Paris-based Nicolas Jourdier is an ‘interior jeweller’ who crafts unique pieces in gemstones that add positive energy and a wow factor to homes and yachts.

Nicolas Jourdier

Nicolas Jourdier is a self-titled ‘interior jeweller’ who creates jewelled art including tables, consoles, mirrors, lamps and statues. His unique work featuring semi-precious stones now features in major contemporary art collections in Europe and Asia, including in Hong Kong and Manila.

All his creations are custom-made in a Parisian workshop that’s open to the public by appointment – and where he also opened up for an interview with Yacht Style.

Amazonite side table, sold in Hong Kong

Where did the term ‘interior jeweller’ come from?

I invented the term. We describe someone who decorates an interior as an interior designer. A jeweller designs jewellery for the body – rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces and pendants. On the other hand, I create large-sized jewellery to beautify interiors; some of my sculptures stand 2m tall. I create interior jewels to grace prestigious residences and yachts.

How do you approach your work?

I craft unique pieces of jewellery specifically designed for the interiors of my clients and tailored to their wishes and energy. I only use minerals that emit positive energies, so they do good by their buyers.

Amber-framed mirror, backed by LEDs

I also work on the association of metals and stones, so they resonate with each other and increase the desired energy. For each jewel, I individually choose each stone, even the smallest one, and place it carefully in a precise and specific position.

When did your passion for stones begin?

When I was 10, my grandfather gifted me stones and fossils he had found around the world including crystallised galena from the Libyan Desert. I was captivated by the stones’ history, mystery and beauty. He frequently took me to museums and gifted me books, and a passion was born.

Malachite console table plated in gold leaf

By 14, I was the youngest member of the Paris-based Mineral and Fossil Study Group (Groupe D’Etudes de Minéraux et Fossiles). We explored the French countryside to collect minerals and fossils. Each search is like a treasure hunt. You dig, you excavate, but you never know if you’ll discover something or if the stone or fossil will be of good quality.

In 2005, after a few years in Hong Kong and Paris, I finally started to live my dream in Florence. I designed and made a table in hardstone marquetry (pietra dura) with materials drawn from old stocks jealously guarded by Florentine craftsmen. I wanted each stone to come from the same quarry as the stones used in the 17th and 18^th centuries. Then I created 15 table trays in pietra dura.

Amber wall light

What inspires you when creating your works?

I always start with a stone that inspires me due to its beauty, shape or energy. From the stone, I craft a piece. For example, malachite is a stone that offers protection and inner rebirth, so I designed a console to be placed in an entrance to guard the home from negative energies.

Amber is a valuable, fossilised resin that radiates positive energy and a calming influence. I craft rocks to place in living rooms, imparting peace and good vibes when entertaining guests. I also make mirrors framed with amber, behind which I install LEDs that emit a beautiful light through the translucent nuggets.

Tiger’s eye mirror, backed by LEDs

Tiger’s eye boosts creativity and wards off negative thoughts. Sometimes, I enhance my creations with gold or bronze, like flowers made of tiger’s eye and gold, or gold-plated rocks inlaid with amber.

Do stones genuinely possess virtues?

In France, we put amber necklaces on young children when they’re teething. It helps alleviate their pain and it’s very effective. Stones include iron, copper and silica. Each element has distinct properties, and the pharmaceutical industry uses them.

Malachite side table

I select stones based on their colours and energies. Some stones are electrostatic, some absorb, others emit energy. For example, a table covered in hundreds of malachite pieces doesn’t possess the same properties and energies as one covered in amber. I design each piece based on my clients’ desires and personalities.

How do you source your stones?

I travel to find inspiring stones. For example, I visited Brazil to explore the amethyst mines I had dreamed of visiting since my childhood. I brought back over a tonne of minerals including three magnificent amethyst geodes of exceptional quality, superior to anything in the Paris museums.

Rose quartz mirror, backed by LEDs

Which accomplishments are you proud of?

I sold a gold-plated rock inlaid with dozens of amber pieces to the largest contemporary Asian art collection in France. I also designed a mirror encircled with amber for them. Now, we’re planning to craft a room entirely covered with mirrors and rose quartz, the stone of love.

www.nicolasjourdier.com