The home page of Lydia Courteille’s website describes her boutique as her “cabinet of curiosities,” and, indeed, one might consider her appealing emporium a repository for countless interesting, if not downright wild, objets; art meets fashion here, and it is manifest in both her jewelry and other quirky offerings.
Located a short hop from the legendary Place Vendôme in the Rue Saint-Honoré, her handsomely designed gallery beckons. Awash in daring royal blue, deep aubergine, and dark, near-ebony walls, the shop is truly a petite jewel itself. Here, Courteille sells all manner of uncommon collectibles, which appeal to her curator’s eye, and which clearly are fascinating to others, as well; her shop has become a mecca for the fashion-conscious and collectors of whimsy and fancy, much as a trip to Colette in Paris is de rigueur for the style-devotee. Expect the fantastic, the exotic, the marvelous, the provocative.
Photo courtesy of @lydiacourteille
Courteille describes herself as a scientist, collector, gemologist, and traveler, but given her passion for antique jewelry, one can always be guaranteed to pinpoint at her boutique the just-right, one-of-a-kind vintage brooch or hat pin. In fact, Courteille claims to have bought and sold more than 7,000 pieces of vintage jewelry since she began her business. More than ten years ago, this highly regarded doyenne of haute design began to fabricate her own jewelry pieces, and to date has created more than 30 collections of bijoux. Inspiration comes from all corners of the earth — there may be amulets, charms, trinkets, skulls, floral motifs, and on and on, crafted in pavé-set diamonds, or in unusual metals, or in surprising materials. Her shop delights, as do her designs.
Ruth J. Katz
