Explore the evolution of jewelry from ancient to modern times, from both historical and aesthetic perspectives.
Special Japanese Courses
*There are currently no courses taking place in Japan.
This page is provided as an archive of the Special Japanese Courses held in Japan from February to March 2023.
Art History of Jewelry
Around the World in Jewelry
Discover the evolution of jewelry through eras and civilizations.
What is "jewelry"? Why are we attracted to it? Every civilization - every era - has provided its own answers.
From Africa and Asia to Oceania, the Americas and Europe, this world tour invites you to discover the materials, know-how, and styles that have shaped jewelry, in both the past and present.
Your teachers
The course is given by an art historian and a gemologist.
Practical Information
2.5hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 14,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.24 - 09:00-11:30
2023.02.25 - 09:00-11:30
2023.03.05 - 14:30-17:00
To go further
- Take part in the course "Gold and jewelry, from ancient times to Renaissance princes", to discover the evolution of jewelry through the ages, from antiquity to the Renaissance.
The Engagement Ring: A Love Story
Discovery of a symbol of love.
Our three experts will initiate you to the history of the engagement ring, its jewelry-making techniques, its materials and to the surprising world of gems. A journey in time, initiation to setting techniques, analysis of diamonds: at the end of the course you will know everything about the engagement ring.
Your professors
This course is conducted by an art historian, a stone setter and a gemologist.
Practical Information
2.5 hours, 3 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 14,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.24 - 14:30-17:00
2023.03.08 - 09:00-11:30
2023.03.10 - 14:30-17:00
To go further
- Participate in the course "Discover the Gemstones" to gain more profound knowledge about gemology and to identify precious stones
The power of Jewelry : Amulets, Talismans & Lucky Charms
Discover the wealth of legends associated with talisman jewels.
You will discover the powers which stones have been believed to harbor and their meanings, as well as superstitions attached to animals and planets.
The history and geography will take you on a voyage through centuries and civilizations; you will learn how designs and collections made by famous jewelers have derived inspiration from this mysterious parallel universe of the imagination.
This course will make you discover the evolution of the jewel from different angles: history, culture, style, symbolism...
Your teachers
This course is led by two art historians.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.03.02 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.10 - 09:00-13:00
To go further
- Participate in the course "Entering the Van Cleef & Arpels Universe", to discover the sources of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels.
Gold and Jewelry, from Antiquity to the Renaissance Princes
Explore how jewelry has evolved through history, from ancient times up until the Renaissance.
Immerse yourself into the very essence of jewelry history! The stories and the geography will send you on a voyage through centuries and civilizations: you will discover how jewelry has evolved through the ages, its uses and its symbolism. Finally, you will have the privilege of observing the patrimonial collection of L'ÉCOLE, a teaching collection of extraordinary antique jewels.
Your teachers
This course is led by two art historians.
Practical Information
4hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.26 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.07 - 14:30-18:30
To go further
- Broaden your understanding of jewelry's evolution by participating in the course "A History of Jewelry, from Louis XIV to Art Deco".
A history of Jewelry, from Louis XIV to Art deco
Explore how jewelry evolved through the history of jewelry, from the time of Louis XIV to the Art Deco period.
From gemstones to precious metals, from the most innovative use of materials, from the Baroque to Art Deco, you will experiences, through the creations, the blossoming of modern jewelry.
Finally you will have the privileged opportunity to view first hand L'ÉCOLE's patrimonial collection of antique jewelry pieces.
Your teachers
This course is led by two art historians.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.27 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.09 - 14:30-18:30
To go further
- Go back to the sources of jewelry evolution by participating in the course: "Gold and Jewelry: From Antiquity to the Renaissance Princes".
Entering the Van Cleef & Arpels Universe
Discover - or rediscover - the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels through an enthralling journey at the heart of the 20th and 21st centuries.
You will observe and study several iconic creations to understand how stylistic audacity and technical innovations contributed to the success of this family enterprise. Historic and personal anecdotes will reveal the way in which this identity, so dear to the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, developed.
