VINCENT MICHEL

A STORY OF PASSION

From his small workshop in the family home to his eponymous boutique offering luxury jewellery pieces, Vincent Michel, winner of the Swiss Jewellers Championship, looks back on his career with emotion, and shares some of the highlights.

© Etienne Dione

Today, you are the owner of your own jewellery boutique in the heart of Lausanne. Can you tell us about your career and how you came to open your own business?

For me, the key is passion, we fall in love with something that we don’t choose, which suddenly reveals itself as the natural path to follow. Since I was a child, I have loved making things, touching different materials and crystals. One day, when I was 12, my mother sent me to the jeweller’s to have some broken jewellery repaired. I saw the fire, the materials being twisted and melted. It was a revelation: this was the beginning of my passion. I started an internship with that same jeweller, where I enjoyed using the tools, cutting pieces of metal, etc. This was my first experience in the world of jewellery. At the end of my compulsory schooling, I decided to develop this passion at a technical school in Vallée de la Joux. I was lucky enough to have parents who believed in me, but above all else, I was convinced that I was heading in the right direction. Some people talk about talent, but in my humble opinion, talent is nothing without work. When I think back about the early days and my little workshop at the back of my parents’ garage and how far I’ve come, I am more than just a little proud of my journey.

What do you love about jewellery?

When I think of jewellery, I am reminded of the treasure chests filled with gold coins in old cartoons. It’s the same with gemstones. The sense of beautiful things, rare and natural materials, harmony ... More than just their aesthetic aspect, I appreciate the poetry and the sentiment that can be poured into each piece of jewellery. As a keen handyman, I also enjoy the technical aspect and the expertise that jewellery creation requires.

Can you remember your first creation?

My mother talks about it all the time! It was made from a piece from an aluminium bracelet that my sister had bought on her holidays. I must have been 9 or 10 years old at the time and I transformed this piece of aluminium into a ring and set it with a brilliant blue sulphur crystal. I didn’t have the right equipment but I was clever and managed to secure the creation using an upholstery nail!

In an increasingly competitive market, what is the “Vincent Michel philosophy” that distinguishes you from the rest of your competitors?

One of our greatest assets is the fact that our jewellery is made in Switzerland, and in Lausanne, specifically. When we moved, my desire was to find a place where we could create and sell in the same space. Some clients come to me because they appreciate my style, often different to that of my competitors, while others are not looking for an artistic performance per say but are happy with the knowledge that their jewellery is made in our workshop. I also pay great attention to the choice of materials and am respectful of traditions and values. It sometimes takes me several months to source stones because I am constantly looking for the best quality: stones with sentimental value but ones that will also retain their financial value in the long term.

You create your own jewellery collections. Where do you find your inspiration?

A lot of things inspire me, but my primary source of inspiration is nature and the beauty it generates. The vines and the lakes, the colours of autumn and of an Indian summer, weather conditions, old buildings... All of these are examples of the graceful things that inspire my creations. As a mountaineering and skiing enthusiast, I love the harmony of ski tracks in a field of fresh powdery snow, or the winding bends of a mountain. Other times, I can be inspired simply by an atmosphere or a feeling.

What is your most unusual or audacious creation to date?

We are in the process of making a piece of high- end jewellery: a volute-inspired necklace, set with diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines. This is not a commission but a personal creation, for our own collection. This piece requires real teamwork, as the fabrication is quite technical and entirely done by hand. It is a complex and demanding creation, but one that embodies the poetry of the art of jewellery.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

I have had a number of personal successes that stand out, like winning first prize in the Swiss Jewellers Championship or my move to the Rue de Bourg, but my career has been a collection of strong and intense moments on a daily basis. There’s the young man who spends all his savings to buy an engagement ring for the love of his life, and an inherited piece that becomes a unique jewel, specific to the personal history of its owner. The true power of jewellery is just that: its ability to make every moment and every person unique.

VINCENT MICHEL JOAILLERIE RUE DE BOURG 47-49 1003 LAUSANNE VINCENTMICHEL.CH