Steps in making a costume jewel
Welcome to Atelier Ciléa, where magic happens. You are invited to glimpse a rare know-how, where every detail is thought out, every gesture is precious, each piece comes to life under the expert hands of our craftsmen. A know-how that makes each piece of jewelry a unique work, a story to wear. Come in and discover the behind the scenes of the creation of your future costume jewelry.
1. No limits to originality
The first step of creation is a multitude of sketches, drafts, and random shapes. With a swipe of the pencil, the lines gradually take the shape of a jewel. The most difficult part is then to refine these shapes to make a jewel appear distinctly: the transition from imagination to reality.
2. Development of the prototype
We try, we do, we undo and then we redo. We assemble and reassemble the elements, we look for the materials and colors that go well together. The process is gradually refined, until the magic happens. After a day, a week, or a month of research, the imagined jewel is born from the hands of the craftsman.
A few more adjustments and that's it; the prototype is validated. Now comes the time to compose the collection that will arrive at your home a few months later. To do this, we make the jewel in several colors, chosen with care.
3. Unique materials
Manufacturing involves several steps, all equally necessary for shaping your jewel. For each jewel, everything begins with cutting the shapes and materials that compose it. Over time, we have developed unique materials, called Émaline, Domino, Saint-Paul, Tutu, Mira and Kyoto resins.
Each of these resins are created in our workshop from raw resins, enameled in our workshop. This enameling is a technique inherited from the know-how of the famous jeweler Line Vautrin. We have developed and transformed it so that it becomes this very special material that is Émaline.
4. Cutting
We cut out the elements that make up your jewelry one by one. Some are cut by hand while others are hot molded. Cutting is the longest step in the manufacturing process. It does not require any particular experience to be perfectly mastered. However, it does require patience and attention to detail.
5. Formatting
We deform certain elements using a molding technique that we inherited from Monique Védie. These molds are pressed vigorously to allow perfect and precise shaping. It is this step that gives life to the Ciléa jewel.
6. Coloring the jewel
Then, we delicately apply paint created in our workshop. This step is very meticulous and requires years of learning. For example, it is very difficult to fill all the pistils of our emblematic Anemone. The first tests generally end with a pistil overflowing or with stains left by an imprecise gesture. It is this precision of movement that allowed us to obtain the precious label in 2018.
7. Assembling the creations
Finally, once worked, all the elements are assembled. Depending on the size and complexity of the piece, this step can take more or less time. We carry out the final finishing touches and transformations to adjust everything. We then check the piece to see if it meets our quality requirements. And there you have it! It's finally done.
