Hand-embroidered jewellery, chic and bohemian, from the Vallée de Chevreuse
Colette s'apprête began in 2019 in Jeanne Gréco's workshop, in the Vallée de Chevreuse, in the Yvelines. After ten years working as a journalist in print and television, Jeanne returned to the artisan techniques she had practised since childhood: traditional embroidery, bobbin lace, sculpture, macramé. Among them, it is bead embroidery that became her language, an age-old technique she reworks for contemporary jewellery that is easy to wear.
The brand name pays tribute to her grandmother Colette, whose quiet elegance runs through every piece of the house. Each item is fully embroidered by hand, bead after bead, in small series. As the stones are natural and each piece is made one at a time, no two are ever quite identical. Crystal, mother-of-pearl, Japanese glass beads and fine stones (lapis lazuli, sunstone, natural ruby, amazonite, garnet, quartz, pink opal, aventurine, amethyst, agate) come together around findings, hooks and chains in gold plate. Each piece is lined with upcycled leather sourced from major couture houses.
The three current collections all share a single purpose: to make those who wear them shine. Naïa, inspired by mountain lakes and the light of summer days; Ombelle, built around natural stones; and Les intemporels en nacre, gathering the pieces that customers ask for season after season. A French single-workshop brand, where bead embroidery is not a marketing claim but the actual material of the work.
A founder who left another career to make bead embroidery her daily practice, in a workshop where she creates each piece by hand. Chic, poetic and genuinely distinctive jewellery, sitting between everyday wear and special occasions, with no compromise on finish. Just the needle, the beads, and the light they catch.
Earrings are the most represented category in the catalogue, present across the three collections. Several shapes recur: fine gold-plated hoops, drop earrings (dormeuses) with original motifs, and stud-style pieces embroidered around a fine stone or a mother-of-pearl cabochon, framed by an embroidery of glass beads or crystal. All findings are gold-plated. The pieces remain light on the lobe and easy to wear from everyday looks to dressier moments. Most models can be adapted with clip-on fittings for unpierced ears, on simple request at the time of order.
Necklaces rest in the hollow of the neck: discreet, present without being conspicuous. The piece is built around a mother-of-pearl cabochon or a fine stone (lapis lazuli, garnet, rose quartz, aventurine, pink opal and others), framed by an embroidery of glass beads or crystal whose fineness recalls a lace pattern. Chain and findings are gold-plated. As for styling, Jeanne suggests pairings such as a white t-shirt or an open shirt by day, and a silk blouse for a more dressed-up occasion. Depending on the stone chosen, the register shifts from the delicate mineral to a warmer note.
Bracelets disappear on the wrist. Designed in a gri-gri spirit, they combine an embroidered cabochon in crystal or fine stone, a meticulous bead embroidery and a fine gold-plated chain, adjustable, with alternating link sizes that give it all its charm and reveal that it has been assembled by hand. The selection covers the brand's recurring stones: lapis lazuli, pink opal, garnet, aventurine, rose quartz, emerald, crystal and mother-of-pearl. Casual by day (white shirt, jeans, leather loafers), more dressed by night (flowing gold top, long skirt, sandals).
Delivery across Europe. Orders prepared within 1 to 3 days. Metropolitan France: 2 to 5 working days via La Poste after dispatch. Average lead time of 3 to 10 days from order validation, all destinations included.
Returns
14 days from receipt, with the choice of exchange or refund. Return shipping at customer's cost, except in case of brand error or defective item.
