Designing Jewels: 200 years of French Savoir-Faire (1770 – 1970)
6 June - 5 October
EVENT DESCRIPTION
The University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, is honoured to present Designing Jewels: 200 Years of French Savoir-Faire (1770–1970)—an exhibition dedicated to jewellery design, exceptional masterpieces, and the artistic process of transforming precious metals and stones—on view from June 6 to October 5, 2025. Rarely studied, published or exhibited, jewellery drawings remain largely unknown to the public. A concurrent satellite exhibition will be held at the L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific campus at K11 MUSEA.
Supported by the Van Cleef & Arpels Patrimony Collection and the Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry Culture Fund—established in 2019 for research, presentation and educational purposes—along with loans from the Lalique Museum in France and private jewellery collections in Hong Kong, the exhibition showcases a remarkable selection of nearly 100 drawings alongside 13 exquisite jewellery pieces.
France has a long and influential tradition of jewellery making. This exhibition, together with its accompanying catalogue, highlights individual achievements by tracing the creative journey from initial sketches to gouaché renderings to finished masterpieces.
This exhibition is supported by the French May Arts Festival.
