I have always adored the silver jewellery of Parisian Serge Thoraval. Each piece is hand-beaten into a sensual shape and then etched, in French, with intimate words and poetry from the likes of Baudelaire, Verlaine and Plato.
Thoraval's own story is poignant and sad. As a boy he dreamed of being an engineer, but it was only when a jeweller friend asked him to solder some pieces for an Yves Saint Laurent collection in 1989 that he truly discovered his calling and his creativity and talents were instantly in demand.
Thoraval went on to collaborate with fashion designers such as Thierry Mugler, Agnes B, Sonia Rykiel and Paco Rabanne, and created accessories for the shows of Lanvin Haute Couture, Joseph, and Claude Montana. Sadly, within 10 years, he would be dead; he was killed in a motorcycle accident on the streets of Paris. Fortunately, the demand for his raw and romantic work continued and today the Atelier Serge Thoraval continues to create his distinctive and evocative jewellery that sells around the world. Here in New Zealand, you'll find it at the Zambesi Newmarket and Wellington stores.
"L'amour est poésie des sens." ("Love is the poetry of the senses.") - Honore de Balzac, novelist & playwright
- VIVA
