. Fawaz thus became the first person in the group to have access to all the new designer jewellery collections which he would be responsible for selling worldwide, with the exception of the Bulgari boutiques of which at that time there were only eight! A fantastic field of opportunity thus opened up before Fawaz, which would also enable him to fill up his address book through numerous contacts. This provided a unique experience, but destiny would for the first time take a new turn. Gianni Bulgari left the family company. Having lost his role model, Fawaz then decided to start out on his own. That was in 1993. Without any specific strategy in mind, he founded de GRISOGONO and very quickly his original and extraordinary creativity ensured that each jewel he fashioned immediately aroused passions. This almost immediate success would give him strength and self-confidence. In 1996, driven by the constant need to be ahead of trends, Gruosi created a black diamond collection. In 2000, he presented his first watch, Instrumento N°Uno. De Grisogono now has 17 original and exclusive watch collections.

Deborah Elvira

The gallery is situated on the Mediterranean coast between Barcelona and Valencia. We deal in Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance art, specially jewellery and works in wrought iron of these periods.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep2 Faberge, Faraone,

Faberge Sean Gilbertson

The story of Fabergé is inextricably linked to the lives, loves and tragedy of the last Romanov Tsar Nicholas II and his Empress Alexandra, and to the Russian Revolution that changed the course of world history. Of Huguenot origin, with a febrile imagination, protean talent and entrepreneurial instincts, Peter Carl Fabergé became jeweller and goldsmith to the great Russian Imperial Court, creating exquisite jewels and objects, including the legendary series of lavish and ingenious Imperial Easter Eggs. His worldwide reputation attracted royalty, nobility, tycoons, industrialists and the artistic intelligentsia of Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg and London. In 1917, the Russian Revolution brought a violent end not only to the Romanov dynasty but also to the House of Fabergé. The Bolsheviks seized the Fabergé workshops and their treasures, all production was closed down and Peter Carl Fabergé and his family fled from Russia. In a legal settlement in 1951, the Fabergé family lost the right to produce and market designs under the Fabergé name. Yet, through decades of the 20th century, the noble Fabergé name, separated from the family despite their attempts to honour and perpetuate their legacy, showed an extraordinary resilience. Throughout, the legend has retained its mystique, charisma and awe-inspiring romance, along with a certain enigma tied to the mystery of the whereabouts of many iconic Fabergé works of art. History came full circle in October 2007 when Fabergé, under new ownership and direction, announced the reunification of the Fabergé name with the Fabergé family. This opened a new chapter in the intriguing story of Fabergé, and set the stage for a total revitalisation of the Fabergé name and philosophy, in tune with its original values, aesthetics and spirit. Fabergé was re-launched on the 9th September, 2009, with three Les Fabuleuses de Fabergé High Jewellery Collections - Les Fleurs, Les Fables and Les Fauves de Fabergé. Today, with Katharina Flohr as Creative and Managing Director, and her in-house creative team, Fabergé is forging a fresh yet strong identity. Paying homage to Peter Carl Fabergé’s genius as a visionary artist-jeweller, and benefiting from the expertise and guidance of Tatiana and Sarah Fabergé, his great-grand-daughters, contemporary Fabergé collections are imbued with poetry, artistry and refined ideals of beauty made possible by unrivalled craftsmanship, innovation and ingenuity, all underlined with a strong emotional engagement. Distinguished by Fabergé’s dedication to excellence and pursuit of perfection, the jewels are both linked to Fabergé’s world, yet of the moment and relevant today, demonstrating the modernity that Peter Carl Fabergé was always able to bring to his own eclectic cultural and stylistic references.

Faraone Mr Cesare Settepass

Exclusive, excellence and royalty are the key words of Faraone Jewelry, a company born from the ashes of the Second World War, in 1945 in Via Montenapoleone in Milan. Keeper of an Italian tradition that evokes the richness of fine jewelry, Raffaele Faraone's founder, has established itself on the international scene, offering to its customers as the "family jeweler": the only one able to keep secrets and values, to interpret dreams and create precious works of art to measure. The distinctive features of the house Faraone, were initially very close to the Milanese style of the 60s, which boasted functional elegance, never sought a preciousness opulent and ostentatious. Also in those days Pharaoh establishes a deep relation with the family Settepassi, Florentine jewelers for four hundred years, thus increasing the know-how of a goldsmith tradition old centuries. After his untimely death was in fact one of a family Settepassi member, Guido, to take the reins of the house Faraone finally throwing in the international arena adorning the aristocracy and the stars with sumptuous jewels hundred percent Italian.

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep3 Koechert, A La Vielle Russie,

Koechert

The foundation of Köchert jewellers goes back to the year 1814. Already in 1831, the company was awarded the title "Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court", and in 1868 Alexander Emanuel Köchert was appointed as Chamber Jeweller. As the personal jeweller of the emperor, he thus become the royal treasurer. Since then, it has been part of the Köchert tradition that the house at Neuer Markt is a meeting point for well-known artists who create unique gems together with the master goldsmiths of the firm's own workshops. Today, Christoph, Wolfgang and Florian Köchert continue this tradition. The headquarters of A. E. Köchert Jewellers have been at Neuer Markt 15 since 1873; in December 2005, another shop was opened at the noble Altenmarkt 15 in Salzburg.

A La Vieille Russie Mark Schafer

A La Vieille Russie specialises in European and American antique jewellery , gold snuffboxes, and objets de vertu. Goldsmith and jeweller Carl Fabergé was a client, and today we are recognized as international experts on his works. A La Vieille Russie also deals in Russian decorative arts, including silver, porcelain and enamel, as well as Russian paintings and icons. We maintain a strong exhibition schedule, including the seminal 500-piece loan exhibition of Fabergé in 1983. A La Vieille Russie was founded in Kiev, moved to Paris at the time of the Russian Revolution, and ultimately to New York.

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep4 Sevan Bicakci, Charles Oudin,

SEVAN [Istanbul, Turkey]

Of Armenian descent, Sevan Bicakci was born in 1965 in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. He is known as the King of Rings. At the age of 12, his father, who was a theater actor, placed Sevan under the apprenticeship of Hovsep Catak in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. After serving 4 years of apprenticeship, his master passed away. However, he had learned a great deal about jewellery design and craftsmanship. He then opened a workshop in order to serve bigger manufacturers as a freelance jewel designer. He worked on his first collection for a year before unveiling it in the global market in 2002. His jewelry designs are that of Byzantine and Ottoman styles. Some of Sevan's famous clientele include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elizabeth Hurley, Celine Dion, Liv Tyler, Mariah Carey, Brooke Shields, Angie Harmon, Kim Raver, Halle Berry, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Michelle Monaghan, and Tory Burch.

