The École des Arts Joailliers is now installed in the prestigious Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, one of the oldest private residences built on the Grands Boulevards and one of the few to have been preserved. It has never before been open to the general public. Discover this extraordinary place…
Ten years after its opening, the École des Arts Joailliers decided to expand and moved to 16bis boulevard Montmartre in the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau. The discreet facade conceals a magnificent townhouse built in 1778, with its sumptuous decor listed as a historic monument. It was on this basis that the École, in agreement with the Historic Monuments Commission, embarked on redevelopment work, with the expertise of Constance Guisset, to transform this exceptional site and enable it to once again welcome the general public.
Inspired by the place, Constance Guisset has breathed new life into the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, giving it a functional appearance and enabling the École des Arts Joailliers, among other things, to set up a library with workstations accessible to all, housing all 7,000 books on jewelry. A specialized bookshop will also be set up in the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, offering books for sale. An exhibition area has also been set up, allowing visitors to discover new thematic exhibitions, such as the one devoted to stage jewelry by the Comédie Française, on view until February.
To inaugurate this new space, on October 26 at 7:30 pm, the École will be hosting an in-person and online conference entitled “Merci-Argenteau, dans l’ombre de Marie-Antoinette” (Merci-Argenteau, in Marie-Antoinette’s shadow), presented by Léonard Pouy and Paul Paradis, which will explore the story of Claude-Florimond, comte de Mercy-Argenteau, an Austrian diplomat close to Marie-Antoinette. Negotiator of the marriage to the future Louis XVI, the ambassador was the confidant of the sovereign.
