The aesthetic of Muriel Grateau: no frills, just jewels

Sculpted onyx, engraved rock crystal and pop-inspired lacquers. Volume and oversizing uphold Muriel Grateau’s minimalist, no-frills aesthetic.

«My pieces are always conceived as accessories and are inextricably linked to the person wearing them and to the way they are worn.»

The jewelry world is composed of many stories; it’s made up of anecdotes and interesting facts that leave their mark over time by influencing trend direction, taste definition and style inclination.

And if Queen Victoria chose black as the predominant color of her extraordinary ‘mourning jewels’ throughout the 1800s — so much so that she launched a new trend at the time — in the twenty-first century, there is someone who considers noir jewels as the only possible match to a rigorously all-black outfit. Her name is Muriel Grateau. She is an all-round creative and defining her exclusively as a ‘jewelry designer’ would be too reductive.

'Button' ring with onyx
cabochon cut and
garnets.

The first person to notice her was Hélène Lazareff, the legendary founder of Elle France. She stopped Muriel at the port of St. Tropez, impressed by the originality of her clothes, which she had designed herself, and introduced her into the fashion world. It was only then that Muriel Grateau realized how fashion, which until then she had only experienced as a pure obsession, could transform into a profession.

After designing up to 1,500 garments per season, halfway through the Eighties she realized that the real trend would be to extend her own personal style concept to home décor. Her signature minimalism, as a refined aesthete, translated into endless porcelain, table linen and home accents collections, reaching the point of offering table linens in 100 different hues.

Onyx and mother-of-
pearl ring with cognac
diamonds.

But, after a few years, she began to sense that something was missing from her eclectic and refined world, from her essentially elegant, no-frills, black look. A jewel, or rather, the jewel: something memorable for women who love to dress in black. «Working in fashion, I often encountered Fine Jewelry designers and I discovered a fascinating new world. Enthusiasm, know-how and a desire to share my knowledge were all a strong incentive for me. I have always followed my artistic flair without ‘confining’ myself to a specific sector. When you are enraptured by a particular style or atmosphere, you become sensitive to any form of creativity.»

'Miroir
de Sorcière'
collection. Left.
'Grand Soleil
Bambou' brooch/
pendant in rough
champagne gold
and silvery rock
crystal mirror.

Thus, her first jewelry collection was born: one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces, like ready-to-wear sculptures. «I have always wanted to create precious and refined jewelry that is not too ostentatious. Almost like in the Thirties and Fifties, when the design and aesthetic of jewels were more important than their value. My pieces are always conceived as accessories and are inextricably linked to the person wearing them and to the way they are worn.»

Her collections are mainly dominated by an alternation of black and white, in the form of fierce onyx and candid rock crystal, diamonds and black sapphires, with a few, delicate digressions in the form of pop-inspired lacquers and coral red. There are the Dentelle lace-effect jewels in chrome gold, the Brocart and Pop Pins brooches in colorful and pailletée lacquers, Noir Onyx rings, earrings and bracelets in handcrafted onyx, and the Miroir de Sorcière collection, with brooches and pendants inspired by convex objects and mirrors that were popular in the Fifties, featured in wood, metal and bamboo. And the luminous Cristal de Roche collection: a line defined by the many facets of rock crystal, sculpted or engraved to create an intense contrast between polished and opaque.

Bangles in
black onyx and
champagne
diamonds made
out of two
sculptures and in
hand carved rock
crystal with black
sapphires.

Are there synergies between jewelry and design? «I never thought there could be a link between the jewels I design and my tableware. But, looking back in time, history shows substantial crossover between the jewelry world and l’art de la table. Just to name two of the most representative brands: Lalique and Tiffany. Perhaps with the intent of tickling the interest of the female universe, both Maisons were successful in creating strong ties between the two worlds. How? By combining expertise and craftsmanship».

 

 

*As originally featured in the last issue of the VO+ USA special edition

Words by Federica Frosini Photography by Oleg Covian