Chaumet

Chaumet () is a French luxury jewellery and watch house based in Paris.

Chaumet is a jewellery and watchmaking designer founded in 1780 by Marie-Étienne Nitot. Fourteen artisans ply their trade in the workshop on Place Vendôme under the direction of foreman Benoit Verhulle. Since 1999, it has been part of the luxury goods portfolio LVMH.

History

Nitot Period (1780–1815)

Marie-Étienne Nitot (1750–1809) settled in Paris in 1780 after having served his apprenticeship at Aubert, then jeweller to Queen Marie-Antoinette. His aristocratic clientele remained loyal to him until the French Revolution in 1789. It was after this that the Nitot jewellery house really took off, becoming the official jeweller of Napoleon I in 1804.

With the help of his son François Regnault (1779–1853), Nitot created jewellery for the French Empire. The jewellery for Napoleon's wedding to Joséphine de Beauharnais, and later to Archduchess Marie Louise, was created by Nitot. Several other pieces for Marie Louise, including the Napoleon Diamond Necklace and the Marie Louise Diadem, were commissioned from Nitot by Napoleon to celebrate the birth of his son. Nitot also designed and set the hilt of Napoleon’s coronation sword and many other piece for the court

François Regnault Nitot took over his father's jewellery house on his death in 1809 and continued his activity until the fall of the Empire in 1815. Napoleon's exile caused Nitot, a fervent royalist, to withdraw from the jewellery house, selling the business to his foreman, Jean Baptiste Fossin (1786–1848).

Fossin and Morel Periods (1815–1885) Assisted by his son Jules (1808–1869), Fossin elegantly interpreted romantic jewellery pieces inspired by the arts of the Italian Renaissance and the French 18th century, but also naturalist-themed pieces. The elite of the period were won over and the family of Louis-Philippe, King of France from 1830 to 1848, as well as the Duchesse de Berry, succeeded Napoleon on the list of famous clients of what was to become Chaumet. They included personalities such as Anatole Demidoff, a Russian prince married to Napoleon's niece, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, as well as many painters, sculptors and writers, both French and foreign.

After the French revolution of 1848, the activity of Maison Fossin slowed significantly in France, leading to the establishment of a boutique in London with a workshop entrusted to Jean-Valentin Morel (1794–1860) assisted by his son Prosper, who was born in 1825. They attracted a prestigious clientele which included Queen Victoria, who granted Jean-Valentin Morel a royal warrant. At the London World's Fair of 1851, Morel resumed the enamelling tradition of the 16th and 17th centuries and produced hardstone goblets with enamelled mounts.

Chaumet Art Deco Period (1885–1944) In 1885, Joseph Chaumet (1852–1928) married Marie, the daughter of Prosper Morel, thus taking control of the House. The Renaissance style was still used, in particular for tiaras, very much in vogue at the time, which Chaumet would make one of its specialities; but Chaumet also drew inspiration from Japanese art, which was gaining popularity in jewellery design at the time, as well as the pointed arches of Islamic architecture.

In 1907, the workshops and boutique were set up at 12 place Vendôme, which they would never leave.

Before fully embracing the Art Deco style, Chaumet was influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, creating jewelry with elaborate floral and nature-inspired motifs. Chaumet created a wide range of imaginative pieces, including decorative hair ornaments and accessories inspired by mythology, such as bat-shaped aigrettes and intricately carved combs.

Marcel Chaumet (1886–1964) succeeded his father Joseph in 1928, at the height of the Art Deco period. The jewellery house participated in the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, becoming a leader in this trend. Jewellery was more geometric, following the 'boyish style' of the 1920s, becoming more feminine during the 1930s. Colours, materials and fine gems were imperative for jewellery. From the 1920s onwards, the renown of the jewellery house spread to the world of the arts and show business. In 1934, Maison Chaumet sponsored the establishment of the young jeweller Pierre Sterlé, who was already designing its jewellery. In the same year, the House closed, only to re-open at the end of the World War II.Archived copy inezstodel.com The Chaumet Dynasty

Chaumet Period: resurgence of the brand (1944–1987) In the wake of the post-war years, Chaumet stood out as a precursor, embodying the taste and creativity of the Parisian woman. Chaumet adapted the 'New Look' of the pioneers Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, attracting the fashionable women of the time.

In 1958, the sons of Marcel Chaumet, Jacques and Pierre, were appointed executive directors of the House. They took over the Breguet brand in 1970. François Bodet, a Maison Chaumet executive, renewed the brand and positioned Breguet in the high-end watchmaking segment.

The 1970s were marked by originality and unconventional combinations, such as pairings of diamonds, coral and peridot mounted on yellow gold. The Lien ring, a circle encompassed by a gold loop in the centre, was created in 1977 by René Morin. In the 1980s, diamonds were added to the base and the ring was produced in white gold with a double circle. In the mid-1990s, the Lien became a cross, before making way in 2002 for a Lien set with diamonds. A 'Premiers Liens' collection was launched in 2007, in yellow, white and pink gold versions.

