Mauboussin, luxury rings for today's women.
A luxury jeweller for almost 200 years now, the House of Mauboussin has successfully adapted to modern times and contemporary women. Today, the brand proposes highly original designs alongside timeless jewels. Certain rings designed by Mauboussin in the 1980s have become classics, and are still highly-coveted even today.
Times have changed and so has this 200 hundred-year-old House.
The House of Mauboussin came into being in 1827. But it was only in 1898 that the company adopted the surname of Georges Mauboussin, its then manager. Influenced as it had been from the outset by art, the jeweller was for a long while associated with the Art Deco style, which was very in vogue in Paris in the 1920s. In 1930, cubism became the main source of inspiration. Mauboussin rings were adorned with geometrically-cut gemstones and unusual colour combinations. After the war, the House changed tack, no longer picking up on artistic trends, considered to be overly restrictive. It chose instead to take more liberties with its designs, reflecting the women of that period. Mauboussin's first boutique opened to the public in 1955, on upmarket Place Vendôme.
Dominique Frémont took over the ownership of the House of Mauboussin in 2002. He entrusted the reins to Alain Némarq, along with the task of re-energising the brand, which had been losing ground ever since the Sultan of Brunei had stopped shopping there. Sophie Misrahi became head of design in 2003 and expanded the ranges of jewellery in an effort to appeal to even more women. The move led the jeweller to double its turnover within the space of three years. Its collection of engagement rings, especially solitaires, revived the fortunes of the house. Wishing to move with the times, in 2006 Mauboussin collaborated with Converse on a line of trainers embellished with a small diamond star. To break with the very rigid codes applying to luxury jewellery, the House did not shy away from enlisting the services of who were actors in TV series like Lucie Lucas and celebrities like the French-Canadian singer Garou as muses.
Rings for well-rounded women.
Mauboussin is perfectly entitled to grandstand about the timeless rings it proposes. The solitaire Six de Toi, of which women engaged to be married never seem to tire, is the first to come to mind. The Chance of Love ring, with its diamond surrounded by smaller stones set in the shape of a clover leaf, has admirably withstood the test of time. Other designs play the originality card, like the Kiff and Kiss ring. Finally, certain designs in gold, including the Le Premier Jour ring, bear witness to the modern spirit of the House. Mauboussin rings come in pink gold, white gold and yellow gold versions, and there are also designs in silver and in steel. The jeweller's innovative streak has been apparent since the early 2000s in ceramic rings set with diamonds, more easily affordable than pieces made of gold. Platinum is also well represented in Mauboussin's collections of rings for women.
Mauboussin has created rings that have retained their popularity for over 20 years. We are thinking about the Nadia design, created in 1980 by Patrick Mauboussin. An audacious alliance of mother-of-pearl and diamonds, the appeal it held for women lasted from its launch until the early 2000s. Today, the brand tends to create designs with simple lines and universally-recognised symbols. It was with this in mind that the jeweller's emblem was created, a 4-pointed star. Among the iconic designs brought out by the House, we will remember: