THE HOUSE
Discover the history of Maison Douze.
Discover the history of Maison Douze.
Born on December 12, 1992, also her great-grandmother's birthday, Hermine Sacau became interested in precious family adornments at a very young age. Trying on, cleaning, putting away – the jewelry box was full of treasures and quickly became a premonitory playground.
After digital training, Hermine turned to gemology and trained at the National Gemology Institute in Paris, to learn everything about the gems that would make up her future creations.
Thanks to her encounter with passionate workshops, Douze Paris was born on June 30, 2017. The designer creates sweet and delicate jewelry, made from 18-carat recycled gold, to revive the circular and transmissible philosophy of jewelry.
At the heart of her inspirations are women and their movements, the possibility of living freely but preciously, and the infinite play of colors that the earth offers us.
A promise of femininity: "douze" rather than gentle
When you look closely at her, you notice that nothing is in order, but everything is in its place. The Douze woman loves beautiful things, those that are soft and that last over time. Jewelry on the skin, the kind you love to wear for yourself, a daily adornment you hardly notice anymore. We said "hardly". Because the Douze woman likes to be noticed up close. The desire aroused by the delicacy of a chain ring, the balance of the stones, the discreet accumulation of earrings. Asymmetrical, sometimes, the tangled jewelry box, often, and that's a good thing. Douze and douze: time is resolutely feminine. Noble, playful and stubborn. Douze and douze: we move forward, casually and come what may. The world is tough, Douze women are too. We persist and we sign."
The Douze difference: it's all in the z
"Z in three strokes: uprightness, softness, madness. A joyful stubbornness not to follow the beaten path. The transformation of a revolt: that of homogenization, of standardization. And to design the possibility of a house, with a small h, dedicated to women. Attention paid to each one: the power of softness."
Everyday jewelry: at Douze, there is no logotype, no distinctive commercial sign. At most, a certain recognizable movement is identified. Simple, light, timeless creations, which can be worn in each person's own way.
Stones at the center: this is Douze's strength. Innovating, creating from stones found along the way, and offering its customers unique pieces, resulting from Hermine's latest discoveries.
Tailor-made as we go along: this is the heart of Douze. Attention paid to the person, to the request, a creative ethic: the fruit of an encounter. Interiority rather than status. Heart and body."
"The power of softness": If softness were a gesture, it would be a caress. At Douze, we love softness: an intimate showroom, by appointment, dedicated customer service. Calm and attention.
The value chain: a network of artisans, partners. Honesty and transparency regarding sourcing and manufacturing. No miracles announced, but a constant commitment.
Douze Paris's mission: to de-dramatize jewelry
De-dramatize: to remove the dramatic character from something.
For Douze Paris, it's about getting out of the drama, the play. Making it accessible, removing fears. The fear of entering a jewelry store, the fear of buying a precious object, the fear of ceremony, of feeling intimidated, or even rejected.
The invitation to integrate a new story: that of a full-fledged jewelry brand, one that offers women the opportunity to feel beautiful, valued, to give and to treat themselves to an exceptional object.
From the outset, Douze Paris chose to market only products that comply with ethical rules, whether it be the origin of materials and stones, or the manufacturing and consumption methods. Made from recycled 18-carat gold, we only source from RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council)-COC (RJC Chain of Custody standard) certified foundries or workshops (more information here) to control the traceability of metals. Douze Paris jewelry is made by French and international workshops also working for major brands. We thus favor a short supply chain and try to reduce as much as possible the carbon footprint that long-distance transport would entail. However, due to the specificity of certain products or the expertise required for their production, some of our creations are produced abroad (in Thailand and India, precisely.) These branches also hold the RJC label, which guarantees responsible working methods and conditions. Each creation concerned has a mention in its product sheet. Custom-made and transformation creations are entirely handmade in Paris by our partner artisans. Our diamonds come exclusively from countries that are members of the international certification scheme known as the Kimberley Process*. The objective of this agreement is to put an end to the trade in "conflict diamonds" and to ensure that the diamond trade does not finance the activities of violent rebel movements.*www.kimberleyprocess.com
Finally, we have decided to produce the vast majority of our creations on demand. This way, we avoid overstocking and hope to re-establish slower, more thoughtful consumption. Buying sustainably and marveling forever has become our mission.