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The oldest jewelry brands in the world | 15 names that made tradition

on June 22, 2024

Jewelry has a long tradition dating back to prehistoric times. The first jewelry was characterized by being simple and made with natural materials such as stones, bones or seashells. With the passage of time and industrialization, jewelry manufacturing techniques evolved, and these pieces became a symbol of power and wealth, thanks to the oldest jewelry brands in the world.

The oldest jewelry brands in the world

Since then, jewelry brands were created that have spread around the world and have become references until today. In this article, we review the 15 oldest jewelry brands in the world.

 

Mellerio dist Meller

It is the oldest jewelry company on record. It was founded in 1613 in France as the company of an Italian family dedicated to marketing valuable objects for years. This brand was used by the Russian aristocracy, Queen Elizabeth II and even Marie Antoinette and different royal houses.  Of the oldest jewelry stores in the world, Mellerio dist Meller is the most important as a reference of the history of the industry. 

In 2023, Hugo Marchand, a renowned French ballet dancer, was chosen as the first ambassador of the oldest fine jewelry house in Paris.

 

Garrard

Formally Garrard & Co. Limited, is one of the most important luxury jewelry brands known. Formerly known as Asprey & Garrard Limited, it was founded in 1735 in London by George Wickes, and since then it has been dedicated to designing and manufacturing luxury jewelry and silver from its headquarters in Mayfair, London.

 

Chaumet

Chaumet is a brand founded in 1780 in Paris, today being one of the most prestigious and oldest high jewelry houses in the world. It was originally established by Marie-Étienne Nitot, jeweler to Napoleon Bonaparte, and since then the brand has maintained its elite status for more than two centuries.

Known for its exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs, Chaumet has been the preferred jeweler of European royalty and high society, creating iconic pieces such as tiaras, necklaces, and engagement rings.

The brand is recognized for its creations inspired by nature, particularly for its motifs of wheat stalks and bees, symbols associated with Napoleon.

 

Fabergé

Fabergé, founded in 1842 in St. Petersburg, Russia, is a jewelry and luxury objects brand famous for its exquisite craftsmanship. It achieved worldwide fame under Peter Carl Fabergé, becoming the official jeweler to the Russian imperial court. The brand is renowned for its imperial eggs, commissioned by the tsars as Easter gifts.

After facing difficulties during the Russian Revolution and changes in ownership, Fabergé was revived in the 2000s. Today, it continues to create jewelry and luxury objects, combining traditional techniques with innovative designs, thus maintaining its legacy of excellence and creativity.

 

Tiffany & Company 

It began as a retailer of luxury jewelry in New York and became a firm in America famous jewelers in history, thanks to several events such as having brought for the first time to the United States diamonds from the European aristocracy in 1848, or the establishment of the 925 standard of purity for sterling silver. In 1886 Charles Lewis Tiffany, one of the oldest jeweler in the world, presented to the world what we know today as engagement rings.

 

Cartier 

Referred to as Societe Cartier, this French jewelry and luxury goods conglomerate is a successful brand that manufactures and distributes its high-end accessories and watches worldwide. It is a family dynasty firm built by the Cartier brothers in France in 1847.

 

Boucheron 

Boucheron, founded in 1858 by Frédéric Boucheron in Paris, is one of the most prestigious and oldest high jewelry houses in the world, although it is no longer in the possession of its original owners/families.

The brand became famous for being the first jewelry house to establish itself in Place Vendôme in 1893, a location that remains its flagship headquarters to this day.

Throughout its history, Boucheron has pioneered various jewelry techniques and styles, including the use of new materials and methods of setting precious stones. The house is particularly known for its iconic creations such as the Serpent Bohème collection, and for its Art Deco pieces from the 1920s and 30s.

 

Chopard

Founded in 1860 in Sonvilier Switzerland by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who was dedicated to making women's watches and pocket watches. The early years were quite modest and the brand suffered a decline until 1963, when it was bought by Karl Scheufele. Today, it is one of the most important Swiss firms globally.

 

Piaget

It began in 1874 thanks to Georges-Édouard Piaget, who set up a workshop on his farm in Côte-aux-Fées, Switzerland, to manufacture high-precision components for watches. The firm grew over the years to become the largest supplier of watch components to the most important brands in Europe. By 1943 the brand was registered and began to manufacture and market its own line of luxury watches.

 

Bulgari

It is a famous jewelry brand and luxury goods, including perfumes, handbags, accessories, watches and fine jewelry. The firm's trade name is BVLGARI and its jewelry is characterized by a combination of classic and contemporary design. It was founded in 1884 by the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari and quickly gained fame not only in Italy, but worldwide.

 

Van cleef y arpels

Founded in 1986 by Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels, this company originally from France that manufactures and markets watches, perfumes and jewelry, was born from the love story of Van Cleef and Arpels' daughter, Estella Arpels. Their daughter, Renée Puissant, became artistic director of the brand in 1926 and is now part of the Swiss conglomerate Richemont SA.

 

Damas

Damas Jewellery is the No. 1 watch and jewelry retailer in the Middle East. It was founded in 1907 in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and today has more than 300 stores throughout the Middle East.

 

Buccelati

It is one of the most used iconic jewelry brands in the world. Registered in Italy in 1919, as Buccelati Holding, it belongs to a Chinese complex formed by the merger of the companies Mario Buccellati and Gianmaria Buccellati.

 

Harry Winton 

Harry Winton, an American jeweler prodigy, is responsible for founding one of the oldest jewelry stores in the world. This brand revolutionized the use of diamonds as art and set a worldwide precedent since 1932 in the modern design of jewelry and luxury watches.

 

Graf

This jewelry store called Graff Diamonds was founded in 1960 and became a multinational based in London, which manufactures and distributes high-end jewelry and watches to many parts of the world.

 

The antiquity and symbolic value of a jewel

Jewelry, beyond the jewel itself, holds a special symbolism that gives it a historical and cultural importance in the history of mankind. The great jewelry brands, from the oldest to the newest, strive to convey their essence, their philosophy and vibe in each of their pieces.

For example, Albert Hern is the embodiment of a timeless passion for noble metals and precious stones, which began in 1964 after a beautiful handmade gift full of love became the most brilliant of inspirations.

This brand presents its unique designs full of emotions and Latin roots, with European and Middle Eastern influences.

Albert Hern developed from Venezuela a passion for stones and jewelry, which was nurtured by his travels around the world, to achieve a visionary design, with a creative technique, which have placed him at the top of the most influential jewelry brands today.

If you want to know the essence of Albert Hern be sure to visit our digital catalog and our physical store. Thank you for joining us on this journey through the oldest jewelry brands in the world.

 

FAQ's

Explore our FAQ section for expert answers to your jewelry-related questions.

 

  • Where is the world's oldest jewelry store located?

    The earliest evidence of jewelry-making originates from Africa during the Stone Age, where jewelry was crafted from marine snail shell beads. The Cro-Magnon men created necklaces and bracelets from bones, teeth, and stones hung on pieces of string, and they also used carved bone fasteners for their clothing.

  • What is the oldest gold jewelry ever found?

    In Yunatsite, Bulgaria, a small gold bead measuring 4 millimeters in diameter and weighing just 0.15 grams was discovered. This tiny artifact is a significant archaeological find, possibly the oldest gold piece in the world.

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