CHARLES OUDIN - Paris

Parisian Charles Oudin is a rare character in the world of timepieces. With a long history, the brand today is the true definition of a boutique watch maker. Unassuming, their client list and qualities are nonetheless very impressive. Today they specialise in tasteful jewellery watches made entirely in Paris. You could say that Charles Oudin is more “joaillerie” than “horlogerie”. We had an opportunity to meet with the brand at their Place Vendôme office. Unavailable to the public, the showroom is a private meeting space for the brand’s international client base. Perched in cabinets are the historic clocks and other creations made by Charles Oudin himself. The namesake of the brand was a talented watch maker from the early 19th century who began his career in 1797. Oudin was a student of Abraham-Louis Breguet, who was arguably the most talented and famous historic watch maker of his (and our) time. Anyone who spent time as an apprentice to Breguet quickly gained a reputation themselves.

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep5 Van der Bauwede, Florian Wagner,

Van Der Bauwede [Geneva] Maxence Van Der Bauwede

1890 – Birth of a brand In 1890, Alexis Van Der Bauwede (1873-1950) from Bruges created the brand of the same name. At the time, this itinerant watch and jewellery maker, specialised in handling clocks and chimes, crisscrossed Flanders at the wheel of his Bugatti. From one town to the next, he installed and repaired the complex movements of cathedral and city hall clocks, which sometimes weighed up to 27 tons. 1920 – ‘Cubes Diamants’ Van Der Bauwede’s first jewellery set.Despite being a watchmaker by trade, Alexis was highly versatile. He visited individuals door to door and sold his jewellery creations crafted in honour of big occasions. In 1920, he created his first jewellery set, called the “Cubes Diamants” (Diamond Cubes), for a Russian countess and lover of exceptional objects. This was the beginning of a long story… 1930 – From Alexis to Michel Van Der Bauwede At the age of 24, Alexis’ son, Michel Van Der Bauwede (1906-1965) became the first successor to take on what was subsequently to become a tradition. He was fascinated by miniaturisation and quite naturally focused on pocket watches. Parallel to this, he developed the jewellery side of the business in which he subsequently specialised. 1949 - Van Der Bauwede opens in Lille After demonstrating his talents across Flanders, Michel Van Der Bauwede moved to Lille and opened the first Van Der Bauwede boutique at 34, Rue Esquermoise. Recently renovated by the “Monuments Historiques” (Historical Monuments), this magnificent Flemish house dating back to the 18th century provided a setting for the jewellery it housed in its walls and display windows. The brand remained there for a good 50 years. 1965 - From Michel to Pierre Van Der Bauwede There was no indication that Pierre Van Der Bauwede (1933-2010) would become an even more famous jeweller than his father and grandfather. Drawn to medicine, he joined the family business when Michel passed away. Thanks to his skill in the realm of science and physics in particular, Pierre Van Der Bauwede specialised in precious stones and diamonds which earned the brand considerable international renown. His second field of expertise as “State Gemmology Expert” led to him invent a new cut of diamond christened the “VDB Diamond Cut”. Equally gifted in the realm of the literary, to commemorate the brand’s centenary, he published a collection of poems in 1990 shortly before handing over to his son, Maxence. Excerpt: “The diamond under its web dreams of dazzling skies; looking both at the star and at its internal star”. 1984 - From Pierre to Maxence Van Der Bauwede

Florian Wagner [Vienna]

Already as a boy, Berlin-born Florian Wagner became acquainted with the world of colours and art through his father, owner of the famous “Studio for Mosaic and Glass-art August Wagner”. Later, his mother Prof. Jucunda Wagner indroduces him to the craft of enamelling and goldsmithing and in 1969 Florian Wagner obtains his Journeyman‘s certificate in Berlin. He then leaves Europe and heads for Johannesburg South Africa where he lives and works until 1973. It is there, where he becomes so captivated by the prevalence and variety of minerals and gemstones that to this day, his work is still influenced by the experience. In 1973 he arrives in Vienna and enrols at the Academy of applied Art where he takes up miniature sculpturing and medal-art, he then goes on and opens the Gallery “Mana” which until 1989 remains one of Vienna’s important showcases of contemporary art. The discourse with modern art not only inspires Florian Wagner’s jewellery designs but also the shape of utensils made in Silver, like the “Teapot for two”(Silvertriennale 1991/92) and finally results in him taking part in the Expo “Diagonal-Austrian Design“ in 1992. Several freely concepted liturgical utensils come about and in 1997, exposure to the rather scant yet aestheticly very expressive Japanese art gives rise to a series of “exotic” pieces of jewellery. The unique use of precious metals and stones in addition to first class workmanship is topic number one at Florian Wagner’s – despite that we never loose sight of the ultimate goal: the wearability of a piece of jewellery and to be in tune with the person who wears it. It is the artist’s need to underline the inner and exterior image of the client. Music provides the inspiration Florian Wagner mostly draws on.

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep6 Fulvio-Maria Scavia, Bernadette Van Gelder,

Van Gelder Indian Jewels [Amsterdam] Bernadette Van Gelder

The prime specialisation of Van Gelder is traditional Indian jewellery. The collection consists of jewellery set with a large variety of fine gems, pearls and decorated with different enamel techniques. A second field well represented by Van Gelder are South Sea Baroque Pearls of exceptional size and quality. The pearls are drilled at our own workshop where they are fitted at the client´s individual requirements.

Fulvio-Maria Scavia [Milan]

The origins of Fulvio Maria Scavia’s success as a multi award-winning designer-jeweller and goldsmith reach back to the small goldsmith’s workshop established by Domenico Scavia in Milan in 1923. Over the years, this resolutely Italian name has risen to a pre-eminent position in the international world of fine jewellery. Through his own long and illustrious career, Fulvio Scavia has combined aesthetic research with ancient jewellery crafts and nature’s most precious resources. He works in his Milan atelier, alongside a team of goldsmiths, creating jewels to stand the test of time and enrich the mystique of the feminine ideal he considers his muse. “Gold is my favourite raw material, perfect for moulding all jewellery creations. The art of the goldsmith reached across centuries, embossing and shaping creativity and intelligence, so that each jewel possesses a rich soul, and becomes a witness to a great Italian tradition. The great charm of the hand-made jewel lies in the fact that it has passed through the hands of someone who has left his mark on his work; each moment of creation is unique.”

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep7 RCM, Epoque Antiques,

RCM [Valenza, Italy] Lorenzo Ricciri

RCM was founded in 1969 by three master goldsmiths: Lorenzo ricci, Adriano Corbellini and Guerino Manfrinati. rCM is headquartered in the traditional Goldsmith region of Valenza, italy, where tradition in this art dates back to 1800. rCM has established itself as a leader in the international jewellery market for its creative design and unique precious stones. Lorenzo Ricci prides himself on being able to create classic designs with a modern appeal. A design easily recognizable; a design that will endure time. in 2002 the city of Valenza bestowed upon rCM the award “ambassador of quality”.

Epoque [Brussels] Patricia De Wit

The company was founded in 1958 by Mrs. Nicole Verschuere and is today one of the leading companies dealing in high quality antique and period jewellery. The company specialises in the very finest jewellery from the 19th and 20th century, with a predilection for Art Nouveau, Garland Style and Art Deco. The collection shows the work of many famous jewellers, such as Cartier, René Lalique, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Mauboussin, Fabergé, Tiffany.

