Lacloche, Parisian Jewelers, 1892 - 1967” Exhibition in Hong Kong

Bracelet, Lacloche, 1925, platinum, buff-top ruby, onyx,

Running until 6 April 2022, the exhibition “Lacloche, Parisian Jewelers, 1892 – 1967” shines a light on the long-forgotten Parisian jewelry house Lacloche.

The monographic exhibition showcases the technical prowess and impeccable taste of one of the summits of high jewelry before the Maison’s demise in the 1960s.

Founded in 1892 with modest beginnings, Lacloche opened their first premises at the prestigious address on Paris’ rue de la Paix in 1901, alongside great jewelry houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. In the 1920s, Lacloche became renowned at the forefront of the Art Deco movement; and stood out as one of the most revered Maisons across both sides of the Atlantic Ocean through the first half of the 20th century, catering to a vast, prestigious and international clientele including European royalty and Hollywood stars. Despite their abandon of the world of glitter to venture into the world of contemporary art and design in the 1960s, the jeweler’s innovations and creations continue to captivate audiences today.

Gathering from around the world more than 40 pieces of rare jewelry, precious clocks and timepieces, compacts and vanity cases — the Lacloche specialty, the retrospective will illustrate various trends including the naturalism of Art Nouveau, Egyptomania and the penchant for the Far East during the Roaring Twenties, the modernism of Art Deco, etc.

“With limited and incomplete archival documents available on Lacloche, gathering information to tell the jewelry house’s story required detective work,” remarked Laurence Mouillefarine, journalist and exhibition curator.

The exhibition is presented by L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels.