Lalique

Rene Lalique was born in Ay, France in 1860. From an early age his mother was aware of his artist nature and encouraged it wherever she could. At 16 he began an apprentice ship with the then famous Paris jeweller, Louis Aucoc. By the time he was 21 he was designing his own unique and innovative jewellery. In 1885 he opened his own workshop and quickly gained a reputation for his graceful and unique creations of animal, plant and human forms. Lalique was the first to bring together semi-precious stones with mediums like ivory, coral, pearl, enamel and even glass. It was not long before Lalique attracted International attention and in 1900 he exhibited his jewellery at the Paris Exposition Universelle, where he attracted many notable clients of the day, creating a great demand for his work. After achieving this pinnacle of success His thoughts refocused on a new concept; glass making.
Lalique had already experimented with glass in jewellery making and at the age of 50, he changed his career to become a master glassmaker. This change of direction proved to be very successful, gaining him worldwide fame. A name that lives on today in as symbol of excellence.