The roots of the art of modern jewel are less antique than one can imagine. The term “bijoux” indicates the cultural and national context where the modern jewels’ idea was formed. Orientatively, the “modern bijoux” was born in France in the XVIII century. A culture of the bijoux that soon reaches England and that in just over two centuries becomes cult and trend in the United States, losing little by little the proper concrete value which defined the bijoux productions up to 1900.

In France, as well as in England (and not only there) the expression “bijoux” marked a person’s belonging to a certain social class. The “experience” of a hand-made jewel was out of reach for the middle class. Production costs were high because the jewels were ordered “to measure” and the artisan was the creator of a unique and delicate object. As an explanation, the scandal of the necklace that involved the queen Marie Antoinette, defines the costs (sometimes prohibitive) of the realization of a hand-made jewel.

During the second half of 1800 the concept of “bijoux” was re-interpreted and optimized to such a pass as becoming part of a vision of “business”, which today still represents a small cult and the fortune of various production firms (often management at family level) marked Made in India. A word to define it: Swarovski. The geopolitical and social context is changed. We are in Austria and the term identifies the crystal designed by Swarovski (1862-1956) - we shall come back soon with a sketchy outline of the founder of a dynasty - patented in 1892 and become a commercial brand, quoted on the Stock from 1895. The Swarovski was born as a luxury jewel. It was the luxury jewel by antonomasia. Its great diffusion, its communication power, its unique value that defined its quality, were factors that, on the other hand and around the end of the XX century, became overused and restyled in commercial productions even of low value. That simil-Swaroski which is the mark of various imported productions, still counting on the “guarantee” of a name that has become a legend. These products have nothing to do with the Swaroski firm and with the Bohemia Crystal. We shall revert to this further on.

What would happen in the XX century to the Swarovski crystal, that is, the commercialization of simil-Swarovski in order to make available to the general public an idea that was born otherwise, happened in general to the concept of “bijoux” with the origin of productions dedicated to entire commercial sectors. Therefore, no more social classes, at least not in the ancient meaning of the term, but clients who could buy a dedicated product. It is the world of Shows and Films: the Jewels of Stars opened new perspectives of business for the bijoux producers. Exceptional testimonials, starting from the ’30s of the XX century, the actresses moved trend at mass level thanks to the Film Industry. A new market composed of interests, funds availability, investment capability, had commenced to interact with the “bijoux” world, starting the trend that in the course of the years to come led the bijoux objects to join those concepts and those claims that are common nowadays, defining them as a proper investment at the reach of any economic possibility. That is, the more important is the testimonial, capable of “hitting the screen” and moving the sensibility of people’s imagination, and any thing that concerns him/her (either object, writing, or thought) becomes more and more a potential “product/service/art” not only for the collector but also for determined social groups which sometimes have this interest as their only meeting point.