Marc Auclert, a Franco-British jewelry designer, marked 15 years in business this year, continuing to specialize in creating distinctive pieces that incorporate ancient artifacts. Since opening his shop on Rue de Castiglione in Paris in 2011, Auclert has built a clientele attracted to his unique approach—transforming historical intaglios, cameos, beads, and coins into contemporary jewelry.
Auclert’s interest in combining antiquities with modern design began early in his career. He originally crafted jewelry as a hobby, repurposing a friend’s pre-Columbian gold frog into a ring when he was 21. Over the years, he gained experience working with luxury brands and auction houses, including Chanel in Paris, Sotheby’s in London, and De Beers in Tokyo, before establishing his own boutique. His 215-square-foot shop became profitable within its first year and has maintained steady success ever since, supported by an international clientele.
The designer’s work spans artifacts from various historical periods, such as a Roman Medusa intaglio, a fifth-century B.C. gold coin depicting the Greek sun god Helios, and pre-Columbian amulets. He sources these items primarily through auctions, dealers, and private collectors, emphasizing the importance of provenance. Auclert also integrates traditional Japanese repair techniques, such as kitsingtug—which highlights joins with precious metal—into his restoration process.
Auclert’s pieces range in price from approximately €3,800 to over £100,000. His creations include statement necklaces, rings, and brooches that often pair ancient intaglios with their mirror imprint impressions, a design hallmark he calls Impression rings. Notable items include a Mesopotamian bear head carved in stone, set with diamonds on a white gold brooch, and a necklace of 2,000-year-old chalcedony beads.
The jeweler’s work has occasionally sparked debate. This summer, actress Zendaya wore earrings featuring ancient gold discs thought to date back to the first millennium B.C. that were reportedly excavated in northwestern Iran in the 1940s. Auclert acknowledged the delicate balance between artistic use and cultural preservation, stressing the need to respect provenance and rarity, and noting that extremely rare artifacts might be better suited to museum care than commercial circulation.
To celebrate his 15th anniversary, Auclert renovated his Paris shop with architect Frédéric Lebard, restoring original oak floors and adding a library to showcase his personal collection of books. He unveiled new designs featuring rare pieces, including a cuff anchored by a Cypriot rock crystal seal from the second millennium B.C., once owned by German aristocrat Baroness Marion Goldschmidt-Rothschild. The piece is mounted on gold, with the seal removable for wear and priced at €38,000.
Additionally, Auclert introduced three exclusive rings for the anniversary: an Impression ring with a Medusa carnelian intaglio and gold imprint (€12,000); a Renaissance-inspired Ptolemaic coin ring (€86,000); and a ring designed to highlight a missing section filled in gold, symbolizing “beautifying loss” (€8,800). Auclert described these pieces as embodying his vision of “normal, modern, everyday jewelry” that can be worn without concern.
Reflecting on his career, Auclert noted that the anniversary designs represent a full circle in his creative journey, combining his expertise with his passion for transforming ancient curiosities into wearable art.