Philippe Tournaire

Creator-passionate and builder, Philippe Tournaire connects the universe of stones and precious metals while combining the universes of the history of art and science.

A story ... Baffie, Montbrison, Paris

A dream craftsman for 50 years, Philippe Tournaire establishes his rules of harmony. It is one of those whose work is not to tirelessly apply the thing learned, but to create, to invent new jewelry by adapting to the different most diverse techniques.

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

Small he dismantled the alarm clock, the pendulums, to understand the why of this magic tick-tac and to have the pleasure of going up them. His great-grandmother, Marthe, who loved this little piece of genius a lot had a benevolent look at him. When she saw him tinkering with the alarm clock, she liked to say, who wanted to hear her: "This one is a future jeweler" ...
Philippe Tournaire notably learned discipline at boarding school during his college years, there were many rules to respect: "We could not have the hair that touched the ears when we wanted to go out" (...) " If we wanted to go out we had to be united and come back all together at the same time ”. Explains the creator.

He was passionate about the sciences, his father had contributed a lot to it.

At 16, this artist at heart left high school and undertook learning alongside his dad. He prepared a CAP of radioelectrician "over the weeks and months shared with him, I can say today that I met my father at that time for the second time". His fascination pushed him to understand how the first men managed to shape objects according to primitive methods and transform them into ornaments and other ornaments. She nourished her imagination and her creation of jewelry.
When Philippe Tournaire started his learning, he already created jewelry. "My parents, rather modest, had transmitted to me that when you wanted something, you had to manage to do it." In the profession of radioelectrician, you have to be versatile "which brought me to work the copper".

A jeweler in the making

"I did not think that jewelry could become a job [...] I started as a sculptor on precious metals". After several months of waiting, Philippe Tournaire obtained his "first masterpiece of master and responsibility".
“Self -taught, I groped at length from the knowledge acquired with the family or during travel. (…). Philippe Tournaire did not know at everyone of jewelry and fine stones. He was fortunate to be helped by people who knew this environment well like Jacques Secretan and Jean Grosfilley. “These men were very important people in my learning of jewelry because they allowed me to understand gemology and to forge my own vision on stones. »»

All the people that Philippe Tournaire meet, the obstinacy and the hours spent at the established taught him to work. This gave him the opportunity to build an identity, a style that is found in his jewelry creations.

From 1973, Philippe Tournaire devoted himself entirely to jewelry. He built his own workshop with his own hands in a cellar in Baffie next to Saint-Germain-Laval. "I have very good memories in my cellar, I learned a lot of things there and not only compared to my job." In addition, being in the countryside, Philippe Tournaire had no profitability problem, this young creator was able to express himself as he felt things, with great freedom.

An artist jeweler

“At the age of 15-16, I did not work the precious stones. Indeed my first creations were in pebble. Then an oil company had an original idea. With each full of gasoline we received a fine stone. It was from this moment that I started using precious stones in my creations. These stones, I used them in my first jewelry, imagined for friends. Finally, word of mouth has started. The friends of my friends asked me to make alliances, medals, engagement rings ... Orders came regularly and began to exceed my production capacity. I logically wanted to exhibit my jewelry, to have a real showcase so that more people have access to my creations. "
In 1984, this young jeweler opened his first shop in Montbrison.

In 1999, "we opened a second shop" in Lyon, rue Edouard Herriot a stone's throw from Place Bellecour. "You had to have confidence in your work to invest in another city" (...) "What contributed to this insurance and which also taught me a lot was the salons". For Philippe Tournaire, the salons were a real challenge, there is a button date to respect, you have to be ready on D -Day and be proud of what we presented. “The salons were an opportunity to point out among the other jewelry houses, but only thanks to the jewelry we presented. Philippe Tournaire likes to create unique pieces, he is an artist at heart. "There was in the store on rue Tupinerie in Montbrison, a real half Jaguar cut in the length that I had arranged in the window".

International success

A third store opened in Paris in 2004 Place Vendôme. Place Vendôme, for Philippe Tournaire, is the place where you have to be if you want to exhibit. This store has brought us international customers, demanding customers, always looking for novelty, rarity and perfection.
Philippe Tournaire has carried out several exceptional partnerships, notably with S.T Dupont, Focal, Obut, Les Skis Lacroix ...

In 2006, Philippe Tournaire confronts his artistic qualities for international competition for the first time by exhibiting at the Basel Motor Show in Switzerland, the largest meeting in the world of jewelry. Poetry also exists in jewelry. Philippe Tournaire, jeweler-creator, is the most beautiful proof.

"I thank all my clients, friends, the most modest to the wealthiest, who gave me their confidence ... and allowed to achieve this story."Philippe Tournaire

Philippe Tournaire