 

SERIES 3 The Royal Jewellers S03 ep8 Gavello, Maierhofer

Gavello [Milan] Elizabetta Gavello

Design, aesthetics, functionality, glamour; a few key words that sum-up Rinaldo Gavello's jewellery creations and his own style. His designs are examples of timeless quality, shaped by the rigorous lines of his rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Anatomic jewellery, comfortable and ergonomic that reflects construction, volume and proportion between gem, metal and human form.

Fritz Maierhofer [Vienna]

In 1967 I was employed by Andrew Grima in London as a goldsmith and ended up staying in England for three years. In 1969 I was put in charge of the ornamental watch collection for Omega at Andrew Grima. Subsequently, I started to get interested in working with contemporary jewellery. I was mainly influenced by Stella Liechtenstein, Jim Dine and Trova, but also by the many colours of London, which contrasted with the greyness of daily life in Vienna.In 1975 I became the owner, with my wife, Sandra, of an old farmhouse in the southern Waldviertel, a wooded area in the country, north of Vienna. Working in the country means an opportunity to work in harmony, focusing on what one has experienced and expressing it in one’s own particular way. I try to show jewellery not only in small, but also in larger dimensions, to present the form more clearly. The relationship between an item of jewellery and the wearer is intense, which means that it is worn both consciously and with emotion at the right moment. I would like to make the following comments regarding my own work: just as letters are symbols which are joined together to form sounds and finally, in their entirety, form language which is communicated to others, I interpret my jewellery objects as signs of an inner order which I, myself, have created and which I attempt to impart to others as well.

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep9 Jewellery Theatre, Andreas Eberharter,

Jewellery Theatre [Moscow] Maxim Voznesensky

Jewelry Theatre was established in Moscow in 1998. Everything started from an unexposed jewelry studio and after eleven years the company has indeed turned into an internationally rated trademark. However, to achieve this you will need a team of like-minded persons – partners and employees, who would live the life of your brand 25 hours day and night. I was lucky since I always had such people around. Currently, our jewelry house has two brands. One of them, Jewelry Theatre, represents 12 permanent jewelry collections, while the other, Maxim Voznesensky, is a sort of emperor lodge of our “theatre” and offers exclusive pieces in single copies only.

Andreas Eberharter [Vienna]

andreas eberharter creates authentic jewelry for real individualists andreas eberharter, goldsmith and sculptor, since 1992 active as a freelance artist in vienna, austria. numerous individual and group exhibits both in austria and abroad. founded the AND_i label in 2001. collections presented at fashion shows internationally in tokyo, sao paolo, paris, bangkok and new york. andreas eberharter’s approach to jewelry is that of a sculptor who seeks free access to expressions of artistic form. he uses new and unusual materials such as aluminum and acrylic glass, but also swarovski crystals and pearls or cubic zirconia. eberharter’s works are eye-catching, intense, clear and uncompromising in design.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S03 ep10 Hemmerle, Padua School Contemporary Jewellery,

Hemmerle [Munich] Christian Hemmerle

In today's world where craftsmanship, individuality and authenticity are increasingly rare, Hemmerle is one of the last pillars protecting a unique family heritage of superior craftsmanship. The tradition was established in the 19th Century when the brothers Joseph and Anton Hemmerle were appointed by the Bavarian Court as purveyors of Medals and ornaments. In 1904 Hemmerle opened its doors on the Maximilian Strasse offering traditional designed jewellery of exceptional quality. 1971 bore witness to the re-invention of the Hemmerle brand under the direction of Joseph's grandson Stefan, a visionary with a sculpture's eye. Today the house remains a fourth generation family business with Stefan at the helm his wife, Sylveli, his son Christian and daughter-in-law Yasmin by his side. The entire family is involved with each intricate design and is immersed in every detail to give a unique stamp of personality to every piece that leaves the Hemmerle atelier.

Padova e la Scuola dell'oro (Italian Contemporary Jewellery. Padua and its Jewellery School)

Alberta Vita was born in Italy in 1956. She studied at the Pietro Selvatico Art Institute of Padua where she graduated in 1975, where she later also taught between 1989-1996. She has taken part in numerous exhibitions worldwide and her works are exhibited on a permanent basis in the Museo d'Arti Applicate, Musei Civici di Padova. The choice of dedicating herself to contemporary jewellery stemmed from the influence received from other artists in Padua such as Francesco Pavan, Giampaolo Babetto, Piergiuliano Reveane. Her research stems from the study of pure geometrical forms and from the passion for precious stones. Her works present movement, reflect light and different colour tones created by the moving stones in her pieces. Alberta is the ambassador for Peace Marker Italy, and one of 198 collaborating artists working together to shape the global peace offering known as the Worldwide Peace Marker Project. She is widely known for her unique and innovative studio jewellery. Her approach to her art is sculptural with a meticulous penchant for symmetries of elegant and precise intersections of geometry and meaning. Alberta liberates raw gems to yield their beauty while masterfully shielding the gems private mysteries from the possessor of the work. She gives us a new way to experience wearable art. Alberta extends the utility of a ring or a necklace into a narrative of respect for the natural beauty of the earth and an understanding of the elegant way by which we, and everything else, are ultimately connected as one.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep1 Van Cleef & Arpels, Ilias Lalaounis Museum,

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Stanislas de Quercize

The story begins as most fairy tales end with a heaven sent wedding between Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. Estelle is the daughter of a precious stone wholesaler and the sister of expert gemmologists. Alfred is the son of a diamond merchant from Amsterdam. The year is 1896, the die is cast, their adventure will be enriched over the year by fidelity, feminity, glamour and excellence. Today, the spirit of the family is alive: creativity and craftsmanship are pillars of the Van Cleef & Arpels soul expressed through the technical mastery with the Mystery Setting or the expertise in the art of transformations.

LALAOUNIS MUSEUM Joanna Lalaounis

"A piece of jewelry carries a message, has a story to tell . . . It is jewelry with a soul". Ilias Lalaounis, a fourth generation jeweler, has become renowned for creating luxurious gold jewelry steeped in history. Lalaounis creations represent a synthesis of past and present, a unique interpretation of ancient civilisation or culture translated into a modern idiom. Influences as diverse as the Neolithic age, Mycenaean art, the Byzantine era, pre-Columbian architecture as well as science and nature, have all inspired the Lalaounis collections.

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep2 Buccellati, Bentley & Skinner,

BUCCELLATI Maria-Cristina Buccellati

It has been said of Gianmaria Buccellati that he creates 'paintings' using gold, silver and precious gemstones, such is the beauty of the pieces this second generation master goldsmith fashions. From the moment the concept for a piece enters his mind to the moment it is realised, Gianmaria never strays too far from the centre of creativity; the workrooms that his father Mario had established a generation before.

