LES Nereides Paris, the iconic French jewelry design house known for its handcrafted romantic and lyrical designs, has finally opened its first store in the Philippines last January 23 at Greenbelt 3, Makati City.
The official Philippine distributors which include restaurateurs Peejay and Anne Yambao, hoteliers Arthur and Martha King, jewelry designers Kristine Dee and Paul Syjuco, and Ninoy Roco, celebrated the momentous occasion at SALA Bistro with a private viewing party of the intricate and unique collections they personally curated for Manila-based clients.
“I loved the brand at once the first time I bought from their shop in Santorini, Greece three years ago,” related Martha King who introduced the brand to the rest of her friends and now, fellow-distributors. “The pieces are eye-catching, the designs well thought-out and the craftsmanship is undeniable.”
Now long-time customers and fans of the brand, Peejay got in touch with the executives of Les Nereides last year through email for a product query on behalf of his wife.
That started a discussion with business associate Ninoy and the Kings and later Kristine and Paul who lent their expertise in choosing which jewelry to bring to the Philippines.
Designed in France, each piece is meticulously handmade by artisans, made of malleable brass that are gilded with 14k fine gold and molds perfectly to the execution of elaborate designs.
Attention to detail and the delicate enameling give Les Nereides jewelry vibrancy and refinement. No two pieces are exactly alike.
Founded in 1980 by Pascale and Enzo Amaddeo, Les Néréides offers a unique and whimsical take on the universe of costume jewelry. Inspired by nature and animals, each collection unfolds a most poetic story and conveys emotions, while deploying the same high-precision savoir-faire as Haute Joaillerie.
The whimsical name was inspired by the Nereids of Greek mythology, the sea nymph daughters of Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. There are 50 of them and they are known to possess the power to reinvent themselves.
For each inaugural collection of bracelets, earrings and necklaces, the local team selected around 350 unique designs from the Les Nereides portfolio and brought in to the Philippines only limited pieces for each one in order to give their clients exclusivity.
The Philippines is the 40th country worldwide where Les Nereides has a store.