A Whole New World

by Natasha Wolff | December 11, 2013 6:29 pm

A veteran of Cartier, Chopard and Christofle, Thierry Chaunu was recently appointed CEO for North America by Mauboussin[1], bringing his nearly 30 years of experience to the French brand with one goal in mind: to reintroduce it to Americans. The charge for stateside sales started back in 2008, when the 186-year-old jewelry company opened its first U.S. shop, on Madison Avenue, but didn’t have the intended impact. “We were part of New York,” Chaunu explains. “But people forget.”

To remind them, Mauboussin has sprinkled more accessible pieces (such as chic gold bracelets) into its catalog of art-deco sapphire and diamond rings, watches scattered with colored stones, and earrings emblazoned with mother-of-pearl and diamonds. But more importantly, Chaunu is focused on demystifying the culture of jewelry buying. “What’s important is to turn our attention to the young woman who will buy $1,000 rings,” Chaunu says, “in the same [casual] way she might buy a handbag or a pair of shoes.”

MORE:

The Newest Fine Jewelry on the Block[2]
All That Glitters: Opulence in Art and Adornment
Unearthing a New Generation of Gems[3]

Source URL: https://dujour.com/cities/new-york/whole-new-world/