BENTLEY & SKINNER Mark Evans

Bentley & Skinner, Jewellers by Royal Appointment to both Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, have between them been buying and selling the loveliest jewellery for over 180 years Today Bentley & Skinner continues in the tradition that has helped to make Bond Street a synonym for all that is excellent in the civilised world.

 

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep3 Roberto Coin, Ilias Lalaounis

ROBERTO COIN Roberto Coin

Finest handmade gold jewelry with diamonds and coloured stones. Production of necklaces, bracelets, bangles, rings, earrings, pendants, chains, etc. Solid, semi-solid and hollow collections of high quality and latest fashion trends.

ILIAS LALAOUNIS Maria Lalaounis

4,000 year old tradition of Greek art is kept alive. Age old techniques such as granulation, filigree and hand hammering are used along side modern techniques, to create jewelry inspired by ancient civilizations.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep4 Anna-Maria Camilli, Wartski

ANNA MARIA CAMILLI - Riccardo Rennai

Designer jewelry with an inimitable style. Art and fashion are mixed in an original creative message. Annamaria Cammilli is proposing different collections, where gold alloy is always very original: many different colours of gold, often mixed together. Diamonds pavé and 18kt gold are often mixed with original cut of precious and semiprecious stones and south sea pearls. This brand is creating jewelry in Firenze since 1982

WARTSKI - Geoffrey Munn

Wartski is a family owned firm of art and antique dealers, specialising in fine jewellery, gold boxes and works by Fabergé. The firm was founded in North Wales in 1865 by Morris Wartski, maternal great-grandfather of the present day Chairman. The business thrived under the patronage of King Edward VII and a colourful clientele including the Marquis of Anglesey known as the 'dancing Marquis' with his penchant for emerald set ping-pong shirts, and the nocturnal Mr Blair who questioned the spirits in his walled garden before deciding on a purchase.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep5 Zolotas, Staurino,

ZOLOTAS - Marianne Papalexis

In a marriage of myth, culture and contemporary design, Zolotas breath new life into the antiquities of Greece displaying in their pieces an homogenous blend of the ancient and the modern wrought from the simplicity of gold and silver. In its own way, a Zolotas creation can bridge the chasm between the mortal and the immortal as images of Danae, Aphrodite and Athena adorn the necks and wrists of modern day muses.

STAURINO - David Staurino

Madame Butterfly, reflects our choice to go back to a past of all white and lightness of transparencies, the guide-lines of all new Staurino high fashion creations. Madame Butterfly alternates very light volumes obtained by combining elements reminiscent of the shapes of small fans, a typical Japanese ornament: hence, the name inspired to the renowned opera by Puccini. A wise use of diamond marquises highlights and embellishes full and empty spaces that give the jewel a feeling of total lightness, almost as if it were a butterfly, hovering in the air. Luxury has no limits. Just like seduction

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep6 Picchiotti, Stephen Webster,

PICCHIOTTI - Maria Carola Picchiotti

Picchiotti is worldwide renowned as a premier manufacturing company of one-of-a-kind pieces. A special characteristic of Picchiotti's distinctive designs is the signature use of calibrated stones, such as squares and baguettes. This is a highly demanding and expensive aspect of jewelry design since the stones are extremely difficult to work with, and nobody uses them as extensively as Picchiotti.

STEPHEN WEBSTER - Stephen Webster

Stephen Webster is regarded as the UK's most innovative jewellery designer of our time. Having received countless coveted industry awards as well as becoming a firm favourite with celebrities across the globe, from Madonna to Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, Kate Moss, Sir Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne and Cameron Diaz to name but a few. His bold, colourful designs make their way to Basel for 2008 with the new collections "Poison Ivy" and "Fly by Night" and new additions to the Signature Thorn collection, all encompassing the Stephen Webster hallmark of edge, attitude and excellence.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep7 Luca Carati, Henry Dunay,

LUCA CARATI - Gianluca Buttini

Luca Carati style represents the harmonic equilibrium between the artisanal tradition of Valenza and a new desire of innovation. Present and future, classic and contemporary, white and coloured diamonds meet synergistically and reach, in each Luca Carati creation, the highest expression.

Henry Dunay

Henry Dunay designs are crafted in 18 kt gold. Dunay only uses top quality russian cut diamonds. His precious and semi-precious stones are collected by him personally by the top sources of the world. Henry Dunay designs are exclusive and many are one of a kind pieces.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep8 Carnet, Georg Jensen,

CARNET - Michelle Ong

A disciple of jeweller-genius JAR, who’s work is already fetching record prices at Christies/Sothebys auctions , HK-based Michelle Ong’s jewels can take over 5-6 years to create for her exclusive clients.

GEORG JENSEN - Ulrich Garde Due

Founded in Denmark in 1904, Georg Jensen's jewellery and watches have always represented uncompromising craftsmanship combined with timeless design. Its pure, elegant design style is favoured by millions around the world and it is often quoted as one of Scandinavia's most recognised luxury brands.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep9 Lina Fanourakis, Pasquale Bruni,

FANOURAKIS Lina Fanourakis

She folds, hammers, nails and roughens precious metals, yet at the same time caresses them. "In a jewelry studio we learn to value and appreciate metals and stones," Fanourakis says, "but while we work on them, we treat them like any other kind of material. Think of how gold turns black, and then you hammer it. It is not a pretty sight, and it loses its preciousness. It is when the piece is finished that it regains its beauty and value."

PASQUALE BRUNI Pasquale Bruni

Simple, unique shapes: bright, shining stars, flowers and hearts. Pasquale Bruni plays with emotions, forms enveloping structures and creates sensational effects with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, topazes and tourmalines. His collections display a distinctive style, unconventional and harmonious: a delight to look at, a pleasure to wear.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep10 Leo DeVroomen, Francois Mellerio,

DEVROOMEN Leo Devroomen London

Leo de Vroomen is recognised today as one of the world’s most prestigious designers of bespoke jewellery. Born in Holland during the Second World War, Leo was the youngest of eight siblings and the family tulip growing business was long since spoken for. From an early age he dreamed of a more artistic life, a world away from farming. Following his apprenticeship in The Hague and qualifying as a Master Goldsmith in Switzerland he came to London in 1965. Whilst lecturing in jewellery design at the Central School of Art and Design (now Central St. Martins) he met Ginnie, his future wife, design partner and muse. This successful relationship resulted in the formation of De Vroomen Design.

MELLERIO Francois Mellerio Paris

The grandfather of the current directors, a modest and extremely discreet man, Charles Mellerio belongs to the long line of artists in the family. His watercolours were exhibited many times at the Salon des Artistes Français at the Grand Palais and he received the Prix de Rome award for drawing at the age of 20. Nonetheless, he had to renounce the reward for this prize – a one-year stay at the Villa Médicis – and the artistic career of his dreams to take on his role in the family business. There he learned the profession of jeweller and was, in this respect, awarded the title of best craftsman in France. He ultimately declared that he was prouder of this award than the Prix de Rome… Like his grandfather Jean-François and his father Raphaël before him, he himself designed the jewels that can still be admired in the Company’s archives. Charles Mellerio was thus one of the few jewellers to be both craftsman and company director, dividing his time between “the peg” and the accounts books. How better to manage a company than by having an intimate knowledge of all of its workings and mastering the profession with heart, hand and soul?

