Nestled in the 1st arrondissement of Paris lies the Place Vendôme, home to lavish hotels, renowned dress designers, and, strangely enough, a handful of Keith Haring’s ashes sprinkled by Yoko Ono. But the shining jewel of the Place Vendôme is the Maison Chaumet, a jewelry house whose designs have adorned royalty since its founding in 1780.
Originally known as the Nitot jewelry house, Chaumet was established by Marie-Étienne Nitot, the official jeweler of Marie-Antoinette and Napoleon I. Since then, Chaumet has dressed kings and queens, emperors and empresses, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses — not to mention a bevy of artists and writers. Queen Victoria, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, and King Louis-Philippe of France were all Chaumet clientele.
The Chaumet 3-Volume Slipcased Set, out today from Assouline, contains three collections of photographs, each tracing a distinct facet of the house’s legacy: the Paris location at the Place Vendôme, a history of renowned Chaumet tiaras, and the jewelry’s naturalist inspirations like flowers, leaves, and insects.
Click ahead for a glimpse of Chaumet’s rich history: a sparkling turquoise tiara from 1825, jewel-laden flower brooch, and an emerald ring made just last year.