Chaumet: Jeweller to Napoleon, House of Tiaras

From tiaras and emperors to the brides and the bees, let's unpack this high jewellery house...

Chaumet is one of the oldest jewellery houses in the world, and one of the most romantic: jeweller to Napoleon, maker of tiaras for Europe’s aristocracy, and a fixture of the Place Vendôme for well over a century. Its vintage pieces are elegant, beautifully made and far less often seen than those of Cartier or Van Cleef & Arpels.

Beginnings: jeweller to an emperor

The house traces its history to 1780, when Marie-Étienne Nitot set up as a jeweller in Paris. Under Napoleon, Nitot and his son François-Regnault became official jewellers to the Emperor, making jewels for the coronation of 1804 and for the Empresses Joséphine and Marie-Louise.

Napoleon in his coronation robes. Nitot, the founder of Chaumet, made jewels for the coronation of 1804.

The nineteenth century

After the fall of the Empire the business passed through several hands, keeping its reputation for fine jewels and royal clients. Naturalistic diamond jewellery, flowers and wheat ears, became one of its specialities, and the Empire’s taste for tiaras never quite left it.

Joseph Chaumet and the Belle Époque

In 1885 Joseph Chaumet took control, and the house took his name. He was a brilliant jeweller and a gemmologist, and under him Chaumet became above all the house of tiaras, making hundreds for European aristocrats and heiresses. In 1907 it moved to 12 Place Vendôme, where it still is.

Art Deco

In the 1920s and 1930s Chaumet embraced Art Deco with bold geometric jewels in platinum and diamonds, often with onyx, coral and coloured stones, and some of the finest Deco jewellery made in Paris.

Mid-century

After the war, Chaumet’s jewellery became freer and more sculptural, in textured gold set with coloured stones, like this vintage gold Chaumet ring set with a sapphire and diamonds.

Chaumet is the connoisseur’s choice. People know Cartier; the ones who find Chaumet usually know exactly what they’re looking at.
Olly Gerrish, AJC Founder

Chaumet today

Now part of LVMH, Chaumet still makes tiaras and high jewellery on the Place Vendôme, and its archive of designs, going back to Nitot, is one of the richest in the world.

What we look for

Signed pieces are marked “Chaumet” or “Chaumet Paris” and usually numbered, with French assay marks. We look for crisp signatures, fine finishing and original stones. Vintage Chaumet is rarer on the market than the other great names, which is part of its appeal.

Our view

A mid-century Chaumet gold ring set with a coloured stone is, for us, one of the most elegant ways to own a piece of Paris jewellery history, and still very fairly priced for a house of this standing. See also our guides to Cartier and Boucheron.