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S02 ep11 Patrick Mauboussin, Alberto Sabadini,

MAUBOUSSIN - Patrick Mauboussin

In 1827, Mr Rocher started the jewellery designs behind Mauboussin. The universal exhibitions of Vienna and then Paris contributed greatly to the brand’s growing success. The great exhibition of Decorative Arts gave recognition to Mauboussin’s know-how. Throughout the 20th century, Mauboussin’s jewellery design went hand in hand, and even sometimes preceded, aesthetic trends and delighted jewellery lovers such as Marlene Dietrich. Mauboussin has long been known for its brilliant use of colorful stones—in 1939 Charlie Chaplin bought his wife, Paulette Goddard, a dazzling gold bracelet with floral motifs in cabochon emeralds and diamonds to console her for not getting the role of Scarlett in Gone with the Wind—and the current collection continues that tradition.

SABBADINI - Alberto Sabbadini

The Sabbadini Jewellery Company has been a family business for several generations. Following in the footsteps of his father Bruno Sabbadini, a widely-experienced stone dealer, company president, Alberto Sabbadini, has been involved in the business for 40 years. His wife Stefania and son Pierandrea are always beside him to present the glamorous Sabbadini Jewellery collections all over the world.

 

 

THE ROYAL JEWELLERS SERIES 1 [18x26min episodes]

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep1 Laurence Graff, Patrick Mauboussin & Henry Dunay.

"LONDON- Laurence Graff- A London "rock star" [Diamonds]. It has already been said that more important gem quality diamonds have passed through his hands than any other living dealer.

He [Mike Tyson] was a very nice fellow and I took a view when I let him walk out of the shop with $1M of merchandise, he said he’d be paying. I don’t think a man of such high profile wouldn’t pay and on his second visit to London, he walked into this showroom, came to this desk where we are sitting and put his arm around me and kissed me. I looked at him and said, "but Mike, you owe me money!" "What, he never paid it, son of a gun, white trash etc, etc." . It was scary. Nevertheless in a few days it was paid up. It was good publicity.

PARIS - Patrick Mauboussin - Royal Jeweller & maker ofanimatronic objets d'art, Mauboussin also adds project managing agiant jewel in the form of the Place Vendome residence ofthe Sultan of Brunei to his collection.

I discovered that from nothing, from a piece of flat metal, with your hand and with a wish that you have, you can hammer it perfectly or create something and from nothing you create something that has a proper life. .

NEW YORK - Henry Dunay- Irrespressible multi-awared-winning Jeweller/Goldsmith to the stars.

One of the funniest things was making a chastity belt for a woman. Her husband ordered it and she would come in, in black leotards and we would adjust it and measure it, and fit it and finally, the hardest part was the lock and then I had to make a diamond key!

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep2 , Christies Jewellery Dept, Victor Mayer & Illario

PARIS - Francois Curiel - Christies - The hand that rocks the gavel in multi-million dollar jewellery auctions. His promotion, or rather lack of promotion, makes everyone want to buy a piece of jewellery by JAR. I remember the first exhibition in 1977 in New York. You were given a flashlight and a catalogue and you were asked to go into a room which was semi dark because it was like a treasure hunt. I don't know if you have been to his shop at 7 place Vendome in Paris. It is a shop where there is nothing in the window, not even a name. There is a nasty little bell and none of this business of here come and look at my marvellous jewels - nothing. And if they don't know you and you press the bell, they say ' what do you want?' Well I would like to see some jewellery! Sorry we are a small firm, we have nothing to show you, there is nothing today. So they make it very, very difficult for you to buy.

MUNICH- Marcus Mohr - Faberge - Master Craftsman of the late Czar's favourite gift item-the imperial egg. Faberge actually was not considered a goldsmith himself. He was not making the things himself and there are only a few sketches that he actually drew himself. Different so-called work masters who were working more or less independently under his surveillance made the items. One was a specialist in enameling, one was specialised in silver, the other in jewellery.

VALENZA- Pietro-Luigi Illario, Mario Dessi - Valenca, ItalyJewellers the "make" behind many Place Vendome jewellers. Ten years ago I thought I would like to design jewellery for passion. I knew the technical side of the business, the style. As a designer, it is important to use emotion. Emotion is being able to see things, to observe people, to draw the designs that are different. When I draw jewelery designs I don't think about jewellery, I don't look at the window of a jewellery shop for inspiration. It is only to know what exists in the marketplace so that it is not possible to draw something similar.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep3 Dior, Asprey & Adler

"PARIS - Victoire de Castellane -Christian Dior Jewellery -Already one ofParis' leading fashion houses,and part ofBernardArnaud's LVMH, ex-Chanel jewellery-designer Victoire de Castellanehas been charged with the task ofcreating a jewellery "New Look".

My father’s godmother was Barbara Hutton from the Woolworth’s family. Barbara Hutton gave to my mother beautiful jewelry. When I was five years old, I saw this jewelry and used a scizzors to cut it . I took it to my mother, and I started to change it, to transform it. When she finally saw it because I left all the pieces on the floor, she screamed "What happened to my jewelry?" I replied very naturally, "I am doing something better".

LONDON- William Asprey - The new "Asprey" on MountStreet under the auspices ofthe Asprey Family.

Because of my family history people know us they, have something unqiue and special they will call us and say, hey you know I've got something special I would like you to see it. So we will go and see it or they will bring it to us. O.k. we say we have, 1, 2, 3 clients who we really think this would just knock their socks off and they would have to have it. When you are talking about very special items you don't want them put in a shop window. I have taken three trunks full of goods to a client - you are asked to come and you go. When they see you is when they have the time. So yes you might have to wait for a week. Luckily with the advent of mobile phones you can actually wait slightly further away.

GENEVA- Carlos & Franklin Adler - Turkish born, Swiss trained innovative jewellers.

My father was going crazy when he saw the way my grandfather acted. Because my grandfather if he didn't like a customer , he threw them out. It was as simple as that. The first thing my father did, the moment my grandfather died , was take an axe and smash the shop to pieces.. he had such strong feelings. He hired a good architect, who was Swedish living in Turkey and made a total modern concept of a shop .

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep4 Lalique, Webster & Canturi

"PARIS - Gerard Tavenas - Lalique - Handcrafted Glass & Jewellery.

Henri Lalique has designed about 400 different models of scent bottles and today people are collecting those antique scent bottles. There was auction and one bottle was sold for 300,000 Euros!

LONDON- Stephen Webster - Ex-Punk Jeweller to Madonna & Guy Ritchie.

