My Métier d’Excellence
I became the head of the Chaumet workshop in 2017 after working as a jeweler for a number of years. My métier and my role is to support the team of jewelers that crafts the Maison’s extraordinary pieces. I receive the drawings of the pieces from the design studio and I prepare a cost estimate based on an assessment of the number of hours of work involved and the materials needed. Then I select the jeweler who will make the piece. This is a critical step because each of our artisans has their own sensibilities and know-how. Here, my job as manager is to put people at the heart of the process to ensure that the artisans find personal fulfillment, and that the entire team thrives. To make sure everyone progresses, I assign the most beautiful pieces to different artisans for each collection.
What I love most about my métier
Spontaneously, I’d say the next pieces we’ll be working on, but in fact, what I really love is to see everyone on the team enjoying what they do. My goal is to always keep pushing the boundaries of jewelry-making and the Maison, while encouraging my team to keep going forward and progressing. There’s a real spirit of emulation among jewelers and it’s extremely enriching.
Anecdote
A while ago one of my jewelers completed his first tiara, an iconic Chaumet piece. He’s 59 years old and has considerable experience at the Maison, but he was like a young apprentice! He was so proud to be working on the piece and to show me the final result. My confidence in his work encouraged him to really give his best. And that’s incredibly rewarding.
Passing on the métier to new generations
There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing unique expertise just disappear when the person who possesses it hasn’t been able to share it and pass it on. At Chaumet we do everything to make sure that knowledge is passed on, and to preserve our amazing wealth of jewelry techniques. When apprentices join the métier, the first thing we do is introduce them to how a piece of jewelry is crafted using traditional techniques. They’ll always have time to become familiar with new technologies. We always have two apprentices in the workshop and I share my know-how with them whenever I can. Ultimately, artisans are always learning from one another, regardless of their age. The older ones teach the younger ones and the apprentices always have something new to show the more experienced colleagues. Sharing is the most wonderful part of this métier.