I don’t know yet if I’ll have a chance to see Paris, City of Pearls in person, but this exhibition is too spectacular not to share with you! Let’s take a look.

Exhibition Paris, City of Pearls – Photo Dylan Dubois

Paris, City of Pearls opens at L’ÉCOLE School of Jewelry Arts

There’s an exciting new jewelry exhibit in town! Paris, City of Pearls has opened at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts (the jewelry school supported by Van Cleef & Arpels) and it sounds like a can’t miss for any jewelry lovers in the area.

What makes Paris the city of pearls? According to the exhibition materials:

From the late 1860s to the late 1930s – a period corresponding to France’s Third Republic – a majority of the pearls fished in the Gulf were gradually brought to France, sold in Paris and mounted by the top jewelers of the Place Vendôme. Account books, telegrams, archive documents and period photographs testify to the scale of this trade.

Routes across land, sea and then sky were opened, major figures emerged in both the Gulf and France, fortunes were made, and the pearl trade sparked an unprecedented economic boom. As new trade routes were developed, links were forged between people and cultures – from the France of the first third of the 20th century to the Gulf countries, referred to by the French at the time as the “pearl coast.”

As well as celebrating almost a century of shared history, this exhibition sets out to show the extent to which both natural pearls and the cultured pearls that arrived in France in the 1920s inspired not only Parisian jewelers but also artists in the broader sense. They all seem to have been driven by the same passion for pearls, whatever their means of artistic expression – opera, painting, photography, poster design, illustration or cinema – to the point that the pearl became one of the symbolic forms of the Roaring Twenties.

Seeking to penetrate the final mysteries of these biominerals, the exhibition embraces a crossover of history, art and science. This wide-ranging vision of knowledge is at the heart of L’ÉCOLE’s mission. Founded in 2012 with support from Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE invites the public to learn about the history of jewelry and the skills involved, and about gems, through classes, talks, publications and exhibitions, in Paris and elsewhere in the world.”

Paris, City of Pearls presents a hundred pieces of jewelry as well as documents and drawings from prestigious lenders like the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts, 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.

I don’t have photos of all of the treasures of the Paris, City of Pearls exhibition, but L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts was kind enough to send me some images to share with you.

© Albion Art Jewellery Institute

This necklace is pretty much perfect, in my humble opinion. It’s simple, glamorous, and dramatic in the best way. I absolutely adore the contrast between the smooth, curvy, oblong pearls with the crisp geometry of the middle element that suspends them.

The shape makes me wonder if this beauty might have been fitted to an optional tiara frame at one point in history, but the Paris, City of Pearls exhibit doesn’t mention this, so perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on my part.

This pearl necklace was made in 1890 and features natural pearls and diamonds set in gold and silver.

© Photo L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts – Benjamin Chelly

A strong contrast to the elaborate pieces above, this light-as-air pearl dragonfly ring from the Art Nouveau era dates to 1910 and is the work of the famous René Lalique ring. It features a natural pearl, diamonds, and enamel in yellow gold.

Loaned to Paris, City of Pearls exhibition by a private collector.

© Albion Art Jewellery Institute

One of the coolest subgenres of pearl jewelry is when oddly-shaped baroque pearls are transformed into tiny sculptures by the addition of creative elements.

This owl pendant, circa 1880, is a fantastic example of the technique at its finest: that’s a natural pearl in the middle, transformed from anonymous lumpiness by the addition of the owl’s feet and head. I especially love the rose cut eyes, the details on the branch, and the owl’s features.

This piece features a baroque pearl with diamonds, rubies, and gold. Loaned to Paris, City of Pearls from Albion Art Institute.

I don’t mean to pick favorites, but BONJOUR to this utterly spectacular Art Deco era pearl bag. Look at the tiny onyx details along the frame of the bag, the lovely links of the chain, the woven seed pearls!

Made by Van Cleef & Arpels and currently in the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection, this exquisite evening bag dates to 1924 and is made from platinum with woven pearls, onyx, and diamonds.

I mentioned above that Paris, City of Pearls exhibition also contains a number of drawings and documents including a number of delightful jewelry editorials and ads.

Titled “The Fountain of Shells. Paquin Evening Gown,” and drawn by George Barbier, this page appeared in the Gazette du bon ton, no. 3, plate 27, in 1914.

© Albion Art Jewellery Institute

This magnificent matched set is a necklace and earrings that belonged to Edith Amelia Glyn, Lady Wolverton (1896–1902).

These treasures were made by Frédéric Boucheron and feature natural pearls and diamonds set in gold and silver. Loaned to Paris, City of Pearls by the Albion Art Institute.

This pendant is another personal favorite – I can’t resist the juxtaposition of lumpy pearls with precise geometry.

Made in 1880 by Germain Bapst and Lucien Falize, this pendant features grey natural pearls and diamonds in gold. Loaned to Paris, City of Pearls by Wartski.

How about another editorial?

This one features the art of Jean-Gabriel Domergue and is an advertisement for the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, from La Renaissance de l’art français et des industries de luxe, January 1923.

© Faerber

From abstract to figural, we’re looking next at this utterly enchanting bodice ornament by Henri Vever. If you recognize that name, it’s because Mr. Vever was one of the best known jewelers in Europe in his day, especially known for his Art Nouveau designs. Not hard to believe looking at this stunner, is it?

This bodice ornament was loaned to Paris, City of Pearls by Faerber.

© Photo L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts – Benjamin Chelly

The Art Deco era is known for its impressive use of pearls and this brooch is about as Deco as it gets. Dating to 1925, this marvelously dramatic brooch features natural pearls and diamonds in platinum.

Loaned to Paris City of Pearls exhibition by a private collection.

© Albion Art Jewellery Institute

This distinctive necklace is the work of another big name (or pair of names): it’s by Carlo and Arturo Giuliano. If you look closely, you can see their signature delicate enamel work on the mountings suspending the pearl drops.

This piece dates to 1890 and features natural pearls and enamel in gold. Loaned to Paris, City of Pearls by Albion Art Institute.

This is another Art Deco brooch, but a slightly later one – and the difference in era shows in the 1930’s sensuality that this long and languorous piece exudes. Created by Dusausoy, this piece is circa 1930 and features natural pearls and diamonds in platinum.

Loaned to Paris City of Pearls by Symbolic & Chase, London.

The most modern piece from Paris, City of Pearls that we’re looking at today, this charismatic contemporary design is JAR’s Sheep’s head brooch.

Created in 2006, this brooch features natural pearls and cabochon star sapphires in aluminum with silver and gold.

This impressive Gladiator is another example of a baroque pearl turned into a figure through creative embellishment. I especially love the large diamond that represents the face.

It’s a MidCentury piece, created by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1956, and features emeralds, rubies, turquoise, pearls, a baroque pearl, and diamonds in yellow gold.

Exhibition Paris, City of Pearls – Photo Dylan Dubois

Paris, City of Pearls is at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts until June 1, 2025, so you still have time to get over there! Admission is free, but reservations are required. More info here.

If you (like me) are unlikely to make it over to Paris in the next few months, don’t despair! The exhibit’s catalog has been published as a new book, and you can buy Paris, City of Pearls for your personal jewelry library here.

Want more pearls? Find my shoppable Modern Pearl Jewelry wishlist here, my Pearl blog post archive here, and my Pearl Pinterest board here. All photos are c/o L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

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