A last carat exhibition

Black, yellow, red, blue, pink, green, purple… No matter their color. The magic of precious stones never ceases to shine with their purity, rarity and beauty. And that is not yesterday. Since the dawn of time, they have been instruments of power as well as objects of negotiation and seduction. France is a rich land which, depending on the region, conceals veined fluorites (Morvan), agates (Puy-de-Dôme), quincyte opals (Cher), emeralds and sapphires (Loire-Atlantique ), aquamarines (Limousin), ruby ​​(Aveyron), blue opal (Paris).

Precious stones are also very informative scientific subjects whose process of mineral formation is as interesting as it is fascinating.

Their origins and millennial history were well worth an exhibition. What better setting to retrace their secrets than the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution of the National Museum of Natural History (Paris 5th)? Through this scintillating immersion, its president Bruno David wishes to “be amazed to instruct”. By presenting from September 16, 2020 to June 14, 2021 more than 200 jewelry creations from Maison Van Cleef & Arpels and other 500 minerals, gems and works of art, the contract will no doubt be worth its weight in gold. They will shine brightly in a scenography orchestrated with poetry by designer Patrick Jouin and architect Saniit Marko; a staging that will invite you to navigate in time and space along three distinct routes. The first « History of the Earth and know-how » will present the original formation of minerals and their use by man with a 90,000-year-old shell as a witness, found in Algeria and considered to be one of the three oldest. jewelry known to the world. The second « From minerals to jewelry » will allow visitors to discover, through 36 display cases, the geodynamic cycles of minerals and the natural phenomena that form them until they metamorphose. Finally, the third, « Paris, place of knowledge » will shed light on the main protagonists of the constant evolution of minerals, gems and jewelry since the 17th century and on the aesthetic aspect.

This highlighting will teach us that it was the jeweler Jean Vendôme (real name Ohan Tuhdarian), passionate about stones, who was the first to set natural minerals in jewelry. It will enlighten us on diamond, this mineral composed of carbon resulting from a natural phenomenon, that of pressure, as well as on the mastery of brilliant cut, which became a French specialty thanks to Louis XIV. It will reveal to us the secret of the mysterious setting, this process patented in 1933 by Van Cleef & Arpels, allowing faceted stones to be fixed on a fine gold resin without a mount or an apparent label. Gold from the Montagne Noire « Occitane de Sabine » and two sapphires from Puy-de-Dôme will also be on display for the first time.

In addition to celebrating precious stones, the exhibition will organize workshops for children and paid guided tours, entertainment, lectures and screenings.

For sure, the real secret of these gems will be that of their beauty.

“Precious stones”, exhibition from September 16, 2020 to June 14, 2021 at the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution in the Jardin des Plantes (Paris Vème) – Open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Tuesday, December 25, 2020, January 1 and on May 1, 2021-Prices and other information on 01 40 79 54 79/56 01 and on www.jardindesplantesdeparis.fr/Expo-Pierres-Precieuses

#ExpoPierresPrecieuses.

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Daphne VICTOR

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