Vintage Fashion Jewelry Powerhouse Gripoix

The Thriller of Gripoix 

Gripoix is, strictly talking, the name of an atelier, a property that produced poured glass. Parisian glass worker Augustine Gripoix was the initial who commenced to grasp the artwork of creating jewelry of glass, crystal, metal and synthetic pearls.

In 1869, Augustine Gripoix, the founder of the atelier, revived, refined, and ultimately reinvisioned an historic glass generating artwork. The course of action involved pate de verre, melted glass, poured into moulds. At the time, the typical observe of creating glass beads, crystals, and pearls was grinding glass to a paste, baking it, and then pouring it into moulds. 

Used by Augustine’s method of melting glass and pouring it into moulds authorized for a a lot quicker turnaround and arguably gave extra space for creativity and produced stones purer in colour, transparency and shine. In the early days of Gripoix, princesses and duchesses lined up to get replicas of their most loved jewelry, both as backup and for glamour.  

The Artwork of Gripoix

Copper alloy wires, the recipe of which by the way stays a magic formula to this day, is sent by the Artwork Metallic business, an group about as aged as Gripoix itself. 

The wires are heated, twisted, and stretched to form a mould, and then soldered with powdered brass, a scarce strategy. The mould is then gold-plated, and the glasswork commences. 

Appealing simple fact: Some of Gripoix’s glass was supplied by the Bullseye Glass Co. from Portland, Oregon, which provides glass to Tiffany, as nicely. 

The glass, that arrives in extended coloured rods, is melted and poured into the moulds. Due to the fact glass is melted and not ground, the coloration and transparency stays intact, and pleasant shade combos can be achieved.

Some items demand in excess of a hundred hrs to make by hand, but the end result is second to none: Gripoix items that are 50 or even far more years previous search as if time has stopped in admiration and did not dare to scar the parts in any way.   

Chanel and Gripoix: A Lifelong Partnership

In the 1920s, younger Gabrielle Chanel approached Suzanne Gripoix with an fascinating request for Byzantine jewellery, which necessary bold glass stones of glowing shades.

Chanel reproduced models encouraged by 16th century and renaissance paintings. Her criteria for the result ended up high the stones experienced to be bold, the intricate byzantine patterns experienced to be sharp, and the jewelry experienced to look freshly excavated. Gripoix didn’t disappoint and the results were being further than satisfactory. The iconic byzantine style of Chanel jewellery was born.

Chanel would usually combine pure and imitation stones in a single piece. Pure and imitation pearls would frequently feature in the identical necklace, ring or brooch. Gripoix crafted them in a sublime way making it not possible to explain to true from the bogus. 

Suzanne Gripoix also produced special irregular pearls for Chanel an imitation of baroque pearls. The faux pearls were being enameled in Gripoix’s workshops with mom-of-pearl to attain the same gentle glow that is a unique attribute of pure pearls.

Legendary Coco Chanel continued to be a lifelong shopper of the Home of Gripoix, all the way till her passing. It was this connection that shaped Gripoix, and firmly cemented the house as the conventional for the maximum good quality glass jewelry in the entire world of trend and glamor.