Between her commissioned creations in recycled gold and her jewelry transformation services, Hermine Sacau generously displays her vision of “Slow Jewelry”.
In almost 5 years, Hermine Sacau has made her way. With her brand Douze, she took the gamble of positioning herself in a niche market that was still confidential at the time of her launch, that of fine 18-carat jewelry, accessible by its price and timeless by its design. Between traditional jewelry, designers and the explosion of high fashion, she quickly found her place with a predominantly female and multigenerational clientele. “I create collections so that women can enjoy themselves and wear them every day, either by mixing the pieces together or by combining them with what they already have,” says the young woman.
The Parisian jewelry brand, which at its launch was only available digitally, opened a showroom in September 2021, and several points of sale, such as the iconic department store Le Printemps. “I want to continue to develop my brand in the provinces but also abroad, at a pace that suits me, by personally choosing my partners. Self-financed since the beginning of the adventure DOUZE, its lucky number, the brand is one of the first to have sensed the trend of the piercings. Its bar with piercing does not empty, so much the offer of earrings is vast, allowing each one to find its happiness. Among the best-sellers of the brand, let’s mention the Alba creoles, the Charlotte chips with half-circle variations studded with diamonds, and the Moon collection in hammered gold. Hermine Sacau entrusts its Parisian workshops with the production of custom-made pieces and a large part (60%) of its collections. Pieces requiring mechanized work, such as the articulated creoles, are entrusted to her Thai workshop, which has the RJC label.
Hermine has a very strong ecological conviction, which it remains relatively discreet about, preferring to keep away from the competition which communicates abundantly on this theme, sometimes to the point of excess. This is why, in addition to its collections of jewelry made of recycled gold and made to order – except for the entry-level pieces or its piercings – Hermine wanted to go further by taking an interest in antique jewelry. An attachment that finds its source in her family history, Hermine’s great-grandmother having fled Poland, taking with her only a few transportable and concealable goods, including her jewelry.
Whether it’s family heirlooms or vintage jewelry unearthed at an auction, the observation is often the same: while the charm is obvious, the style often requires a contemporary update. “I prefer to repair and remake, rather than source and resell,” she says, explaining why she doesn’t count her hours when it comes to restoring the beauty of a solitaire that was sleeping in a drawer. The woman who went to business school before training in gemology and diamonds personally handles all custom projects, whether they are transformations or scratch creations. “For my collections, I have opted for a timeless design with fine lines, in order to create a coherent universe where each piece can respond to another, while for custom-made pieces, I allow myself to make stronger choices, notably that of playing with volumes. Once the project has been validated with the client, the stones come into play – diamonds, sapphires, rubies, but also citrine, topaz and quartz – giving the sketch a particular relief, that of emotion. This is exactly what Hermine Sacau’s clients are looking for, a passion for transmission, which combines the gold of the past with the present.
