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MELLERIO
dits MELLER
Jewellery-maker since 1613 |
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MELLERIO
dits MELLER has been continuing its activities since 1815,
in the heart of the jewellery |
area in Paris, very near to the Place Vendome, in the famous "Rue
de la Paix" open in 1806 through the ancient "Couvent
des Capucines."
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Company today |
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MELLERIO
dits MELLER has always kept up with the times. The family
has in its possession cardboard boxes containing |
thousands of drawings that trace the evolution of fine jewellery
design up to the present day. These records, among the most important
in the world, are full of designs of Jewellery - modern at the time,
today seen as eternal classicism and hall mark of timeless good
taste – as well as objects d’Art. Thus, among thousands
of creations, this unique collection of Legendary Horses, followed
by the Musicians or jewellery of exception that is worn by elegant
Ladies in any occasion.
Talented goldsmith, MELLERIO dits MELLER is connected to
the intellectual and artistic likeness of France.
For more than half a century, the firm has made the ceremonial swords
for many members of the Académie Française, from Jacques
SOUSTELLE to Bertrand POIROT-DELPECH, from André FROSSARD
to René BROUILLET, and most recently for François
CHENG.
MELLERIO dits MELLER has been manufacturing sacred objects
since the nineteenth century and for instance designed all the liturgical
items for the Yamassoukro basilica in the Ivory Coast.
They also make trophies of prestigious sport events, including the
“Ballon d’Or” (the Golden Soccer Ball), the “Cravache
d’Or” (the Golden Riding Crop), the “Roland Garros
cups” (French Tennis Open) and, more recently, the trophy
for the “First International Professional Indoor Polo Tournament”
at Bercy.
In 1994, François Mellerio was elected as the President of
the association of French luxury jewellery makers “Haute Joaillerie
in France”, while his brother Olivier presides the destiny
of the Colbert Comity (Association of most prestigious French brands).
MELLERIO dits MELLER can today be found everywhere in the
world, including Japan (Tokyo, Osaka…), the USA (New York…)
or Europe (Luxembourg), where people can admire and acquire creations
made by “the most French jeweller of all” - and the
oldest too.
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Key Dates of the
Company's History |
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1613 |
In the beginning, a royal privilege;
in 1613, a young chimney cleaner, discovered a plot against
King Louis XIII. When Marie de Medicis was warned of the conspiracy
she rewarded Jean-Marie Mellerio and the Lombard community
of Paris by granting them the privilege of “peddling
cut crystal, hardware and other small goods” throughout
the kingdom.
The Mellerio were from Craveggia in the heart of the Ossola
valley to the north of Lake Maggiore. The family had arrived
in France after the Italian wars, a century earlier. Like
all Italians in France at the time, they gallicized their
name, changing it to MELLER and the business they later founded
was called "MELLERIO dits MELLER". The
Italian community exercised the trades of chimney sweeping,
peddling and selling regional produce, always maintaining
close ties with their country of origin.
The privilege granted in 1613, renewed successively by Louis
XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, marked the beginning of the Mellerio
family’s jewellery business. Starting as peddlers of
trinkets, they gradually became jewellery-makers to the rich
and famous.
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1780 |
Under the reign of Louis XVI,
Joseph Mellerio, his brother Jean-François and his
nephews François and Jean-Jacques, started to play
a significant role in French jewellery-making. At first, they
worked only in Paris but very soon they were doing business
throughout France. MELLERIO dits MELLER specialised
in luxury goods: silverware, rings, jewels, watches and charm
bracelets, precious caskets made of mother-of-pearl, snuff-boxes,
bonbonnières, shoe buckles...
The accounting ledgers, which have been kept since 1780, reveal
that the clientele was a glittering assembly of aristocrats,
high society families and courts of Europe.
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1800 |
The French Revolution momentarily
interrupted business, which resumed, stronger than ever, under
the First Empire (1804-14). François Mellerio was introduced
to the Empress Josephine and became one of her accredited
purveyors of jewellery. This was the start of a dazzling success
story. The company’s distinguished customers included
the Princess Borghese (Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s
second sister), several of the imperial marshals of France,
notably Victor, Ney, Augureau and Lefebvre, the duchesses
of Broglie and Clermont-Tonnerre, the Countess of Ségur,
the American ambassador’s wife and Mademoiselle Mars,
the well-known actress…
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1815 |
The success of MELLERIO dits
MELLER continued under the restoration of the French monarchy
(1814) with the royal family, the dukes of Berry and Angoulême
and the Prince de Talleyrand among the clientele. In the same
way, under the so called ‘July monarchy’ (1830-48),
customers included King Louis-Philippe, Queen Marie-Amélie,
who appointed MELLERIO dits MELLER as their Jewellers,
are among the clients of the House, like many members of the
court and of the aristocracy.
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1848 |
The slowdown in activity that
followed the 1848 Revolution provided Jean-François
with the opportunity to seek for new business elsewhere in
Europe. He opened a branch in Baden-Baden, the elegant German
spa town, and another in Madrid. |
1852 |
One of the family’s clients
in Madrid was Eugénie de Montijo, future Empress of
the French. Under the Second Empire; there began a period
of unprecedented prosperity for MELLERIO dits MELLER.
Crowned heads and celebrities visiting Paris from all over
the world found their way to the shop on the rue de la Paix.
Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Queen Louise of Belgium,
Queen of Sweden, Dowager Impress of Russia… all commissioned
fine jewellery. Many families of the European aristocracy
and upper classes followed their example.
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