Podcast Gem Pursuit with Matthew Weldon

The life of Suzanne Belperron truly reads like a Hollywood movie with secret loves, war, scandal, intrigue, mystery, and heroism in abundance!

After a very quick stop in front of a window display (typical), we head to meet Olivier Baroin, who is the world's expert on the work of Suzanne Belperron, without exception. Olivier talks at length about his love for Belperron's work, how he can identify her pieces (famously unsigned), and the discovery of her archives in 2008.

He also shares incredible stories about the jewelry legend that is Suzanne Belperron.

Here is the link to our podcast : https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Kfc0DZtmOy4Kd2GktMA2W 

Find above some questions featured in the interview:

I entered the profession at a very young age, as I took the entrance exam to join the Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris on Rue du Louvre in 1983 and graduated with my diploma as a jeweler in 1987 at the age of 18.

I first worked in workshops like Pery. Then, I joined a major jewelry retailer where I created a manufacturing workshop. At 24, I was managing purchases, orders, manufacturing, and personnel. At 30, I set up in the 16th arrondissement of Paris to work exclusively for wealthy private clients, designing models that I made by hand in my workshop on a commission-only basis. Simultaneously, I traded in art objects and antiques, specializing in antique jewelry, which allowed me to become familiar with the restoration of antique pieces.

On the occasion of a commission, I met a client whose father had just inherited from a jewelry designer. At 40, I purchased the archives and personal effects of Suzanne Belperron, as well as her furniture, and then I prepared the first monograph on the creator with Sylvie Raulet. Commissioned by the designer's heir to perpetuate her work and authenticate her jewelry, I eventually dedicated myself exclusively to her work...

It's funny that you ask me this question because indeed Suzanne Belperron is not always known to the general public. To define her, I would refer to Mr. Lagerfeld's statement about her: "She is the only jewelry designer worthy of that title."

One could also say that Suzanne Belperron is to jewelry what Gabrielle Chanel is to couture; both revolutionized the world in their own way through their style. To put things into context, Suzanne Belperron is the woman who envisioned modern jewelry for modern women. As the New York Times headlined in December 2012: "Modern before the world was," I also like to say that she was the jewelry designer for billionaires, but above all, she was an artist!

Everything sets her apart from her peers, although one might sometimes find affinities with the modernists of the time like Mr. Fouquet or Templier, or others, but all these pieces imagined by men are more masculine and more abrupt.

In Suzanne Belperron's jewelry, which does not follow any code or trend other than her own style, one can feel her femininity, her softness, her curves, her sensuality, and women recognize themselves in this sensuality. Today, a piece by Madame Belperron is recognizable among thousands, and she was the only one in her field at the time who could say "my style is my signature."

Her style is her DNA; everyone has their own DNA. Suzanne Belperron's style is characterized by voluminous, voluptuous, modern, sensual, carnal, and atypical jewelry.

It's jewelry that captures attention, where the eye is drawn to the beauty of the shapes, the alchemy of the colors, and the combination of materials that are not necessarily precious but radiant. Belperron's jewelry reflects a character, an elegance, and a distinction like no other. It is an art object that goes far beyond the codes of traditional jewelry, not intended to showcase a social status but rather to express a form of open-mindedness, a way of thinking, and an artistic and intellectual approach to jewelry.

Her pieces are not designed to "show off" but to be worn by refined owners simply for the pleasure of wearing something different and modernist in appearance.

There are several criteria for evaluating a piece of Suzanne Belperron jewelry. Creativity, of course, the date it was produced, the uniqueness of the model, and the pleasure it provides as soon as you open the case. Sometimes, I also consider the value of the stones.
Some pieces are indeed more creative than others because Madame Belperron, like all jewelers, had her "Best of" pieces. I think of some brooch or ring models that are found more often; if a model was produced frequently, it is less attractive.

The older the jewelry, the more "timeless" it is, and the more sought after it becomes. Some pieces come from literally unique designs, while others are variations; the unique pieces produced for very prestigious clients can reach astronomical prices.
Finally, there is the emotion felt when discovering the jewelry, when opening the case; sometimes it's ecstasy: "Wow!" How could she have imagined such a captivating piece? Even if the raw materials are not so precious, it is so beautiful.

Often, the value of the stones and metal corresponds to a price without great consequences, although Suzanne Belperron did occasionally set literally superb stones at the request of wealthy clients. But as you understand, the value is calculated based on the age, creativity, and emotion felt upon opening the case.

Through some research over time while working on another book, I came to understand that there are several categories of people in this field: jewelry designers, jewelry creators, and "artists."

The jewelry designer is a person who executes a drawing. Some houses with a very strong DNA need good designers to transpose a style adapted to different commercial projects. Other houses that possess very beautiful stones need a designer to draw a piece of jewelry around a stone or a set of stones according to the elements imposed on them. In this case, it is an artist like Suzanne Belperron, whose own DNA will be illustrated on the paper. The artist closes their eyes and lets their imagination guide their brushes without any constraints.

You will notice that most of Suzanne Belperron's creations come "from nowhere." It is not necessarily required for her to take a figurative subject to transpose and imagine the harmony of forms, the alchemy of colors. Some creators are endowed with an innate gift in artistic composition... of these, it can be said that "their style is their signature."

If I had to compare her work to that of a designer today, without hesitation, I would say JAR.

Madame Belperron was a strong, respectable, and respected woman, a woman of honor, upright, loyal, and honest. Even so, she was a beautiful woman whose Persian green eyes left an impression since some still talk about them today.

It is clear that some were sensitive to her charm, but it was her lofty spirit that made her a great lady. As I conclude the last chapter of my book: "...through the sheer force of her incredible talent, Suzanne Belperron rose above her modest beginnings to join the ranks of the most Parisian, the most modern, and the most enlightened women. She became a true woman of the world and an emblematic figure of her time. Suzanne Belperron knew how to assert herself, and her unique work has brilliantly entered the history of jewelry...".

I believe that the House of Boivin is renowned worldwide and that the House of Boivin is not really comparable to Suzanne Belperron. Boivin is a major jeweler that has had several designers and creators! Suzanne Belperron, on the other hand, is an artist, and even though she stayed there for only 13 years, she left her DNA at Boivin. I believe the strength and power of her creations remain unparalleled and unmatched.

In my thoughts, René Boivin is a great jeweler, while Suzanne Belperron is a great artist! And if René Boivin's jewelry is also artistic today, it is because Madame Belperron and other creators left a strong imprint there, inspired by Madame Jeanne Boivin. Americans may be as attached to the person as to her work, and this is in tune with the times. You will notice that now we say Cartier by Aldo Cipullo, Tiffany by Elsa Peretti, or Dior by Victoire de Castellane...

I would advise them to buy iconic pieces that are very strong, very powerful, and very distinctive in terms of design. Pieces that are rather colorful, featuring materials such as blonde agate, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and rock crystal. But above all, I would tell them to buy based on their feelings at the moment of discovering the piece. One buys Belperron like one buys a work of art, and a piece of Suzanne Belperron jewelry is, above all, a lot of emotion.