Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet

Issue 17: www.goldinspirations.com MEET: BEATRICE DE PLINVAL, CHAUMET Beatrice de Plinval is Director of the Museum and Archives at Chaumet, the historic Place Vendome master jeweller, founded in 1780 by the goldsmith Nitot who became jeweller to Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1999 Chaumet joined the LVMH group, and since the arrival of a new management team, headed by Thierry Fritsch, in 2001, the brand has been relaunched with a strong identity and a chic, contemporary design direction. “I started working at Chaumet in 1969, and spent 10 years in the design studio, where I specialised in a naturalistic style. In 1980, at the time of Chaumet’s bi-centenary, I was asked to develop the historical aspect of the company. “My job has never been so fashionable, or instrumental, as it is today, so much a part of the creative process. This is a good moment to link fashion and history. I work closely with Lionel Giraud, Creative Director, and his team, and with Jacques Combes, Chef d’Atelier. We meet regularly, in the inspirational, historic salons of the Chaumet Museum, to discuss ideas, and look through the 300,000 archive drawings. It is not a question of recreating historic jewels, but of perpetuating a style and modernising it, or as Lionel Giraud calls it ‘picking up the threads of the past and pulling on them’. “Gold is the base of everything we do, without gold our “metier” would not exist. Our iconic Anneau collection celebrates gold through its pure, generously rounded ring forms. The graphic Liens ring, with its stitch motif, expressing links and connections, now comes in pink gold, and is also bought by men. I think Chaumet is about elegance in its own time, but also about passion, which drives the brand today as it has through two centuries. We need passion in life. The only way to exist is to push others forward, and when young designers from our studio come to talk to me, I give them roots and wings.” MEET Beatrice de Plinval - Chaumet Page One Left hand picture: Portrait of Beatrice de Plinval. Right hand picture: Chaumet's Anneau pendant in both yellow and white gold. Page Two Left hand picture: Exterior of the Chaumet Boutique at the Place Vendome, Paris. Right hand picture: Chaumet's Liens heart-shaped pendants in yellow and white gold. Page Three Left hand picture: Chaumet's Style rings in yellow gold. Right hand picture: Chaumet's yellow gold watch. CHAUMET For further information and worldwide stockists, please visit www.chaumet.com

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, where to buy the gold jewellery from page 1

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, picture credits from page 1

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, where to buy the gold jewellery from page 2

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, picture credits from page 2

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, where to buy the gold jewellery from page 3

Beatrice De Plinval, Chaumet, picture credits from page 3