THE HAND

Design

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Design

When idea takes shape

Every creation is the result of an emotion, a unique inspiration that comes from a synergy, a designer idea translated through his pencil. On the drawing board first, then with the help of a 3D design software, the idea takes shape, the volume is structured around tiny mechanisms to materialize exceptional jewellery piece. Silhouette, comfort and fluidity of the piece are all components that provide an optimal rendering, which, on the finger, neck or wrist of client must be noticeable.

Yohan, Creator – Designer

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I was finishing my studies; I had to find my way,

I was recalling all my last 3 years art projects

I found myself with one project that caught my eye, it was the jewellery one, it just took one to be made and I completely fell in love.

It really stuck to my skin.

Drawing is natural to me; it’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid at home.

What I needed was to learn the drawing technique.

Once I got all my degrees, I thought: « What do I really want to do ? »

Discovering CAD related job (Computer Aided Design), I found something interesting, a mixt between technique and design.

Mathon creations blow me away completely.

This energy found in the designs interested me a lot.
I wanted to take part.

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In this industry, we receive drawings, we start from them and we create on the computer the piece.

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As the jeweller does, or as he did a few years ago in wax or prototype.

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On the computer we work firstly on style to interpret a 2D drawing into a 3D dimension, then technic.

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We have to think of everything. We cannot offer a beautiful shape if that’s not achievable. That would not work.

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Whoever creates the drawing has a precise vision of what he wants.

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Our main work is to transcribe the designer’s vision into technical.

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We work in a very creative environment; we witness a product take shape.

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Thanks to our computer we can give birth to incredible design.

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It’s a team work between creator, designer and the jeweller.

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We are a team; we work together towards projects that highlight our know-how.

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When the piece is completed, it’s a team work, but we all tend to appropriate it for oneself.

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In the end, it belongs to everyone at a different stage from conception to completion.

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It’s our work, our piece; because we know that we work with exceptional craftsmen.

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We work as a team and we respect one another. We are lucky to work with such talented and passionate people.

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We give our very best; we work towards the same aim: perfection.

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Today, our team work with passion whist breathing new life into the jewellery piece.

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We all listen to each other; it’s the beautiful end result that matters at the end. Constructive criticism helps us to move forward and give our best.

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Today within the design department we work together to bring our expertise and skills.

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I am fortunate to collaborate with two people with 15 years of experience. Their vision, job insight impacts positively my work.

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We all have different views and experiences that nourish our projects. We constantly share new ideas between us.

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I believe that each person working here is making its contribution and playing a role into each Mathon piece.

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Every time we get the feeling that the pieces are almost alive.

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Roger drawings, paintings and creative world made perfectly sense to me.

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My wish today is to give access to more people to his creations.

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Each step of the design and manufacturing process are coming along to bring the piece alive.

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We are fortunate to have so many archives and be part of a company with such a legacy.

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We try to revert back to the house origins to use our identity and infuse modernity into our creations.

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Our job is to make use intelligently of our craft heritage to design exquisite jewellery pieces in line with the current trend.

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If a piece is beautiful it means that we did the job. That’s the most important.

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A piece may be technically perfect but without a soul and style we will have failed.

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Some pieces have more soul than others. These are subjective and depend on each experiences, life and sensitivity.

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I am pretty sure that many of our customers who purchase our Place Vendôme pieces can tell the quality and soul of our pieces.

Casting

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Casting

Metamorphosis

The first step of materialization of the piece is the casting. This is the fundamental step of the birth of precious metal jewellery. This was made possible by a complete transformation process.

The waxes made by the modeller are mounted on a tree, which is cast in the plaster. This plaster is a negative image of the object to be melted. The passage in the oven allows the sublimation of the wax. The gold transformation then happens. The molten metal poured into the crucible replaces the wax in the plaster tree. A thermal shock is needed to break the crust of the tree and reveal the fruits: a multitude of gold pieces that will be the building part of the jewellery. So many stages disrupt the creation of the jewel with suspense, and make the richness and complexity of the profession of foundry as it perpetually evolves.

Christophe - Founder

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A word about my job…: Constant discovery, improvement, progression.

The objective of lost wax casting achieves the best quality of metal while leaving as little impact as possible on the piece. This allows the jeweller to save time.

I became a founder accidentally. I worked metal, aluminium, gold and silver before. Gold and silver are nice materials to work with and easy to handle.

I like going from a solid state to liquid and starting all over. The transformation process takes place twice to get something more interesting.

Lost wax casting is a well-known practice. This involves injecting wax into a mould, unmould the shaped part and grape it on a ‘’tree’’ which will then be plastered.

The plaster tree is cooked for 14 hours: during this operation the wax inside the plaster disappears leaving the negative imprint in the plaster shell.

From there, gold is melted to fill the plaster cylinder. Instead of wax we get the metal parts.

This process lasts about 48 hours since the plaster baking lasts 14 hours.