In the 1980s, René Morin, the artistic director, used his varied influences to promote the resurgence of precious objects. Having joined Chaumet in 1962, Morin famously created a bull's head from a block of lapis lazuli. Headed by the brothers Jacques and Pierre Chaumet, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1987 with liabilities of 1.4 billion francs, eight times the annual turnover, in particular due to heavy losses in their diamond purchasing and resale business after the drop in prices worldwide. The two brothers were convicted of illegal banking activities for having opened accounts that promised high interest on the principal. Convicted of 'bankruptcy, fraud, breach of trust and illegal exercise of the banking profession', they were sentenced respectively to five years' imprisonment, of which two were mandatory, and four years, of which six months were mandatory, following the verdict handed down in December 1991. Their sentence was reduced by the Paris Court of Appeal to six months imprisonment, already served while in custody.

Investcorp & LVMH Period (1987-present day) After their fraudulent bankruptcy, Chaumet was bought in 1987 by Investcorp, a leading Bahrain-based investment bank. The company lost 10 million francs in 1995–1997, but became profitable again in 1998, with a revenue of 280 million francs, and was bought by LVMH in October 1999. After an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the American market in the late 1990s, the company opened stores in Asia to fuel growth. Chaumet was now part of the watch and jewellery brands that included TAG Heuer, Zenith, FRED, Hublot, Montres Christian Dior, and De Beers Diamond Jewellers (a joint venture between the LVMH and De Beers groups). In 2006, the brand became established in China, opening 24 boutiques in the country. Chaumet's clientele is mainly Japanese and French, but China represents 25% of sales. On 9 June 2011, the Responsible Jewellery Council announced the certification of the French jewellers Chaumet. This distinction attests to responsible ethical, social, and environmental practices, as well as respect for human rights. A member of the Responsible Jewellery Council since 2005, Chaumet became the tenth member certified by the RJC.

In 2010/2011, the company's estimated sales were €60 million in total sales and €30 million in watches. In January 2014, it started a "more accessible Liens range" of watches.

Also in January 2024, Charles Leung, ex-CEO of Fred, become the CEO of Maison Chaumet as appointed by LVMH.

Know-how and creation

The Place Vendôme groups together the House of Chaumet's main activities. In addition to the head office, the townhouse plays home to the design studio and the Fine Jewellery workshop.

Jewellery and fine jewellery

Chaumet controls all the design and production processes of the pieces issuing from its workshops. After being supplied with gold and gems, its fourteen artisans mould, melt, polish and set traditionally the pieces created by the House's designers. The movements of the watches produced by Chaumet are manufactured in Switzerland. In 1969, Jacques Combes joined Chaumet as an apprentice. Appointed foreman in 1989, he was made a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in July 2005.Ordre des Arts et des Lettres July 2005 culturecommunication.gouv.fr On 28 January 2011, Pascal Bourdariat succeeded Jacques Combes, becoming the twelfth master of the House.

Six jewellers under the direction of a master craftsman create all of the special orders and fine jewellery collections by hand. The House of Chaumet seeks to preserve its traditional know-how, which guarantees the quality of its work. For example, the workshop has conserved the wooden workbenches, which have remained the same for 200 years.

One of the practices unique to Chaumet is working with mock-ups for items of jewellery made of nickel silver. This makes it possible to show the client the shape or size of the item of jewellery before it is produced in the workshop.

Chaumet's "12 Vendôme" collection was created to mark the 26th Biennale des Antiquaires in September 2012. The collection's name refers to the address of the boutique and the workshop located at 12 place Vendôme. The twelve pieces (including four diadems) in this collection are a tribute to the different styles adopted by the house over the generations.

A number of the items of jewellery in the "12 Vendôme" collection are transformable: a long necklace may be lengthened by the addition of two braceletsLe Figaro et vous, "Le bonheur est dans la haute joaillerie", 7 July 2012, p. 32 and an invisible system makes it possible to detach the aigrette from a diadem.Série Limitée Les Echos, September 2012, p. 42

Watchmaking

As a designer of fine jewellery, Chaumet began to produce precious watches from the 19th century onwards. The house has joined forces with Swiss watchmakers, such as Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe, to produce watches.

The pair of bracelet-watches from 1811, commissioned by Eugène de Beauharnais, was created by Nitot. Made of gold, pearls and emeralds, its manufacture combined fine jewellery with a meticulous watchmaking movement.Valeurs Actuelles, from 7 to 13 July 2011, "Les riches heures de Chaumet", Virginie Jacoberger-Lavoué, pp. 68–69 It was at this time that the house succeeded in placing miniature dials at the centre of its bracelets.Point de vue, from 13 to 19 July 2011, "L'heure de l'histoire", Vincent Meylan, p. 48

One of the most recent creations, the "Complication Créative", showcases the bee – Chaumet's emblem – and the spider. The latter indicates the hours and the bee the minutes. This watch's specific mechanism was created thanks to the house's partnership with top Swiss watchmakers.

In 2013, Chaumet's "Montres Précieuses" once again combined fine jewellery and watchmaking. The six pieces in this collection use a self-winding mechanical movement and are decorated with diamonds, mother-of-pearl, paintings or engravings.

The House's collections

Jewellery collections

Liens Items of jewellery with a link motif – lien is French for "link" – feature in the Chaumet archives dating from the Belle Époque. The first "Liens" collection appeared in the 1970s with the "Lien" ring, a band encircled by a golden buckle at its centre, created in 1977.