Whether you are traveling to Paris for pleasure or for the upcoming design events (Maison et Objet and Deco Off), an inspiring exhibit to put on your agenda is “Paris, City of Pearls” at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts. As the exhibition explains, “Sought-after since ancient times, they (pearls) still inspire the great modern jewelers. But how many people know that they were at the heart of an intense trade between the Gulf and France from the late 19th to the mid-20th century? How many remember that they were at the center of the luxury industry and Parisian culture for decades?”

Presenting approximately one hundred jewelry items and fifty pieces of art and documents, the exhibit celebrates this cultural exchange and how the arrival of pearls in France in the 1920s inspired not only jewelers but also other artistic ventures, from opera and cinema to painting, photography and poster design. Lenders for the exhibition include such prestigious names as Paris Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris), the Petit Palais – Fine Arts Museum of Paris, heritage collections of the Maisons Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Fred, and the exceptional Albion Art private collection.

After a gemological introduction on the origins of pearls, the exhibition traces the history of jewelers’ passion for pearls from the late nineteenth century to the present day through six parts.

I. The pearl and its secrets
II. Pearls and the East
III. Conquering the market circa 1900
IV. The pearl as a symbol of modernity : the 1910s V. 1925: Pearl mania in Paris
VI. The Parisian pearl: past & present

 

 

For more about the history and the incredible legacy of pearls, read my piece on The Power of Pearls

Established in 2012 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts aims to introduce the public to all aspects of jewelry culture.

The exhibit is open until June 1 at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau 16 bis boulevard Montmartre, Paris 9

Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 7pm.
Late night on Thursdays until 9pm.

Free admission and guided tours, by reservation