I was a punk and I was completely punk and I was probably one of the only ones in Hatton gardens at the time. I used to get picked on for that reason but I don't know if it was stubbornness or what, I stuck to that and I also stuck to jewellery. I went and worked for a designer, and it was then that I actually realized that there is much more to this industry.

SYDNEY- Stefano Canturi - JEWELLER - Moulin Rouge Necklace for Nicole Kidman & Belly-button for Britney Spears.

Moulin Rouge, and working with Nicole Kidman came about because of "word of mouth". Baz Luhrman and Catherine approached me and we sat together and he said to me, "I want professionals to walk into my movie and sit down and not be able to fault it. How do I do that?". I replied "The only way to do that is to make it real".

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep5 ST Dupont, Terzano & Verdura

"PARIS - William Christie - ST Dupont - precision French writing instrument and lighter manufacturer.

Dupont is a brand that started in 1872 mainly as a leather goods manufacturer producing very, very high quality leather goods for the most famous people in the world. For example the gift from the French Republic to Queen Elizabeth the II on her marriage was a Dupont travelling case.

MILAN- Roberta & Alessandro Terzano - JEWELLERS -Valenza's Italo-Germanic mix.

It is very difficult to work in a family business, but at the same time, the force is together. We have different tastes and often quarrel, crying and shouting here in this office - but this is normal for Italians because we are passionate.

NEW YORK - Ward Ladragin- Fuoco Verdura - Jeweller who used to design for Chanel.

I first heard about Verdura in a sort of embarrassing way. It was 1969 and I was doing an appraisal in Dallas Texas for Lilly Ponds - she was a big movie star in her day. She was French and she was also an Opera Singer before she became a Movie Star and she had a lot of Verdura jewellery. I had never ever seen the name before and this jewellery was quite amazing, it was sort of stars and comets. I asked "Can you tell me more about it?" I was 24 and I was head of the jewellery department at Sotherby's. She said "Young man, you don't know who Fuoco Verdura is?" I said "No I don't" She said "When you get back to New York you should find out!"

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep6 Repossi, Scavia & Robert Lee Morris.

"PARIS - Alberto Repossi - A Monte-Carlo Jeweller in Paris.

You can imagine 32 year ago it was a big adventure to go to the Tribal zone of Bhurma or Pakistan. To buy raw stones you must carry cash money so you are not very sure that once you buy you would actually reach home safely. So our philosophy was always to buy four and to leave one behind like a sample - take the sample for my next trip so you have the sample for the colour we need. This was insurance. It was therefore not necessary to kill us and to take the money and the stones.

MILAN- Fulvio-Maria Scavia- Sculptor ofArchitectural jewelleryand winner of numerous DEBEERS diamond awards.

I was very arrogant at that time. I would say "I show the world what I feel, and what I feel would be the best".Now I wouldn’t say something like that, at age 54, but at that time I was very strong and engaging and proud. Proud in the sense that I knew I wanted to work hard, to make the best .

NEW YORK - Rob Lee Morris - When Warhol was painting,Lee Morris was sculpting. Creator ofthe concept of"Art Jewellery" ,he also creates for Donna Karan.

I had been discovered at a craft fair by a very prominent gallery owner - Mrs. Joan Sonovan And 'Sculpture to Wear' was really the thing that turned it all on for me. It was jewellery by very famous artists, that most people don't even know about - Picasso, Man Ray, Arp, Max Ernst, all the great ones, Brach, Miro they all did some kind of jewellery, and in that jewellery everything about that artist came forward. So I said to myself 'Oh my God this who I am, this is what I want to do and I am not famous for anything else yet, but I want to use jewellery as my primary medium of art'.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep7 Lorenz Baumer, Jeremy Morris & Lina Fanourakis

"PARIS - Lorenz Baumer - Designer behing Chanel, Cartier, Piaget, Swatch creations.

You have to do two things at once. You have to be very knowledgeable of all the process and at the same time you have to forget about all of that, because pretty often you'll design something and the workshops they will always tell you, you can't do it, because it is very complicated to do. They don't want to take the chance of it not working out because it will be there fault. So you have to say I want it done this way and that is it, so just find a solution.

LONDON- Jeremy Morris - David Morris - London's modern"renaissance man" ofJewellery combines classic worksmanship with re-invigorated design.

I was really good at it. I don’t know why I made the choice. But what I do know is that once I actually started to make it, I found it enormously gratifying and actually 20 years later I think some of the most gratifying experiences I had was when I finished a piece of jewelry. It is a very fulfilling feeling.

ATHENS- Lina Fanourakis - Perhaps it is the way Lina Fanourakis is able to create "fabric texture" with gold, or her passionwith combining fashion with antique jewellery settings which sets her apart.

I wanted to make big pieces, not very luxurious, not very shiny – the opposite. Really wrinkled and very, very sculptured but at the same time very light so that they are easily wearable. Because I always think that jewels have to be worn to enjoy them. Then I thought maybe I should take a sheet of really, really fine gold and burn it and wrinkle it, so this could be the "sculpture part" and then place another sheet underneath as support, so it became as thick as I want it, as big as I want it, and in between the two sheets of gold it was air. .

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep8 Judith Lieber, Richemont, Sabadini

"NEW YORK - Victor Lipko - Judith Lieber - Glitzy-glamour evening jewellery in the shape of a purse.

She made beautiful products, and they lasted. She would go on a public appearance and a woman would come and say, Mrs. Leiber I bought this fifteen years ago, see how great it is. And she would says"It is time you bought another one!" Judith started making handbags on her own in 1963.She became a GI bride, came to the United States after the war and worked for the most prestigious Handbag Company at the time, which was Nettie Rosenstein. In fact Judith made Mamie Eisenhower's inaugural bag, with the Nettie Rosenstein label. Eventually she got tired of working for other people and in 1963 she hung out her own shingle.

PARIS - Michel Gouten - LANCEL - VP Cartier & CEO Lancel chats about the latest Richemont acquisition.

The potential today for a "small" luxury company is larger because the large luxury conglomerates have extended the taste of the people. If you are a creator and you give to the people something attractive and someting that they really love, they will buy and you will be a success.

MILAN- Piero Sabadini - Next generation of a Milanese housewhich specialises in the biggest & most colorful diamonds.

The first time I had a fancy pink diamond in my hand 5 or 6 carat heart shape and it had a value of maybe 200,000 $ per carat I was 23 years old. I remember I called my father in Italy and I said I had known that he had seen them before but I was holding something that at the time was worth one million dollars. When you put something like that in your hand it gives you a push to study and to go on and see what else there is.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep9 Gaspari, Christofle & Chopard

"VALENZA- Odile & Maria Gaspari - "Haute Jeweller" located in a Medieval Castle in Valenza - the heart of Italian Fine Jewellery.

