Chaumet Jewelry
Decades before luxury French jewelry maisons such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier were born, Marie-Étienne Nitot (1750–1809) founded the house that became the internationally esteemed Chaumet, which, for centuries, has created timeless necklaces, watches, rings, tiaras and other jewelry and accessories for royalty as well as Hollywood luminaries.
Before opening his own jewelry house, Nitot worked as an apprentice to Ange-Joseph Aubert, court jeweler to Marie Antoinette, and collaborated on pieces for the Queen. In 1780, he left Aubert’s side to open his own maison.
Surviving the upheaval of the French Revolution, Nitot soon found lavish commissions with the new people in power. The Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte longed for France to once again be the epicenter of luxury, making himself the fashionable face of the prospering country. Nitot’s commissions for Napoléon began with the papal tiara for Pope Pius VII that included a 414-carat emerald among its thousands of precious stones and the 1804 coronation sword, a decadent piece that featured the 140-carat Regent diamond.
The young jewelry house soon became the official jeweler of the Imperial Court, the personal jeweler of Empress Joséphine and one of the most sought-after jewelers in Europe. Chaumet’s work in this era helped popularize the tiara as a status symbol, with ornate pieces designed for Joséphine and Empress Marie-Louise, Napoléon’s second wife.
After Nitot died in 1809, his son, François-Regnault, took over in 1812 and moved the maison into the Place Vendôme, making it the first business to occupy the Parisian center of luxury. By then, Chaumet had included timepieces in its offerings, such as bracelet watches adorned with precious gemstones and equipped with movements made by Breguet (which opened a shop on Place Vendôme in 1933).
After the fall of the Napoléon Empire, successors Jean-Baptiste and Jules Fossin focused more on romantic styles of jewelry that referenced the past and nature, an approach carried on by Valentin and Prosper Morel. It was Joseph Chaumet, director from 1885 to 1928, who gave the maison its illustrious name and brought it into the 20th century with jewelry, accessories and tiaras inspired by the extravagant decor of the Belle Époque.
Later, with Joseph’s son, Marcel Chaumet, succeeding him, the house would be featured at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris — from which the term Art Deco derives — and, alongside the likes of Cartier, would be seen as a leader in introducing the flamboyantly geometric designs and high-contrast color pairings of Art Deco jewelry to the global stage.
Chaumet has adapted over the years to meet changing tastes and trends. The house still reigns in the world of luxury jewelry, celebrating its 240th anniversary in 2020. Since 1999, it has been part of the LVMH Group. Its salons and high jewelry workshop continue to operate in the Place Vendôme where gem-setters, polishers and jewelers craft rings, earrings, watches and enduringly popular tiaras.
Find an exquisite range of authentic vintage Chaumet jewelry on 1stDibs.
20th Century Chaumet Jewelry
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
1970s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Yellow Gold
1990s French Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Gold
1980s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Modern Chaumet Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold
1960s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Rhodocrosite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Chaumet Jewelry
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Chaumet Jewelry
Rhodocrosite, Silver
1990s Unknown Retro Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
1980s French Contemporary Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Iolite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modernist Chaumet Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
1910s French Art Deco Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
1980s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
20th Century French Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
1970s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Contemporary Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century French Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold
1970s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1980s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1960s French Art Deco Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
1930s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1940s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1970s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Sapphire, Ruby, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 18k Gol...
1960s French Modernist Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 18k Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Chaumet Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Chaumet jewelry & watches for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Chaumet
- What is Chaumet famous for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Founded in 1780 by Marie-Étienne Nitot, the House of Chaumet is a high-end jewelry and watch retailer based in Paris. Nitot trained under the court jeweler to Queen Marie-Antoinette, and would go on to create a coronation sword for Napoleon, complete with a 141-carat Regent Diamond. Shop a collection of authentic Chaumet jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- Is Chaumet a luxury brand?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024Yes, Chaumet is a luxury brand. In fact, it is one of the oldest luxury jewelry makers, with Marie-Étienne Nitot having founded Chaumet decades before other luxury French jewelry maisons, such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, were born. Chaumet has adapted over the years to meet changing tastes and trends, and the house still reigns in the world of luxury jewelry, celebrating its 240th anniversary in 2020. Its salons and high jewelry workshop continue to operate in the Place Vendôme, where gem-setters, polishers and jewelers craft rings, earrings, watches and enduringly popular tiaras out of premium materials. Shop an assortment of Chaumet jewelry on 1stDibs.