Putting on the glitz: Marie-Helene de Taillac

French jewellery designer Marie-Helene de Taillac found her true calling in 1996, when she visited Jaipur - home to the Gem Palace, jewellers to the maharajas for more than five generations. 'I was always interested in jewellery but when I saw the quality of jewellery and stone cutting in Jaipur, I decided to do a small collection,' says de Taillac, who was then working in fashion, but found it difficult to track down jewellery to go with her clothes. 'I thought nobody would like it except me,' she says.

Her first collection was snapped up by Barney's New York and it didn't take long for other retailers to follow suit. Today, de Taillac's creations can be found worldwide at stores such as Colette in Paris, Browns in London and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and at her boutiques in Paris and Tokyo.

Designing jewellery seems a natural inclination for de Taillac, who fondly recalls visiting her mother's jeweller when growing up in Lebanon. 'My mother would often visit her jeweller with stones to be set. I still remember when I was six, her jeweller gave me a little ruby and a little sapphire as a present,' says the 42-year-old. She spends seven months of the year in Jaipur choosing stones, designing and overseeing the production and quality, and the rest of the year travelling the world and managing her brand.

Describing her designs as understated, simple and contemporary, de Taillac's creations are inspired by the kaleidoscopic gemstones she selects for each piece, ranging from emeralds to diamonds, peridot, aquamarine, rose quartz and spinels. Her jewellery is recognised for showing the beauty of the stones, rather than for elaborate, fanciful designs. 'If you look at the best designs, you may think they were made now, when in fact they could have been made in the 1930s or 40s. Often the simplest and purest things have existed for a long time,' says de Taillac.

Her growing collection consists of earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces, some dating from 1996, when she launched her brand. Her signature pieces include gem rings set in gold ('For me, it's the purest way to wear a stone'), multicoloured loop earrings adorned with briolette-cut gems in rainbow hues and gold bangles with organic lines.

For her latest collection, de Taillac translates the concept of weaving - inspired by the idea of making gold look like fabric - into pieces made with gold chains. 'It's about the texture of gold and the idea of weaving. The colour of 22-carat gold is beautiful,' she says, pointing to an adjustable gold bracelet with a pink spinel charm. 'This bracelet is matte gold, but what I love is that the polish comes from wearing it, so you make your own gold shine.' Standouts include a limited-edition handmade gold weave belt, requiring up to two weeks for a skilled craftsman to finish. 'I like the idea of jewellery being very extravagant, so once in a while I make a crazy piece,' says de Taillac. 'Even if we don't sell it, I can't limit my creativity to what my clients would buy.'

How would she advise Hong Kong women on choosing jewellery? 'For coloured stones, you have to try a lot and choose a colour that suits your complexion. When it comes to rings it's different because the colour of your hand is different from your face. Jewellery is an ornament and is very personal. You have to create your own style and choose something you like. It's supposed to make you more beautiful and it really works if you get it right.'

Shopping list

Marie-Helene de Taillac

Lane Crawford: IFC Mall (tel: 2118 3388); Pacific Place (tel: 2118 3668).