M, GERARD

 
 

After a lengthy career at Van Cleef & Arpels, renowned jewellery Maison, Frenchman Louis Gérard decided to venture out on his own. In 1968, he established M. Gérard and launched his first boutique on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Gérard was driven by his desire to create the world's most beautiful jewels and his designs included extravagant sets of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings adorned with diamonds and colorful gems. Atelier Andre Vassort, with whom Gérard had worked at Van Cleef & Arpels, produced much of the jewelry.

Over the next two decades, Atelier Andre Vassort created stunning pieces for M. Gérard, known for their exquisite craftsmanship. Gérard's jewelry attracted a wealthy clientele from Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East, and he delighted in catering to them with lavish parties and shows in glamorous locations such as Cannes and Monte Carlo. Within a decade, boutiques had opened in Gstaad, London, Lausanne, and Monte Carlo, and by 1980, the company's magazine advertisements declared it the leading exporter of French fine jewelry for the fifth consecutive year.

However, the firm's finances suffered due to excessive spending, and in November 1985, Gérard sold it to a group of American investors. The company was later reacquired and relaunched as Louis Gérard, Joaillier International, with a new showroom on Avenue Montaigne. Sadly, the company closed its doors in December 1991, just three years later.

As a jewelry designer and founder of M. Gérard, Louis Gérard created many famous works of art. His jewelry designs were known for their extravagance and lavish use of diamonds and colored gems. Much of the jewelry was crafted by the renowned Atelier Andre Vassort, known for their exquisite craftsmanship. Some of M. Gérard's most famous works include:

  1. A stunning diamond necklace with a floral motif, crafted in platinum and set with 3,650 diamonds.

  2. A pair of diamond and emerald earrings, featuring large pear-shaped emeralds and diamond clusters.

  3. A set of diamond and sapphire jewelry, including a necklace, bracelet, and earrings, set with alternating rows of diamonds and sapphires.

  4. A diamond and ruby bracelet, featuring a central row of oval-shaped rubies surrounded by diamonds.

  5. A diamond and pearl necklace, featuring a central diamond pendant and a graduated strand of pearls.

These are just a few examples of M. Gérard's exquisite jewelry designs, which continue to be sought after by collectors and connoisseurs of fine jewelry.