I was always in love with the jewelry, since I was a baby. When I was a baby my mother used to put me in the office behind us, with a bag and I used to sleep there. When I was 7 years old I went to Moussaieff in London and Schlomo had two sapphires in his hand and asked me which sapphire was from Kashmir. I looked at them and said this one is Kashmir. He told my mother, "I can’t believe it, how can she say that this is Kashmir?", because I was only 7 years old.

PARIS - Albert Bouilhet - Christofle - Dynasty of silversmiths and sculptors.

In 1830 two brothers in laws one was called Charles Christofle and the other was Joseph Bouilhet were partners in jewellery store in Paris. Ten years later in 1840 they met a rather very strange type of character that you would find in the middle of the 19th century this man was called Henri De Ruolz - He was a chemist, a play writer, an opera composer and most likely a crook on top of all that. He sold to my ancestors the patent of Electroplating, which he pretended that he had invented, and in reality, he had worked on the work of two brilliant British silversmiths called Elkington.

GENEVA- Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele - Chopard - Hands-on family jewellery dynasty known for their 'Happy Diamonds".

Once I went to an exhibition and it was one of the very first that my father sent me to, in the Philippines[at the time of Imelda Marcos]. They needed a family member and I was just 17 and I was just sort of helping out. My father told them, 'the Vice President will be coming' and as I walked out of the plane with jeans and t-shirt they asked "Where is the Vice President?' and then our representative said, 'She is here'. Then they said, 'Oh my God she is a kid!'.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep10 Bulgari, Swarovski & Kieselstein-Cord

"ROME- Francesco Trapani - Bulgari family member Trapani heads Italy's leading jewellery house.

My relationship with P & G [Procter & Gamble] started before Gianlucca [Brozetti- now CEO of ASPREY] in the sense I was a very good friend of a certain number of their people. One of them is Tony Belloni, who became COO of LVMH . This was at the beginning of the 80’s and I started going out with Tony and some others and a little later I learnt that the world of management was something I didn’t know at all and they started teaching me a certain number of things. .

PARIS - Rosemarie Le Gallais- D. Swarovski - Cut-glass Fashion Jewellery Accessories.

I have a very funny approach, you know, I never think about something being impossible. We are working with wonderful artisans, most of them in Paris for the moment. Sometimes when I give them the idea in the beginning they say 'Its impossible". When someone says it is impossible I become move convinced that I have to try. This "innocence" gives sometimes a really wonderful result. I put things in total contrast, with unexpected materials. I would put crystals with wood, or crystal with fur, and that made it modern and interesting and then you find ways of using it.

NEW YORK - Barry Kieselstein Cord - Jeweller/Artist whose work is exhibited in the Louvre

A few weeks ago, I had some people in here and they said "Oh you like old cars?" and I said "Yes I have a car racing team, we travel all around the country racing cars" They said "Excuse me...Wait a minute I thought you were a jewellery designer?" And I replied "Well, yes, I do that too". My dream when I was young, besides getting into these great museums, and making an indelable American brand, was very much to have an atelier very much like one of the Sun Kings.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep11 - Robert Mouawad, Manolo Carrera

LONDON- Robert Mouawad - The only jeweller to receive the GIA's Lifetime Achievement Award, Robert Mouawad takes us on a tour ofhis workshops in 3 continents aboard his business jet, and leisurely cruise through the Greek Islands on his 210 ft "Cedar Sea". You know stones are my heart, they are my life, my passion. I breathe through stones. I used to buy big rough and cut them, to get the biggest stones ever, and the best quality. I was the one to own for instance, the Jubilee. I owned the Premier Rose and from that time I cut three stones over 100 carats and they do carry my name. Whoever today wants a big stone, does not have many addresses to visit, I am one of them.

MADRID- Maria Eugenia Giron - ex-Loewe, now Carrera's CEO MADRID- Manuel Carrera - Carrera y Carrera It is an artistic job, artistic work that creates a piece of vanity, in a world of vanity . It is not just something to put on a mantle piece. It is something spiritual and something cultural. It is the only thing along with architecture and art that represents history. You can see the history of a nation through its jewellery. The biggest desire that the musician Rostropovich has, is to come to Madrid and have a glass of wine and a little bit of Tapas with me in the centre of Madrid. We are the best of friends, twin souls and talk for hours even though I don't understand nor speak French and he doesn't speak Spanish.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep12 Lalaounis, DeVroomen & Piranesi

ATHENS- Ilias Lalaounis - "Grecian Gold" inspired by history and prehistory. The big imagination that I have, if I was for example sculpting in marble - one piece every two or three years I would never have been able to realize more than 60,000 designs that I have created.

LONDON- Leo Devroomen - Dutch goldsmith based in London David Thomas was the golden boy of the Goldsmiths Hall. I was very lucky to meet him. He had just left the Royal College, and he had no money and he employed one very young apprentice craftsman and I went to see him on a Saturday morning on my day off. His mum told me where he was, it was pure accident. David said sit down and see if you can make these rings. My break came because David could not really afford me and he thought "I'll get him a teaching job at the Colledge here in London at the Central School of Art and Design". It had only just been set up and they were looking for tutors. He was teaching there himself and they needed someone to show the practical side and that was the best type of education that anybody could ever have.

NEW YORK - Sami Habijay - Piranesi Jewellers 20 to 30 years ago there was a room for a lot of people to make money, the guys buying the rough from the mine, selling it in Bangkok, dealers going to Bangkok buying the stones and bringing them in and selling to the other dealers, these people selling to the manufacturer, the manufacturer selling it to the retail store. A piece that came from the mines at $1,000.00 per carat, by the time it would reach the customer it would be $5,000.00. Now there is no middle man, he has gone. Now you are talking to manufacturers and they are buying direct from the source, trying to go to the retail stores and direct to the private customer.

 

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep13 - FRED, McCabe McCarty & CHOPARD LUC

PARIS - Dominique Watine Arnault & Yan Sicard - FRED -Sister of LVMH's Bernard Arnault and French jewellery designer Sicard, take over from where Henri Samuels left off. When I arrived at Fred, Mr. Fred asked me "I have a big client who would like to buy rare blue stones. I can't find a blue stone". I replied "I'll have to think about it and perhaps it's possible for me. I have a good friend, and my friend has a 26 carats flawless blue diamond". When I met Mr. Fred I said "I think I have found the stone for your client" and he sold it.

LONDON- David McCarty- McCabe-McCarty - London's quintessential objet d'art makers [ex-Cartier]. When i first joined the company which was 1959, Cartier were all owned by the Cartier family. Jack Cartier owned the London business and his cousins had the other two, and he was the last one to sell. He used to give me my bonus every christmas. He was lovely, great guy, Ialways thought that he was a little bit nervous and shy in some ways about us. We were in awe of him. It was sort of tweedle dum and tweedle dee really.

GENEVA- Karl-Friedrich Scheufele - CHOPARD LUC People like to know who is behind the product. They like to see there is a continuation, there is tradition, it is a family company involved. It is not just another name that has been bought by another name.

 

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep14- Damiani, Bielka & Mellerio.

