Pauline Laigneau: founder of Gemmyo and the podcast Le Gratin

1. Tell us about your very first memory related to art?

Pauline Laigneau: I have always loved art because it evokes emotion and reflection. My mother is a great enthusiast and a collector herself. She introduced me to art from a very young age, teaching me to understand and take an interest in it.

Today, I am building my own collection, featuring artists such as Valérie Belin, Antonella Bussanich, Julien Salaud, Alain Fleischer, and Marina della Valle. For me, art is a way to question oneself and open up to the world. My first vivid memory goes back to when I was eight years old, in front of La Femme au chapeau by Matisse.

I remember being deeply moved by its distinctive use of color: those unexpected tones on the woman’s face, both bold and strikingly right. What touched me was precisely that, the beauty that emerges from difference, and the artist’s emotion shining through colors that, at first glance, would seem not to belong together.

That painting has never really left me: it taught me that the most powerful harmonies are often the ones we do not expect. It is a lesson I continue to carry with me in my work at Gemmyo, and in the way we bring colored stones into dialogue within our collections.

© Line Brusegan

© Gemmyo

2. What is your relationship with art today? How important is art in your personal life and for your brand?

Pauline Laigneau: Art is with me every day. First of all at home, in my personal living space. But also at Gemmyo, within our boutiques, where we display works by artists whose pieces resonate with our interiors.

As an art director, I am constantly searching for new ways of treating imagery, through photographers, set designers, and illustrators.

To me, an artistic approach is only truly complete when it goes beyond decoration: when it carries emotion and meaning. Form is nothing without substance.

3. How is art expressed through Gemmyo’s jewelry collections?

Pauline Laigneau: At Gemmyo, art expresses itself both through creation and through our sources of inspiration. For example, for the Paris 1901 collection, I drew inspiration from Haussmannian architecture, where the regular repetition of finely carved lines, the subtle interplay of light on stone, and the controlled precision all come together to create the understated charm of the façades.

These architectural codes are translated into jewellery in the form of delicate, balanced pieces. The Entaille collection draws inspiration from the work of Lucio Fontana; the designs of the Lefkos collection evoke the marine and sunlit universe of William Turner.

All of this is, of course, suggested in a subtle way within our collections, but these are very real artistic inspirations.

© Gemmyo

4. If you had to introduce Gemmyo to someone who doesn’t yet know your brand through a single piece of jewellery, which one would it be and why?

Pauline Laigneau: Lefkos is the sun motif reimagined as a piece of jewellery, a radiant design. It feels both familiar and entirely new in its interpretation. Lefkos comes in rings, pendants, and earrings, and adapts to every moment of life, especially when set with a coloured gemstone.

Gemmyo is the go-to destination for coloured stones, and this collection embodies that perfectly.

5. Which artists do you love? Which ones move you, and why?

Pauline Laigneau: There are too many to list here! I have a particular fondness for Expressionism, regardless of the period, Rothko, Munch, Basquiat, and others or Fauvism (Matisse, Chagall, etc.), because I am deeply sensitive to emotion expressed through color.

In a completely different register, I also love Surrealism and the purity of artists like Magritte or Giorgio de Chirico, who take us on journeys into the imagination.

© Gemmyo

© Gemmyo

6. Finally, what are your latest updates and upcoming projects?

Pauline Laigneau: We have just launched a new collection called Gemmyorama. I am very proud of it, as I designed this line as an ode to gemstones, especially coloured stones. I wanted to highlight gemstones as a symbol of self-expression. In this collection, the stone takes centre stage; it is truly the heroine of the piece.

The millegrain setting becomes a stage, designed to showcase the uniqueness of each gem. I chose so-called “fancy” stone shapes to create a slight tilt in how the stone is positioned.

This offset centre stone allows for stacking and layering different pieces together, while also breaking away from the vintage feel of millegrain and bringing a more contemporary touch to the collection. Each stone embodies the personality and temperament of the person who wears it, affirming who they are and what they wish to express.

I am also very excited to unveil what our teams have prepared for the Maison’s 15th anniversary. And what a journey it has been since the founding of the brand: 100 employees, 9 boutiques worldwide, including our first opening in Japan, 100% made-to-order French manufacturing since the beginning, which we have further strengthened with a stake in a workshop based in Nice in 2026, and over 60% of our sales coming from digital, which is rare in jewellery.

We also offer a universe centred on reimagined classic aesthetics with strong customization, allowing clients to adapt each piece to their own style. Our collections are versatile and designed for everyday wear, pieces to stack or style differently over time. I am very proud to celebrate this milestone soon, and to share it with all our clients.

Their favorite artworks