More than a father, a guide
"My father, Joseph, was born in Nervieux in the Loire. An engineer, he studied at the Ecole des Travaux Publics in Paris. Prisoner in Germany during the Second World War, he escaped and found refuge with the Boyer family in Saint-Germain-Laval, where he joined the Resistance. On the run, he was protected in this village, especially as his mother was of Jewish origin.
In August 1944, in an ambush in Neaux, Loire, his protector Jean Boyer, who was a network leader, was killed by German soldiers. My father made a point of staying in the village to help his wife Louise and their two children René and Jeanette. The Boyer family ran an electricity and radio store, and a traveling cinema that showed films in all the villages of the canton every evening of the week. This activity was very useful for receiving night parachute drops from the Allies and carrying out sabotage actions."
It was at this time that Joseph met Noëlle, Philippe's mother. Four children were born to this union: Jean-Louis, Pierre, Philippe and Michèle.
"My mother was the daughter of a peasant with a bachelor's degree, who was more interested in history than agriculture. She was a curious mother who had attended the hotel school in Clermont-Ferrand and who loved reading and music. In short, a modest but highly cultured family...".
First creations
This family environment played a decisive role in the jeweler's career path. Philippe was nurtured from an early age by well-educated, caring parents who opened him up to the world and awakened his creative spirit. After shaping copper and then silver cutlery, Philippe tried his hand at other creations.
"In those days, a gas station would give you a fine stone for a full tank of gas. My friends would entrust me with these stones, which I would mount in rings or pendants. I also made a lot of jewelry with pebbles I found on my walks along the river.
Meticulous, artistically gifted and driven byamour a job well done, Philippe is passionate about jewelry. "I never imagined that one day I would make a living from my creations and that they would be so successful. I did what I loved with as much sincerity as possible, and I tried to give meaning to the jewels that were born under my fingers".
