CRAFTSMANSHIP
Discover the hands behind Agapée and the story of every piece of jewelry. Fragments of craft, gestures, and materials, captured in our studio.
From inspiration to creation, here’s our savoir-faire in motion.
MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRATION
The branch of an olive tree. The curve of a shell. The chiseled framing of a painting. The silent presence of an ancient statue in a sun-drenched museum…
Each Agapée piece begins with a moment — drawn from the landscapes, stories, and art of the Mediterranean, both past and present.
The Knossos necklace, for instance, was inspired by the labyrinth of the Minotaur, a motif found on ancient coins from the island of Crete.
The Cala earrings echo the fiery face of the sun inscribed on Apollo’s chest in Antonio Corradini’s sculpted bust.
Our collections are shaped around themes: a myth, a coastline, a season. These threads guide our creative process, and inspire our design team in our Paris atelier.
3D MODELING
From that first spark, each piece is sculpted by our 3D artists.
This technique allows us to shape textures, volumes, and fine details with exceptional precision, from hammered surfaces and engraved motifs, to pearl and stone settings.
Based in Paris and Europe, our design team combines technical expertise with a rare understanding of ancient-inspired aesthetics — a savoir-faire essential to bringing our signature antique and hammered finish to life.
Through digital sculpting and modern craftsmanship, this is where the vision takes shape.
HANDCRAFTING
It is in the expert hands of our trusted partners that vision becomes craft.
Each design is born from a patient dialogue between their precise craftsmanship, time-honoured techniques, and our creative direction — a process never rushed.
The journey continues with the creation of the mold, sculpted in wax or silicone around a brass model, in a meticulous process that captures even the subtlest details.
Using the age-old method of lost-wax casting, we create a “wax tree,” where each piece is made in wax, encased in plaster, and then melted out and replaced by liquid brass — a copper and zinc metal alloy — to form the final shape.
Once cooled and solidified, each piece is carefully removed from the casting tree, then cut, polished, and engraved by our skilled artisans — by hand, and guided by traditional techniques passed down through generations.
Once cast and polished, each creation is gilded in Paris by expert hands.
Our signature gold finish has a soft satin texture, a matte glow with a subtly aged patina. Neither too bright nor too brassy, it echoes ancient artifacts more than polished perfection.
We use 18-carat gold plating, applied through galvanization to a thickness of 3 microns — a high-quality European standard that ensures both durability and brilliance.
Most of our stones and pearls are set by hand afterwards, as these delicate elements cannot undergo the gold bath. A final gesture of precision and care that brings each creation to life.
We know that creating jewelry has an environmental and social impact, and we believe in making responsible choices at every step.
Our gold is 70% recycled and RJC-certified for full traceability. The remaining 30% comes from controlled, traceable sources. We recover and recycle water during the gold-plating process to limit our impact. Our brass is 90% recycled.
We use repurposed or recycled natural stones, and primarily work with lab-created alternatives — such as glasstones or cubic zirconia — selected for their traceability.
Our freshwater pearls come from Zhuji in China, known as the birthplace of cultured pearls — where traditional expertise meets a growing environmental awareness.
We carefully choose our partners for their proven commitment to sustainability and ethics.
Many are certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an independent organization that sets strict ethical and environmental standards throughout the entire production chain. We are committed to partnering exclusively with certified suppliers, and to obtaining our own certification.
At every step, from workshop to studio, each item is thoroughly inspected for quality — before and after gold gilding, and once again after stones and pearls are set.
All Agapée jewelry is nickel-free, lead-free, non-allergenic, and comes with a two-year warranty against oxidation and plating defects.
Find out more about our efforts towards sustainable artistry.
FINAL TOUCHES
The final step is all about care.
Each creation is inspected one last time by our quality team in Paris, to ensure it meets our standards.
The jewelry is protected in a natural cotton and linen pouch — made to last and to safeguard your piece when not worn — then placed in a small cardboard box: minimal, recyclable, and responsibly sourced.
Infused into the fabric, a subtle scent awaits inside: a delicate blend of fig, bamboo, bergamot, and musk, developed in a Parisian studio. A quiet, sensory experience that makes receiving your piece as meaningful as wearing it.
Because at Agapée, every detail matters — from the first sketch to the final note.