Des Pierres à la Cheville

On a jeweller's bench, the cheville is the wooden peg projecting from the top. The piece rests against it for sawing, filing and setting, and it bears the marks of thousands of hours of work. I chose its name because every stone I sell is meant to pass across it.

I go and find my stones on site: a private emerald mine in Colombia, which I visited with one of its co-owners and where I was able to dig; in Sri Lanka, the gem markets of Ratnapura and the bottom of a sapphire, ruby and garnet mine, where I went down to work with the local miners; a newly opened sapphire claim in the Rubyvale area of Australia, where I worked; the emeralds of the Tyrol in Austria, searched for over several summers, sleeping in the mountain hut with Austrian, German and Swiss prospectors; and in France, rock crystal in the mines of the Alps, and amethyst, sapphire, spinel and peridot in the rivers, fields and quarries of Auvergne. These journeys guarantee a known origin for every stone and real field expertise: I work directly with identified miners, diggers and dealers, and, where it is allowed, I dig in the mines and rivers myself.

Every treatment is disclosed. Rough lots are described with their estimated yield.