Daniel Mitchell, manager of the L’Escarboucle bookstore at the School of Jewelry Arts, has put together his ideal library, i.e. 6 books to offer to lovers of jewelry and stones.
Spreading jewelry culture to as many people as possible, in France and around the world… This is the mission that the School of Jewelry Arts in Paris has set itself since its opening in 2012, Place Vendôme, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels. On the program? Quality teaching around three main areas, the history of jewelry, jewelry know-how and the world of stones. Driven by the enthusiasm of the public, the school has increased its openings, with a second Parisian address, the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, located in the 18th century mansion on the Grands Boulevards but also in different corners of the world. (Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai). In addition to these permanent addresses, the concept travels, occasionally traveling to Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon or even New York and Tokyo.
Like any large institution, the School of Jewelry Arts has had its research department since 2017, which is an authority on scientific publications. To complete the experience, the Mercy-Argenteau hotel has a library and the L’Escarboucle bookstore. Led by its manager Daniel Mitchell, this space allows visitors to consolidate their culture thanks to nearly 3000 carefully chosen titles. Among these numerous works, the expert has selected the 6 beautiful books to offer or treat yourself to, with your eyes closed!
The color pink and its many facets
“In this captivating essay, the great historian Michel Pastoureau traces the cultural and symbolic history of the color pink. Although associated today with tenderness and love in Western societies, this color has carried varied and sometimes contradictory meanings over the centuries. An erudite reflection which sheds light on the role of color in our societies. Good news: a boxed edition, bringing together Pastoureau’s previous studies on other colors, is available at L’Escarboucle. Rose by Michel Pastoureau, Éditions Seuil, 192 pages, €39.90.
Press Photos / Éditions Seuil
The fine pearl, a Parisian story
Did you know that rue Lafayette was home to nearly 300 fine pearl traders between the wars? Today, devastated by the domination of cultured pearls (95% freshwater or 5% seawater), they can be counted on the fingers of one hand. How could there have been so many of them? How did Paris become the capital of fine pearls? Why has this thriving trade almost disappeared? Léonard Pouy answers all these questions. “This work asserts itself as the new reference on fine pearls within everyone’s reach. By elucidating the mysteries surrounding this fascinating bio mineral, it highlights its influence on Parisian jewelers and artists. From the Roaring Twenties to today, a true “perlomania” has been expressed in all the arts: opera, cinema, painting, photography, posters and illustrations. This book celebrates the pearl as an essential symbol of Parisian elegance and creativity at the dawn of the 20th century,” explains Daniel Mitchell. Good news: “Paris, capital of pearls” is the subject of an exhibition to be discovered until June 25, 2025 at the School of Jewelry Arts Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau. Paris, pearl capital by Léonard Pouyco-published by L’École des arts joailliers and Éditions Norma, 240 pages, €42.
Press Photo / The School of Jewelry Arts
Experiments around touch
It is a real sensory experience that Woshibai offers us throughout the pages. The author summons varied sensations, from the tickles on the tip of the finger to the spiciness of a rose, the viscosity of fish or even the roughness of wood… He also invites us to experiment with other things: making circles in the water , drop a vase, crush a mosquito. The tone is set from the cover, with its embossed hands. “A work composed of simple lines and silence. The absence of colors and words in no way alters the beauty or the evocative force of our most basic gestures. A poetic exploration of the hand through drawing,” underlines Daniel Mitchell. Touch by Woshibai from Édition des Grandes Personnes, 48 pages, €15.
Photo Presse / Vincent Tessier
An original introduction to the jewelry world
Art historian, director of the Teaching and Research department of the School of Jewelry Arts, Guillaume Glorieux deconstructs prejudices. “A multifaceted object, jewelry carries many preconceived ideas: a symbol of wealth, a feminine attribute, a witness to a personal history or a religious or even political sign. In this work directed by Guillaume Glorieux, scientific director of the School of Jewelry Arts, the authors deconstruct these prejudices by exploring the cultural, historical and material roots of jewelry. Enriched with illustrations, this book offers an original introduction to this fascinating universe, where craftsmanship meets symbolism,” explains Daniel Mitchell. Received ideas about jewelry under the direction of Guillaume Glorieux, co-published by L’École des Arts Joailliers and Le Cavalier Bleu, 280 pages, €22.
Press Photo / The School of Jewelry Arts
18th century treasure
Bringing together a college of historians and specialist curators, this work renews knowledge on the Choiseul snuffbox, acquired by the Louvre Museum in 2023. The precious gold setting by the goldsmith Louis Roucel serves as a setting for six miniatures of Louis Nicolas Van Biarenberghe featuring the flamboyant Duke of Choiseul, minister of Louis XV in all facets of his daily life. Why does Daniel Mitchell recommend it? “This tiny object (3.7 x 7.8 x 6 cm) is a real treasure from the 18th century. Behind its modest dimensions, it reveals a wealth of details, reflecting the refinement and immense artistic collection of the Duke of Choiseul. Exceptional editorial and historical work highlights this masterpiece in miniature. La Tabatière Choiseul. An 18th century monument by Michèle Mimbenet-Privat, Éditions Faton, 256 pages, 49€.
Press Photo / Éditions Faton
Ode to timeless beauty
The fruit of an unprecedented literary and artistic collaboration, Divine Jewels. In search of beauty, by Kazumi Arikawa and Diana Scarisbrick, reveals the exceptional collection of the world’s most important collector of historical jewelry, Kazumi Arikawa. Co-written with Diana Scarisbrick, specialist in the history of jewelry, this book is a journey in ten thematic chapters, from the Hellenistic period to the 1940s. Daniel Mitchell’s opinion? “Much more than a simple chronological account of the history of jewelry: it is an ode to timeless beauty. This work explores all eras through the prism of the grace and elegance of jewelry. Richly illustrated, it materializes and establishes itself as an essential reference for lovers of truth, beauty and the jewelry arts. Divine Jewels. In search of beauty by Kazumi Arikawa and Diana Scarisbrick, Styles & Design collection, Éditions Flammarion, 520 pages, €95.
