By Royal Appointment
In an exhibition 240 years in the making, heritage brand Chaumet tells a tale of power, love and fascinating provenance
In an exhibition 240 years in the making, heritage brand Chaumet tells a tale of power, love and fascinating provenance
We land in Nice on a summer’s day in July, where a helicopter awaits to take us to our final destination, the Principality of Monaco. While it took me a moment to take in this rather surreal moment, I’m told that it’s a pretty common mode of transportation around here. “There’s actually an Uber app for choppers; it’s quite a regular commute here,” the pilot says as we prepare to take off. I nod, slightly self-conscious that I may have shown a bit more enthusiasm than they’re accustomed to seeing in this part of the world.
As we ascend, we are treated on one side to the view of the unbelievably picturesque coastline of the French Riviera, on the other the breathtaking expanse of the Mediterranean Sea—the water is so blue I’m not quite sure where it ends and the sky begins. In 10 minutes, we arrive in Monaco and are driven up the cliff to our hotel. I look out and marvel at the magnificent views that conjure up images of high rollers in their yachts, famous athletes in their fancy convertibles, who’ve come to live here for the tax haven it is, and of course, of the Grimaldis, Monaco’s royal family, in their perfectly tailored suits and beautiful gowns attending the most lavish parties. Indeed, there couldn’t have been a better place for Chaumet to stage an exhibition of spectacular jewels that once belonged to great kings, queens, princesses and aristocrats than in Monaco.
In possibly its most ambitious undertaking yet, Chaumet held a heritage exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco called Chaumet in Majesty, where it presented over 250 pieces, including some that date back to the maison’s inception in 1780. These relics came from its own archives, as well as loans from 40 private collectors and 15 museums, including the Louvre and Château de Versailles. Notably, a few of them belonged to the collections of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, under whose esteemed patronage the exhibition takes place, and Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Many of these pieces, according to Claire Gannet, heritage director of Chaumet, have never before been
“We did have a few big surprises on this journey, which we proudly show in the exhibition”
shown in public. “One of the reasons is that it was only recently that we rediscovered them: it was a real treasure hunt,” she says. “There are instances where we would find a piece recorded in our archives with a drawing or a photo and decide it would be a good addition to the exhibition, then we begin to trace its current owner, for which we would usually have to bring out the genealogy tree. Often, we would know the original owner but if, and to whom, it’s been passed on to since—we have to find out. It may have since been passed on to the daughter or in-laws, and we are looking at dozens of generations! We did have a few big surprises on this journey, which we proudly show in the exhibition.”
Chaumet’s tiaras are a focal point at the exhibition, with over 50 displayed. “The tiara is a real savoir faire of the maison. In the late 1700s, Marie-étienne Nitot, founder of Chaumet, was the preferred jeweller of the royal court. And during Napoleon’s time, he mandated that each woman must wear a tiara for official events, including crowning ceremonies and weddings of members of the aristocracy and affluent people. We crafted many beautiful tiaras in that period, a few of which you see here.
“These pieces tell a story of France, of Europe—they’re stories of love, of power,” she explains.
I walked through the exhibition and marvelled at a replica of a parure belonging to Empress Marie-louise, which comprised a tiara, comb, coronet, necklace, drop earrings and bracelets, all crafted using gold and magnificent rubies and diamonds. There was also a cameo parure commissioned by Empress Joséphine in 1810, set with beautiful malachite and the most lustrous natural pearls. And over in another room lies Empress Eugénie’s wedding missal, gilded on its sides, which was a gift from Princess Mathilde. If you were one for incredibly beautiful stones, there’s an astounding tiara set with 11 cabochon emeralds totaling some 500 carats that was crafted in the 1900s, which was part of a collection that belonged to Princess Katharina Henckel Von Donnersmarck.
These were just a few of the jaw-dropping pieces that were featured in the exhibition, leaving many of us who had the privilege to see them with that burning desire to dig deeper into the royals and aristocrats who once wore these incredible bejewelled relics. This elaborate exhibition took us back to a time of great kings and queens, and opened our eyes to a kind of opulence which till now we’ve only envisaged in our wildest dreams.
“It’s all very fascinating and speaks of a world and time many of us sometimes find difficult to relate to,” Claire says. “I find this might be especially true when you’re looking at those pieces with big and spectacular stones, but then you’d see this more discreet, delicate tiara with small flowers—very fine, subtle—and think, I can totally wear something like that. There is a princess, or queen, in all of us, and in some way through this exhibition, we’d also like to remind people of that.”
Indeed, it did. While many will argue that one no longer needs a crown to feel and appear formidable these days, I’d say wearing one won’t hurt.