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The more complex the piece is the more you have to cut the mould in several places. By cutting it, we shift the piece, which makes a line called ‘’mould sealing line’’.

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We can get an invisible joint surface that suitable for jewellers.

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But if the piece is complex and you need to cut the mould into different directions we create multiple joint surfaces consequently the piece can then shift and no longer get the right thickness or shape.

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Prototype machine allows us to avoid all the little issues that we get with the mould.

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When it comes to gold casting many factors need to be considered such as hygrometry, time and outside temperatures.

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Changing these parameters, we can achieve two identical models and get two results completely different.

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Furnaces have evolved. Today, we use induction furnaces whereas before it was centrifuges. Some pieces require old methods.

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Metal is changing too. In the past, the founders se to make the gold alloy from 24 carats gold, adding copper and silver to create 18 carats gold; Red, yellow or rose gold was obtained according to the silver or copper proportion in the alloy.

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Nowadays, we are working with a metal refiner that uses adjuvants to obtain a smoother metal.

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What I like most is the mould opening. There are several rubber layers in which the piece is found and we are unable to locate it.

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Depending on how the mould is opened with a scalpel you can have a very nice or disastrous wax. You can try several times until you get the right way to open it. This opening process is a mystery.

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This mystery is very interesting. I like this search in my job.

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It’s complex, it’s a complete discovery. We never do the same thing repetitively and I really enjoy it.

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The goal is always the same: mounting the trees in wax, pouring the wax and replace it with the metal.

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But the pieces are always different, and the quality of the rendering is always different. This alchemy sometimes seems to be very random.

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We are always looking to improve the quality of gold pieces obtained by the lost wax casting technic. We have always learned through experiences and situations.

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I have learned a lot from Mathon. I gain maturity with Mathon as the job evolves very quickly.

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I found out about the wax injection. My real job is about gold casting. But as a founder prefers to mount wax tree myself and seek for the best result.

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Jewelery

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Jewelery

Metal work

The jeweller works, limes and softens the gold pieces from issued by the casting operation. He shaped and assembled with meticulousness, dexterity and patience, all the elements of the jewel before welding them, in order to bring forth a volume according to the design of the creator. The sensitivity of the touch, the precision of the gesture and the accuracy of the eye are at the heart of the meticulous construction of the jewel. Worn by the client, the piece must be a second skin and stand out. All the art of the jeweller lies in this careful attention between the magnificence of the jewel and the indispensable lightness of the piece.

Élodie - Jeweller

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I’ve always been manual. I enjoy starting a project from scratch and seeing something come to life.

Starting in the business, I was attracted by this touch and sensitivity.

When I first visit the school, I was charmed by the students, their way of doing things, the gestures, the tools… it was warm, I was faced with myself and this is what I needed.

The teachers liked their work and were able to transmit their love of the job. That’s what I like. At the beginning, I had a hard time because it’s a manual job and I had just graduated without that kind of experience.

But the teachers knew how to pass on to me the love, the know-how and the passion. I am passionate. As time went by, I loved more and more what I was doing particularly the gold craft and giving shape.

The jewel is built from a design; some parts come from the casting process, some others are hand made parts such as systems or claps. We make a trial assembly, whether it is a necklace, ring, bracelet, brooch and hair clip.

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I study the drawing in detail to understand the whole piece rendering because one jewellery often comes in several pieces.

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I start then by making a trial assembly of the whole piece. I take all the parts, put them together quickly to check if I got them all.

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We always start from the jewel inside which must be as beautiful as the outside.

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We will then scrap the casts one by one. That’s the casting repair process, then we make a blank frame. With a necklace for instance we will need to put the pieces together, to place it on the bust with hammers until the fit is perfect.

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We finish with the last touches such as clasps or earrings systems. When it comes to new project you need to try the jewel on someone to ensure an optimal rendering. Throughout the manufacturing process we work in constant communication with other trade to get the best result.

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It is a meticulous and noble job due to the materials we work with. It requires patience as pieces take very long to do.

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We must manage our stress and keep calm as error is not an option. You have to be passionate because working without it is impossible.

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It’s like a precious object, if you care about it, you take care of it. Try to image the customer’s excitement when she will receive the completed jewel! That human touch is paramount to us.

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It’s very nice to go through Place Vendôme and see the jewel through the window and worn by celebrities in magazines. This is the life process of a jewel.

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Polishing

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Polishing

Revealing a passion

The vocation of the polisher is to sublimate the precious metal. With his cotton cloths, brushes, and stamps, he works to remove all the imperfections of the metal to give it the desired finish – brushed, satin, or shiny. In synergy with the jeweller and the gemsetter, the polisher brings rhythm into the construction of the piece. His impeccable and meticulous search, in every angle in search of the slightest defect, even invisible to the eye, reveals the beauty of the jewel. The high standard of perfection attached to polishing a piece testifies to the high quality of French jewellery.

