Cécile et Jeanne, jewellery creation since 1990

November 2024 49 avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12

For over thirty years, the brand with the dove has been designing and crafting elegant costume jewellery that brings lightness and joy to women, adorning them with radiance. Through her collections, Jeanne Seroussi, the designer and co-creator of the house, expresses her world, her emotions, and shares her vision of life and women through her art. A story she now continues to write with her daughter, Cécile Pesach, who joined her in 2019.

Craftsmanship and a family adventure

Family has always been at the heart of Cécile et Jeanne. From the very beginning, Jeanne co-founded the house with her brother Eli. Even the name of the house, Cécile et Jeanne, is a tribute to their mother, Cécile, who supported them from the start in this endeavour. « Cécile would even come and lend a hand in the boutique », recalls her granddaughter, Cécile, who inherited her grandmother’s name.

Today, Cécile et Jeanne remains a family adventure, as Jeanne’s daughter joined her in the workshop-boutique straight after completing her law studies. « For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been connected to the boutique », says Cécile. « I worked there as a student alongside my studies, I used to watch my mother in my free time... I grew up in her workshop, and now we work together. A true spirit of collaboration has developed. »

Luminous and timeless jewellery

Refined and colourful, the costume jewellery created by Cécile et Jeanne aims to enhance women’s beauty. « At the time Jeanne started, women wore a lot of black. She wanted to bring them a touch of light with her creations », explains Cécile.

Pewter, brass, resin, pâte de verre, enamel, fine stones, and even vermeil... Cécile et Jeanne jewellery combines various materials with a signature that has become a hallmark of the house: a dove. « The dove is a very powerful symbol of peace, of course, but also of serenity and love. Beyond its beauty and comforting presence, for Jeanne, it represents all women », adds Cécile.

Over the years, the dove of Cécile et Jeanne has been worn by several women during pivotal moments in history. Among them was Leah Rabin, who wore it at the funeral of her husband, Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister assassinated in 1995 while leading an unprecedented peace process with Palestine. Moved by the power of this brooch, Leah Rabin later gifted it to Yasser Arafat's wife as a symbol of peace. Madeleine Albright, American diplomat and former Secretary of State under President Clinton, also wore it during peace negotiations.

« Each piece of jewellery is like a little star in the sky, bringing light and joy », says Cécile. « Jeanne approaches her collections like a painting, starting with strokes here and there. Nothing is structured; she lets her imagination flow freely. There’s no question of following trends. Cécile et Jeanne creations are timeless. »

A pioneer of the Viaduc des arts

The majority of the manufacturing steps are still done by hand, involving highly technical gestures that represent the full craftsmanship of the Cécile et Jeanne house. « Jeanne often had to innovate, as when she came up with her Oh la la collection, » says Cécile. « She wanted to combine metal and resin, but everyone tried to discourage her because it seemed impossible: the resin would inevitably melt or change colour every time the metal was worked. However, Jeanne stuck to her idea and succeeded in developing an innovative technique to bring her vision to life. »

Deeply attached to her craft, Jeanne takes great pride in seeing that her workshop-boutique, one of the first to set up at the Viaduc des Arts since 1995, is still part of this ecosystem. « It's not always easy being a craftsperson. You often have to hang on through ups and downs », acknowledges Cécile. « Being alongside other artisans as passionate as we are helps a great deal. »

Cécile et Jeanne
49 avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12
cecilejeanne.com 
© Photo : Nicolas Scordia

All the news