"MILAN- Silvia Damiani - Damiani is the fifth biggest jewellery company in the world.- still family owned.

It was 1994 and I was travelling with my father. We were in China and I remember it was a very surreal situation. We were on the border taking a train going from one country to the other it was like duty free place at a station and a big poster of Isabella Rossellini there looking at me, and she was so beautiful (and in the place was not beautiful at all). She represented beauty for me. We were in the middle of nowhere. I was tired, it was raining and I started to think 'that woman has so many things together in herself. She is Italian but she is international. She is really in my point of view an Icon of a certain type of intellectual beauty.

NEW YORK - Robert Bielka - The designer ofthe "ASPREY SUNFLOWER".

In 1973 my wife and I realised that to really get into fine jewellery New York was the place to be. and I got a job at Cartier. I have a book which shows the Cartier workshop from 1920, 1925 and it looked exactly the same, it hadn't changed in fifty years. I got lucky enough to sit right across from the two best jewellers in the shop, and so I was constantly watching. One guy called me the giraffe because I was always looking over.

PARIS - Francois Mellerio - 14 generations of Jewellers.

Mellerio is a very old family firm and was created in 1613 and I am the 14th generation. We have always been in the jewellery business - high jewellery, and also clock, watches and silver. We are definitely the oldest jeweller in France and maybe even in the world!

 

The Royal Jewellers ep15 Van Cleef & Arpels, Hafner & Leroy

"PARIS - Isabelle Guichot - Van Cleef& Arpels. After 14 yearsat Cartier ,the rising Star of Vendome tackles the arch-rival VanCleef & Arpels

A family run business, is a wonderful story because it gives a lot of archives, stories to tell and basically it gives the name and the patronage. On the other side the problem is that most of the time in those families you get different branches with different goals in life, different ways, different stories and over time it freezes totally the growth of the company .

BOLOGNA- Stefan Hafner - Jeweller to the Stars.

You know I've had Royal Highnesses in front of me or me in front of her, now I get confused if she is in front of me or I am in front of her because there is a moment you are there, you are shy, you are a bit nervous , when she looks at it and she loves it. This is the moment you feel equal to anybody in this world. It is such a gratifying feeling. You need this like you need food! But it has one draw back. It is not a money making proposition really. A friend of mind told me "Stefan you are too much in love with this business you will never make money". But I am happy if I make enough to give life to these designs you see.

PARIS - Pascal Courteault - Leroy Watches - French HauteHorology - makers ofperfectionist watches - the watch ofKings and Eisenhowers.

The big problem is in the watch making business is that most of the watches come on the market as a two handed watch and then people try to put things on top of it, a calendar, a perpetual calendar, moon face or a power indicator. These movements are not designed for that.

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep16 La Nouvelle Bague, Boucheron, Fortunoff

"FLORENCE- Leopoldo Poli - La Nouvelle Bague - An actual"Renaissance Man" living in the real renaissance city of Florence,Tuscan jeweller LNB is leading the new renaissance of Italian wearable art.

My passion, my love is for art. I was a very, very bad student but I liked to learn. I wanted to know why beauty is beauty? Why beauty gives, as it is still giving me now, such emotion.

PARIS - Jean-Claude Le Rouzic- Boucheron - One ofParis' oldestJewellery houses located on Place Vendome.

I thought that the translation of the jewellery world into a perfume was insufficient. So when we started to work for Boucheron the concept was to go as far as we can to make the perfume be like a jewel.

NEW YORK - Helene Fortunoff- JEWELLER -5th Ave Jewellery Dynasty.

I like to get to the source. I mean we call ourselves Fortunoff the Source, and I would not be happy if I were not going and being able to purchase at where I knew I was getting the right price and where I could have an active negotiation. Part of the pleasure of the jewellery business, I would say is outright negotiation and understanding the nuances of the deal There is a huge amount of merchandise and you have rejection and you are able to tailor your parcels and when you are looking at million and millions of dollars of merchandise, it takes time, but you will get what you need.

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep17 Franck Muller, Moussaieff & Avakian

"GENEVA- Franck Muller - Grand Master ofComplications -genius watchmaker to the Stars.

I am able to imagine the individual parts and watch assembly in my mind - like a computer, without having to draw it or put it down on paper. I know the exact direction to take and what I have to do and I can design with my mind. This talent is extremely useful for antique watch restoration because when you see a movement, many of the parts are lost . You have to reinvent the missing parts, the mechanism and have parts made to the same specification as the original. You must match style, art and technology.

LONDON- Alisa Moussaieff- Royal Jewellers and dealers inmulti-million dollar jewels in the world.

Middle Eastern buyers are highly sophisticated shoppers, they don't want last years fashion, they want next years fashion. You've got to build a piece of jewellery keeping in mind that you may have to change it for them in a couple of years time, if they are fed up with the style.

GENEVA- Edmund Avakian - Royal Jewellers.

What do you do if somebody comes at 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon for example, and wants to buy an important piece and pulls out the cheque book- he wants to pay you. He might be the most famous guy on the NASDAC or the most famous crook. So you have to use a lot of judgement.

The Royal Jewellers S01 ep18 FP Journe, David Webb & Asprey's Brozetti

"GENEVA- Francois- Paul Journe - Master Watchmaker and protege of English watchmaker George Daniels.

The first year I presented my collection in Basel, there was just two watches in my collection. In a few days, I met all the important distributors from the whole world. My head was spinning! At 17 when I was working in my uncle’s workshop on antique watches, I was working on watches from the 16th Century, 17th, and 18th Century.All the richness of the watchmakers art of this time was extraordinary, because watchmaking was an avantgarde science and there was an array of incredibly creative people involved at the time. And I was being introduce to the biggest collectors.

NEW YORK - Stan Silverstein - David Webb - US Jewelleryinstitution - creator ofbig - bold jewellery pieces.

Webb's designs were bold, and it was never understated. It was never subtle it was designed to make a statement. It wasn't your traditional, take a stone, put 4 prongs around it and put it in a ring. It was really more wearable art. Every piece had something to say. We were never accused of being stone dealers we were jewellers. I always like to say that the price was greater than the some of the parts, because we always had so much other stuff in each piece, whether it was labour, attention to detail and it was just the way it was put together. It wasn't just pieces of stones and metal.

PARIS - Gianluca Brozetti - Ex-Bulgari, now Louis Vuitton[although he recently moved to Asprey in London]

When we were in McKenzie, the Gucci family was run by Maurizio with his cousins. They wanted to make the transition from family to management so they came to McKenzie and they got a General manager and a team of people from McKenzie's. It failed. Luxury goods have a spirit, have a soul. They are not just numbers, they are not just logistics they are not just mechanisms, there is something intangible that we sell to our clients that goes beyond the product. So on one side understanding the philosophy of the family which has been creating a successful story, I think it is a key ingredient to continue the successful story later on when you bring in more management, more systems, more professionalism - you should never forget that the success of that product started from a family where there was something intangible.