Thibaut - Polisher

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I have always loved the jewel and their brilliance. I like to see dirty jewel coming to life when we remove the marks and make it shine.

If it is eye appealing that’s good. Here we absolutely monitor everything.

We get the impression that the polish is as smooth as a mirror. When we play with the light we notice the imperfections and scratches on the metal.

My job aim is to remove all the metal imperfections. The current trend is to get that mirror effect but the polish effect can also give a satin or brushed effect. It does not necessarily shine.

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Once the jeweller has finished resurfacing, the polisher needs to clean the openwork before the stones setting which makes them shine. He also polishes outside to check the metal imperfections.

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The gemsetter then the jeweller get involved, when the jewel returns to be polished we work again on the setting. Every single part of the jewel is polished before being put together. We keep the last touches to the end.

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Nonvisible imperfections need to be rectified before the jewellery piece is sent to Place Vendôme. This is our quality of work.

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This is why we can say that ‘’the job is well done’’ until the end. When you wear a ring on your finger the inside is not visible but once removed it can be seen.

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Our work is the result of the French luxury magic. You need to be patient and meticulous. We work on enhancing the jewel and make it beautiful.

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Setting

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Setting

Magnificent gems

First of all, the gemsetter dreams of the piece. Then like the stress of the actor who goes on stage, he uses his expertise to bring to life his vision of the jewel. It is a matter now of using one’s talents to choose the appropriate setting. Then, meticulously, he prepares the metal to receive the gem, draws his nets at the stall and enshrines the stones one by one in gold or platinum. He completes his work by beading the grains or by folding the prongs of a bezel with infinite delicacy and great dexterity. The gemsetter advances in conjunction with the jeweller and polisher, sensitive to the fragility of the gems he works. The expertise of the gemsetter is to magnify the jewel, to bring to life its essence because, etymologically, jewellery is defined as the art of enhancing the stones.

Hayk - Gemsetter

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I found about this job during a business visit. I loved it straight away. I started at 14, first as an apprentice then I gradually worked my way up.

My job is gemsetter.
There are several setting techniques: pave, bezel and prong setting

Once material is removed you are unable to revert back this is why you need to be meticulous.

Many precious stones such as mandarin garnet, tanzanite and tourmaline are fragile. They scratched quickly and damaged easily. You have to be very precise.

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Before setting, I dream of the piece. I like setting big and beautiful stones to reinterpret the setting type. That’s why I work at Mathon.

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At Mathon, we have the opportunity to propose setting type. The manager offers this opportunity so you can express yourself within your work. I like this unique collaboration.

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When we start working on an piece, we always doubt. It’s like a theatre actor who always gets nervous when he goes on the stage.

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« Am I going to succeed? » I have the idea in mind and I know it will be beautiful. But I still have a doubt until it’s completed and then I can be satisfied.

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People have different views. All positive and negative feedback are constructive criticism.

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I always enjoy doing and talking about my job. It would not be impossible to work without enjoy in it.

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I love this job. Challenging myself every time is my driving force to do even better.

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I like the workshop environment. We live, laugh, argue and talk together … We work as a team to produce exquisite pieces.

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Each piece is the result of a team effort. The jeweller and the gemsetter will discuss together to define the best way to make the piece. As we do in France, we constantly share and communicate with one each other.

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Communication is common practice either with the jeweller, managers and clients. If we believe a piece is not stunning it will not be manufactured. This approach set us apart from other countries.

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The ways we communicate make us stronger. We see new stones every day and we need to develop a different approach with each stone.

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After 40 years within this industry, it’s a constant learning process. As I won’t be able to remain at my position forever I will retire at some point.

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I like the idea of passing on my experience to a younger person and see him follow his own path like mine.

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I would like him to do the same thing, learn to do it right with precision.

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The young man that I trained wanted to learn. I taught him my know-how.

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In France there is this passion within the jewellery profession such as setting and casting. We do our job with love and passion.

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This job makes me live and allows me to support my family. You need to appreciate fully this job.

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I work with little things despite my big hands. People may see my hands and ask ‘’how it is possible for you to this job with such hands?” Well, I do it with love. I have enjoyed this job. I feel tremendously honoured to do it.

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I have enjoyed this job. I feel tremendously honoured to do it.

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From a flat perspective it takes shape beautifully with stones

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It’s like a piece of fabric cut to create a beautiful dress. With stones and the setting we create the final piece. Once completed we can appreciate its ‘’beauty’’.

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THE HAND

Expertise of excellence

Design

Design

When idea takes shape

Yohan, Creator – Designer

Casting

Casting

Metamorphosis

Christophe - Founder

Jewelery

Jewelery

Metal work

Élodie - Jeweller

Polishing

Polishing

Revealing a passion

Thibaut - Polisher

Setting

Setting

Magnificent gems

Hayk - Gemsetter