It’s not easy finding truly unique jewelry in Paris, everything starts to look the same after you visit a few shops. But Les Néréides always catches the eye of those passing by with its collections of dainty and whimsical hand-made jewelry. The story behind this family-run business is as romantic as the jewelry itself.
Once upon a time, a woman from Belgium and a man from Italy meet as students at the Fine Arts Academy in Paris, fall madly in love, get married and move the French Riviera where they open their first hand-made jewelry boutique in 1980. Today, Pascale and Enzo run Les Néréides with their four children, with boutiques all over France and Europe (and even one in Chicago).
Their style is playful, yet elegant: flowers, animals, insects, and ballerinas made with colored stones, enamel, gold. And as cheesy as the idea may be, the Eiffel Tower, kissing lovers and Moulin Rouge pieces in the “Paris Mon Amour” line are adorable. This video show the hand-made process (for the Néréides Loves Animals collection, 15% of each sale goes to animal rescue shelters).
There are boutiques in the St-Germain and Marais districts, but I recommend going right to their concept store near the Centre Pompidou (5 rue du Bourg l’Abbé, 3rd, M° Rambuteau) for the full collection in a stunning setting (I wandered in just to see the boutique itself before I noticed the jewelry itself). The prices are in the €25-€175 range, with a “little sister” line called N2 aimed at girls.
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