Style Edit: Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt on why high jewellery matters more than ever, the enduring power of tiaras, and why Asian buyers ‘have a real sense of luxury’

Jul 31 , 2023

Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of jeweller Chaumet talks about how high jewellery matters more than ever while new Bee My Love and Liens lines broaden the brand’s appeal. Photos: Chaumet

High Jewellery

We caught up with Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt at the LVMH-owned brand’s historic headquarters in Paris’ Place Vendôme – the fabled home of iconic high jewellery brands

The house has long made tiaras for European royalty, including Napoleon Bonaparte’s consort Joséphine, while today more affordable Bee My Love and Liens lines broaden the brand’s appeal

Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of LVMH-owned jeweller Chaumet, compares the world of high jewellery to a private club, and a very exclusive one at that. Much like the rarefied realm of haute couture, which caters to a very select group of clients who can pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars for an outfit, high jewellery is a niche that a number of houses, such as Chaumet, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Boucheron, have been offering from their lavish headquarters in and around Place Vendôme in Paris for decades, if not centuries.

A set from Le Jardin de Chaumet high jewellery collection. Photo: Chaumet

“[High jewellery] is still a question of image because it creates a lot of desirability for the brand, but it’s also becoming a real business as more people are ready to invest. They understand the beauty of high jewellery and the investment it presents for themselves or the next generation, and this we see all over the world,” says Mansvelt from Chaumet’s headquarters, where the house is showing its high jewellery collection during July’s haute couture shows in Paris.

Mansvelt adds that more clients are realising that just like paintings or sculpture, high jewellery can be a lifetime investment that is likely to go up in value, especially for established brands like Chaumet. He even adds, half-jokingly, that in certain countries high jewellery is a safe place for wealthy individuals to place their money in case “they have to escape”.

A necklace from Le Jardin de Chaumet high jewellery collection. Photo: Chaumet

Jokes aside, Mansvelt believes that high jewellery “is the best way to show the creativity and virtuosity … a way to show that you suddenly become part of a club”.

Members of this club are likely to discover Chaumet through one of its signature creations: the tiara. The house has been making tiaras for European royalty, including Napoleon Bonaparte’s consort Joséphine, since the 18th century. Lest you think tiaras are relics of the past, Mansvelt is happy to explain why that is not so.

In the end, what is a tiara? A sign of either power – like a crown – or the coronation of love

Over the last two years Chaumet has experienced the largest increase in sales of tiaras since its acquisition in 1999 by LVMH. Asia and the Middle East are the main markets for these extravagant ornaments, which Chaumet makes available as one-of-a-kind, made-to-order pieces for those lucky enough to be able to afford one.

“It’s not because it’s connected to the past and it’s something that’s been around for centuries,” he says when asked to explain the popularity of such pieces. “In the end, what is a tiara? A sign of either power – like a crown – or the coronation of love, and in the end power and love remain two things that are very important in every culture. It’s to celebrate a milestone, a special occasion, something that you keep forever, like parents coming to us for the weddings of their daughters.”