COURBET: a story from past and present

The famous painter Gustave Courbet

Visionary and provocative, the painter Gustave Courbet went against all conventions and standards of his time. A protector of the arts who bound his destiny to the one of Place Vendôme in the name of peace, he gave his origin to the audacious name of the first committed jeweller on the octagonal square: COURBET.

On May 16th 1871, the Vendôme column fell, dismantled by the revolutionaries of the Paris Commune. They saw it as a symbol of the Emperor's glory. Gustave Courbet was the instigator of this highly symbolic gesture.

COURBET, sustainable jeweller

The jeweller COURBET set a milestone on May 16th. It is on this same day, in 2018, that the doors of its first Parisian address at 7 Place Vendôme opened. A choice of imagery that exalts the spirit of the disruptive painter and lover of Nature from whom it takes its name.

This proud heritage sets the tone: thanks to innovative sourcing and a committed artistic vision, COURBET intends to shake up the rules of Place Vendôme to offer jewellery that is more responsible and resolutely focused on the future.

The founders of the Maison

A duo, Marie-Ann Wachtmeister and Manuel Mallen, are spearheading this innovative and pioneering project on a famous landmark that has been recognised for centuries as the heart of jewellery savoir-faire. Together, the two entrepreneurs have written the essence of COURBET, which lies in the use of two traditional, yet multi-faceted, jewellery materials.

COURBET diamonds do not come from the bowels of the Earth, but from a laboratory. As the result of human genius and cutting-edge technology, it reinvents our relationship with Nature. Endowed with exceptional chemical, physical and optical characteristics, this lab-grown diamond is a diamond, and enhances each of COURBET's jewellery creations.

The gold used by COURBET has its own story. Based on the simple fact that the majority of the world's gold resources have already been mined, Marie-Ann Wachtmeister and Manuel Mallen wanted to give a new lease of life to the gold found in the obsolete computer materials of urban mines by transforming it to create COURBET jewellery.

COURBET collections 

COURBET's creative vision can be summarised in two letters: C and O. Together, they form the pattern CO, meaning ‘together’ in Latin. The aesthetic thread running through the Maison's many collections, CO more broadly evokes movement, with its interlocking curves, and timelessness, with the purity of its concentric lines.

Proudly displayed on the chains of the CÉLESTE collection, CO is sometimes more discreet and slips onto the C de COURBET rings, acting as a setting. Would you have recognised it in the shape of a padlock on the graphic creations of the PONT DES ARTS collection?

Timeless but always with a bold twist, COURBET jewellery collections are a precious reflection of the commitment of the person who wears them.

COURBET wedding rings

And because there are some moments in life that should remain engraved forever, COURBET acts as the guardian of true love. COURBET engagement rings embody this tradition, and show that a lab-grown diamond is also eternal. As for wedding bands, both set and plain, for him and for her, they seal this double commitment, both to love and nature.

A unique sense of style, materials that are as innovative as they are precious, and a renowned Parisian address - COURBET has all it takes to write the lines of a new history of French jewellery.

Would you like to schedule an appointment ?

Discover COURBET creations in our Appartment located at 7 Place Vendôme, or by video appointment for a confidential moment from afar.