STORY
“ Gemmyo is a story of boldness.
When Charif asked me to marry him, we decided to choose my engagement ring together in Paris where we both lived.
Unfortunately, this moment was a disappointment: the Parisian jewelers we visited offered a cold, intimidating or even obsolete experience. We didn’t recognise ourselves. Neither in the brands’ voices nor in the products’ prices.
We dreamt of a refined jeweller, proud of its French manufacturing, its precious and original stones, but without sacrificing fair prices or an honest and smiling approach.
An unashamedly modern Maison. Such a Maison did not yet exist. We undertook its creation. ”
Pauline Laigneau
Founder
Gemmyo is one of the few emerging jewelry houses born in the 21st century, and stands out for the fact – unique in this industry – that the founders had no family ties to the trade, bringing a fresh perspective to its traditions.
NAME
The name Gemmyo first refers to the world of gems and their shimmering colors. To this semantic origin is added the flavour of a story: Gemmyo – or Genmei 元明天皇- is the name of an 8th-century Japanese empress, renowned for her modernity and pioneering spirit.
The name Gemmyo reflects the founders’ fascination with gemstones, too often reserved for fine jewelry, and their desire to bring boldness to the world of jewelry.
PLEDGE
Gemmyo’s ambition is to offer a new vision of luxury anchored in its time, and a bold, modern alternative to the Place Vendôme brands.
- 100% French craftsmanship, a rarity even among the best-known jewelry
- The possibility of choosing a stone from a broad palette usually reserved for haute
- A warm, personalized customer experience that counters traditional luxury
- An innovative business model, based on just-in-time manufacturing and exclusively in-house distribution, combining top-quality products, a reasonable ecological footprint and fair
STYLE
The Maison explores a wide range of creative styles, from engagement rings to unisex models or one-of-a-kind haute joaillerie sets.
From revisited classics to more audacious designs, the Maison’s creations are characterized by their modernity, while respecting French jewelry expertise and Swiss watchmaking technique.
PEER RECOGNITION
Gemmyo is the only young jewelry brand to have been invited to join the UFBJOP (the French association for the jewelry, gold- and silversmithing, stone, and pearl industries), the absolute reference in France and the world of jewelry.
MILESTONES
2011
Pauline and Charif get engaged and create Gemmyo
2014
Acclaimed advertising campaign in Paris, highlighted by a pink cat
2015
First store in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood of Paris
2017 – 2020
Stores open in Lyon, Toulouse, and the 17th arrondissement of Paris
2021
First store opens outside of France, in Brussels
2023
With openings in Geneva, Aix-en-Provence, and Bordeaux, the brand has 8 stores and unveils its first timepiece
VALUES
Emotion
We seek to arouse emotions in our customers with our jewelry and timepieces. Beauty is at the heart of all our creations.
Kindness and discipline
We’re extremely demanding of ourselves – as well as of our customers, partners, and employees. Attentive and patient when needed, we’re always willing to grant second chances – as long as we’re met with the right attitude.
Common sense
Our customers value our regard for common sense. Sensible and versatile, we continually test and innovate to optimize our time and resources, which subsequently allows us to offer the fairest prices.
Meritocracy
All our employees make progress at their own pace at the company. However, we also like to reward excellence when we see it.
COMMITMENTS
French and Swiss artisanal craftsmanship
Gemmyo jewels are all handcrafted in France, a rare feat for even the best-known jewelry brands.
Watches are made in a factory located in the heart of the Swiss Jura, the cradle of watchmaking.
Our jewelry workshops are certified by one, several or all of the following labels: “Responsible Jewellery Council”, “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant”, “Joaillerie de France”.
Our watches are certified “Swiss Made” by our Jura factory.
Precious stones
The mastery of gemstones is one of the Maison’s prides.
Tsavorite, Teal sapphire, gray Spinel… In addition to classic gemstones, we offer a selection of rare and unusual stones, usually reserved for high jewelry.
These stones are carefully selected to delight our eyes and stand the test of time.
Our colored stones are AAA quality, which means excellent brilliance, cut and color.
We offer a choice of diamond qualities: DIF, GVS or HSI minimum. All are certified by the independent GIA (American) or HRD (Antwerp) laboratories as soon as they exceed 0.3 ct.
Two-step quality checks
No random quality checks at Gemmyo: each and every piece is subject to two checks – one by the Gemmyo workshop, the other by the company’s team of specialists just before the item is placed in its case. This is part of our promise to deliver immaculate products.
Ethical sourcing
We only work with diamond producers who comply with the Kimberley Process for ethical sourcing. Currently, there is no such standard for colored stones; however, our partners are selected on the basis of their reputation and must ensure that their products are as ethical as possible. We have also decided to use 75% to 100% of recycled gold and platinum to affi rm our commitments with regard to environmental protection and the fight against corruption.
An object for life
Gemmyo prides itself on creating objects that will last for one or more lifetimes. Unlike other industries (such as fashion and technology), in which material waste has become a burning social issue, jewelry is a symbol of giving, of a meaningful object that can be passed down indefinitely. In fact, we work in one of the very few sectors that have already been recycling for centuries: you don’t throw away the materials that make up a jewel…they’re too valuable! Silver, gold, platinum, gemstones…everything is carefully recovered, re-polished, and refined.
Responsible manufacturing
The vast majority of our jewelry is made to order, thereby eliminating the need for stock and its inevitable impact on the final retail price, and further reducing the company’s ecological footprint.
PAULINE BIOGRAPHY
After many years of schooling (Ecole Normale Supérieure, HEC), Pauline Laigneau created Gemmyo in 2011 with her husband Charif Debs. She is in charge of marketing and branding.
Over the years, Pauline has become a key figure in the French entrepreneurial scene. Driven by the success stories of her peers, she launched her own podcast in 2018, which has since become the most popular business podcast in France. And in 2021, she created the training platform Demian, drawing from her 10+ years of entrepreneurial and coaching experience.
CHARIF BIOGRAPHY
A graduate of Ecole Centrale Paris and Harvard Business School, Charif Debs began his career as a management consultant, all the while harboring the dream of one day starting his own business.
The opportunity arose in 2011, while he was searching for the perfect engagement ring for his future wife Pauline Laigneau. The two decided to create Gemmyo. Today, Charif acts as president of the company.
FIGURES
- 35% average annual growth
- 20% of turnover outside of France in 2023
- Core product range with list prices of €1,000 to €15,000
- 50% – 50% breakdown online – shops
- 8 stores: Paris 6ème, Paris 17ème, Geneva, Brussels, Lyon, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse
- 7 jewelry workshops all located in France and 1 watch factory in the Jura region of Switzerland
- More than 150 artisans throughout France manufacturing Gemmyo jewelry
