About

THE FUSION OF ART AND PASSION

Elena Cantacuzene was without a doubt destined to become a jewelry designer. Her father, a mining engineer, introduced her to the field of geology at a very young age, and even as a little girl, she would put together costume pieces from materials that she would collect at flea markets. After studying at the School of Arts Decoratifs in Paris, she first joined a fabric design firm, where she learned to appreciate the subtleties of mixing colors and materials. But her true passion remained jewelry, the kind of creations that are timeless, made of stones and materials that nature has created and that the hand of man has refined.

So, in April 1993, having successfully debuted some early pieces at the “Salon Premiere Classe” show, she opened her own boutique/workshop in the heart of Paris. In those days, her work could probably be described as ethnic, using African vitreous paste and exotic wood. Today, her work covers a much broader spectrum of semi-precious stones and natural materials – elegant stones such as opal, citrine, garnet…, hard stones such as black tourmaline, fossilized jasper…, and a wide variety of freshwater pearls, mother-of-pearl, seashells, feathers, etc., all fashioned into exquisite pieces using different metals and natural materials designed by Elena herself.

In France, Elena’s presentations at the major trade shows – Bijorhca/Eclat de Mode, Artisans Passion and Kara/Les Joailliers Créateurs à Paris, to name but three – earn her 5 successive “Etoiles de Mode” and “Les Mains d’Or” awards. Now enjoying success on an international level, she attends a few selective trade shows, including Accessories Circuit in New York and International Jewelry Tokyo in Japan.

In 2005, Elena moves into a much larger space in the heart of the financial district of Paris, a warm and inviting private showroom that allows her to provide a more personalized service to her international corporate and individual clientele, and lets her focus her time on the creative design of even more unique and inspired pieces.

Perfection remains the only acceptable goal for Elena! Regardless of whether it is for a piece from one of her exclusive collections or a custom-designed unique piece, all of her work is done by hand, in her workshop, and goes through a detailed inspection. And what magnificent creations come from her use of materials gathered from the far corners of the world – turquoise from Yemen, agate from Afghanistan, horn and macassar wood from Africa, red coral from the Persian Gulf, sea urchins from the Indian Ocean - matte or varnished, rough or polished, pale or intensely-colored, all take on a seductive quality that only she can impart.

Selective distribution in France, Europe, the Middle-East, Asia, United States & Canada