Career has come full circle for Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery school head
Marie Vallanet-Delhom trained as a teacher before curiosity led her to join jewellers Richemont three decades ago. A desire to demystify jewellery making led to her current role
“I grew up in a family that had a great love and dedication for education, especially in all the aspects of culture and the arts,” says Marie Vallanet-Delhom. “I believe this is partly because my parents lived through the second world war. As a result, they wanted their children’s generation not to ever see war, and to cultivate a wider, higher view of the world. Because of this, I took my education seriously, and eventually earned my master’s degree in literature, before working as a teacher.
“In 1986, I had an offer to join Richemont in the company’s jewellery department. I took the opportunity because one of my strongest qualities is my curiosity. I was most curious about the world of the atelier and high-jewellery workshops. During my time there, I was very lucky to have people around me who were generous and willing to share their specific expertise. That inspired me and made me even more interested in high jewellery. It also taught me the importance of sharing my knowledge with others.
“Previously, I never really had a fixed opinion about jewellery. This was not a topic that I had had a lot of experience in before joining Richemont. So I was like a sponge, open to any possibilities and soaking up knowledge wherever it came from.
“After working with Richemont for many years, I accepted a position as president of the [Van Cleef & Arpels} school. My life story has come full circle, given I started my career as a teacher. There are so many similarities between what I did then and what I do now – especially with the transmission and sharing of knowledge.
“The French have a phrase, ‘boucler la boucle’, which means to fasten the belt buckle. It means starting somewhere, going around, and coming back where you started. That saying is very relevant to my life.
“The idea for the school started five years ago, during a conversation with Nicolas Bos, the CEO, president and also creative director of Van Cleef & Arpels. We were discussing the need to share not only the beauty of our jewellery house, but also all that is underneath the beauty that’s hidden to create these jewellery pieces.