Chaumet is set to open an exhibition called “Un Âge d’Or” (“A Golden Age”) at their Place Vendôme boutique in Paris, showcasing experimental goldsmith techniques and creative designs from 1965 to 1985. The exhibition is curated by Vanessa Cron, a French jewelry historian, who believes that the 1970s was an interesting era for both jewelry and Chaumet.
According to Cron, the 1969 moon landing marked the start of a new era where anything seemed possible. This sense of freedom and exploration transcended into various aspects of society, including music, cinema, art, and jewelry.
Chaumet, known as one of the greatest traditional high jewelry houses, took a parallel route during this period, creating edgy and outrageous designs that resembled artist’s jewelry.
The exhibition will feature fifty-six jewels and objets d’art from Chaumet’s archives, along with furnishings by renowned designers Pierre Paulin, Michel Ducaroy, and Victor Vasarely. Vintage fashion from Dior and Paco Rabanne, as well as Andy Warhol lithographs, will also be on display. René Morin, Chaumet’s artistic director from 1962 to 1987, will showcase his Pierre d’Or designs, which featured 24-karat gold cartouches instead of traditional precious stones.
One section of the exhibition will highlight various gold patinas and finishes, including textured, mirror-polished, braided, brushed, and chiseled techniques. There will also be a focus on a Brutalist look called poli Arcade, named after the avant-garde creations of Chaumet’s 1970s boutique, L’Arcade. A notable piece in this section is a large torque necklace that contrasts a rough poli Arcade surface with mirror-polished gold.
Another theme of the exhibition is carved stone, featuring the work of master glyptician Robert Lemoine. Lemoine created brooches in the form of musical instruments, military headdresses, and playing-card monarchs using materials like malachite and tiger’s-eye. These designs were created by Pierre Sterlé, who became a technical adviser for Chaumet in 1976 after crafting jewelry for the house since the 1930s. The exhibition will also showcase objets, such as carved crystal and gold-vermeil animal heads, from Chaumet’s collaboration with French crystal house Baccarat, called Bestiaire Fabuleux.
Cron believes that the creative period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s holds a special allure, particularly in the post-Covid pandemic era where people crave a sense of freedom. The 1970s, she says, feels like the last era where people were truly hopeful and carefree.
The exhibition, which will run from October 5 to November 5, will be hosted in Chaumet’s historic hôtel particulier, following its restoration completion in 2020. The previous exhibition in 2021 focused on the house’s connections with Napoleon and Josephine. The upcoming exhibition will be open to the public free of charge.
Jean-Marc Mansvelt, the chief executive of Chaumet, believes that these installations bring the brand to life. He emphasizes that jewelry is a physical, tactile, and emotional profession and that experiencing these installations firsthand allows individuals to form their own opinions and feel their own unique emotions and sensations.
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