What Marie-Hélène de Taillac is known for
Paris jeweler founded in 1996 by gemologist Marie-Hélène de Taillac, an early adopter of colorful semi-precious stones and the diamond-cut 'briolette' technique, with every piece hand-crafted by artisans in Jaipur, India.
Marie-Hélène de Taillac's path into jewelry design began in childhood: her father's work took the family through the Middle East and North Africa, and her fascination with gemstones started while watching her mother select precious stones at a Lebanese jeweler. That interest deepened through her parents' own collection, then crystallized on a trip to India, where a visit to the storied Jaipur jeweler Gem Palace exposed her to vividly colored stones and to artisans' advanced lapidary techniques. Before turning to jewelry full-time, she trained formally in gemology and worked in fashion alongside milliner Philip Treacy.
She launched her own collection in 1996, at a moment when colored semi-precious stones — as opposed to traditional diamonds and precious gems — were still an unusual choice in fine jewelry. From the outset she worked with tourmalines and other colored stones, and became known for applying the 'briolette' cut, a droplet-shaped faceting technique historically reserved for diamonds, to these softer stones instead.
Production has remained anchored in Jaipur, where all of the house's jewelry, down to the hand-fabricated chains, is made by local artisans using traditional techniques such as gold weaving and silver-leaf work set beneath gemstones. Several of her designs are held in the permanent collection of Paris's Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
How ORBIS reads this city
Best for — Colorful gemstone jewelry with refined, playful luxury.
More in Paris
- Balenciaga — Paris
- Bourrienne Paris X — Paris
- Cartier — Paris
- Céline — Paris
- Chanel — Paris
- Charvet — Paris
- Creed — Paris
- Dior — Paris
Where next
- Mademoiselle Joséphine — Paris
- Mad Lords — Paris
- Pascale Monvoisin — Paris
Hand-curated for ORBIS · no paid placement