Place Vendôme
I used to walk often in Paris as a child, and I remember how I fell in love with the city at first sight. This city is very dear to my heart, probably because of holiday memories and the reunion with my dad, but also because it has always been, for me, the city of glamour.
It’s supposed to be a big town, but walking in Paris feels like walking in a small town : Everything is pretty close to each other, and you don’t feel the streets passing because each part has treasures to unveil.
When you watch Paris, you could watch it as if you were looking at an old movie, the architecture is so exceptional that Paris is the city to travel in time.
It’s known to be the city of love, but I think it’s more about the city of dreams, romanticism and taste.
In the image of the French love for taste and elegance, Paris is the incarnation of France's contrasts and power.
For each social circle, there is a place to be found.
place VENDOME IS considered the epicentre of French high jewellery.
Let’s discover together this magic place called the
‘Place Vendôme’
Created during the reign of Louis XIV, it has always been a great place of aristocracy and luxury. if you pay attention to the details, you can see everywhere two golden “L”, “s”, intertwined and topped with the royal crown : the monograms of Louis XIV. Penultimate of the 5 royal squares of Paris,
Place des Vosges, 1612
Place Dauphine, 1614
Place des Victoires, 1686
Place de la Concorde, 1772)
The Place Vendôme was begun in 1685, under the Design of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, on the grounds of a former private mansion, the Hôtel de Vendôme. it was called Place Louis-le-Grand until the Revolution, then Place des Piques from 1793 to 1799 (because it was here that the revolutionaries came to walk with pride with their decapitated heads on a pike), and became Place Vendôme at the beginning of the 19th century. The old statue of Louis XIV, destroyed during the Revolution, was replaced under Napoleon by a 43 meter high column, built with cannons confiscated from the Russians and Austrians at Austerlitz.
More than just a square, it is a true open-air urban monument... only the facades were built which made it possible to preserve all the homogeneity and symmetry of the architecture.
All around the square are superb private mansions, which were residences of the French nobility. Today, all these buildings are owned by traders or luxury hotels, such as the prestigious Ritz at number 15.
the first jeweler to open on Place Vendôme, was in 1812, Chaumet (or rather his ancestor Nitot), followed by Lemonnier in 1853 who is considered the jeweler of Napoleon Bonaparte and finally Boucheron in 1893.
Historically, the jewelers were not initially gathered here but in the Palais Royal, near the seat of power. Though situated near the new Opera Garnier frequented by wealthy clients, it became a strategic place.
But the jewelers’ great rush to Place Vendôme happened after the opening in 1898 of the Ritz, the favorite palace hotel of all the world’s leading personalities.
Van Cleef & Arpels in 1906,
Chaumet moved back in 1907.
Since the 1990s, a new wave of jewelers : Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton
Today Place Vendôme has become a must for asserting legitimacy in the eyes of an international clientele, and you can find Some of the city’s most fashionable boutiques and luxury stores, my favorites probably being Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and of course CARTIER.
Cartier is regarded as one of the most prestigious jewelry manufacturers in the world. As maybe rolex is a reference for men, cartier watches are Definitely the reference for woman.
I hope this small history gave you the desire to come to Paris, walk through the streets, and dive into this magical city.
And of course, to get to know more about these incredible French jewelry houses, which are the heritage of long traditions but also a symbol of passion and devotion for beauty and women.