Your Teachers
This course is led by two art historians.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.28 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.08 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.09 - 09:00-13:00
Once Upon A Time There Was Jewelry Design
At the Origin of the Jewel: Design, History, Evolution and Technique.
You will observe how ‘‘a simple drawing’’ gives life to a jewelry creation.
Who are the authors of jewelry drawings, the “designers”? What techniques do they rely upon? What are the uses of jewelry drawings over time? In three sections, you will grasp the importance of beauty in jewelry design, from the 15ᵗʰ century to today. The jewelry art history teacher will unveil works that are as beautiful as they are remarkable.
The designer will give a contemporary point of view, relying upon her experience as a designer and gouacheuse in several Maisons on the Place Vendôme. She will show her tools and will show you one of her sketchbooks.
You will then have the opportunity to handle the different types of materials used over the centuries and to leaf through several illustrated catalogues of gouachés, recently published by the Maisons in order to present their high jewelry collections.
Your teachers
This course is taught by a jewelry art historian and a designer
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.25 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.02 - 14:30-18:30
To Go Further
Participate in the courses “The Gouaché in High Jewelry 1: The Light”, and “The Gouaché in High Jewelry 2: The Color’, to initiate yourself into jewelry design practices, and to deepen your understanding of its importance in the creative process.
The Universe of Gemstones
Through observation and experimentation, we will reveal the secrets of how precious stones are discovered and evaluated as gemstones.
Discover the Gemstones
Become Initiated into Gemology
First, you will discover the origins of gemstones, their great variety, and the different techniques used to extract and collect them. Then you will then learn about the development and goals, and the various stages, in cutting and polishing, as well as the techniques for evaluating gemstones. Finally, to concretize what you have been learning, your teachers will guide you through three hands-on experiences, during which you will manipulate and observe the stones using gemologists' tools.
Your teachers
This class is led by two gemologists.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.25 - 09:00-13:00
2023.02.27 - 14:30-18:30
To go further
- Become a student in the course: "Recognize the Gemstones", to go more deeply into your exploration of gemology and to actually identify yourself using gem identification instruments during the course.
Recognize the Gemstones
Familiarise yourself with gemology and how to identify gemstones.
Transported into the ambiance of the great precious stone markets--Chanthaburi in Thailand, Ratnapura in Sri Lanka or Bogota in Colombia--you will learn to distinguish a group of different gemstones, which can seem very similar to the uninitiated. You will observe stones with your naked eye and then with the professionals' instruments: hydrostatic scale, refractometer, polariscope, and specific gemologists' scale.
Your teachers
This course is taught by two gemologists.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.26 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.06 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.10 - 09:00-13:00
To go further
- Participate in the course: "Fascinating Diamonds 2: Science and Gemology", to deepen your understanding of gemology and to find out what makes diamonds so unique.
Fascinating Diamonds 1: History and Legends
Discover the myths and legends which surround the Diamond.
Riveted by the legends and beliefs associate to this "Stone of Stones", you will be transported to India and Brazil, and then South Africa, Russia, Australia and finally to Canada. You will hear about the history of some of the most famous diamonds, have an up close look at their replicas, discover rare and ancient texts. The route of diamonds will no longer be a secret to you.
Your teachers
This class is conducted by a gemologist and an art historian.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.27 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.07 - 09:00-13:00
To go further
- Participate in the course: "Fascinating Diamonds 2: Science and Gemology", in order to find out about the total uniqueness of these stones from the gemologist's point of view.
Fascinating Diamonds 2: Science and Gemology
Discover why the Diamond is so unique.
Your teachers will unveil the history of the diamond, first polished by people during the 4th century BCE, up to the invention of the modern brilliant cut in 1919.
With them, you will find out the secrets of this so precious stone: its chemical composition, the fabulous geological circumstances of its creation, it unequaled hardness, the mystery of its brilliance and its fire.
You will know how to evaluate clarity for yourself, classifying stones by color grade, appreciating the quality of their cut.
Your teachers
This course is given by two gemology experts.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.25 - 14:30-18:30
2023.02.28 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.07 - 14:30-18:30
To go further
- Take part in the course: "Recognize the Gemstones", to continue your exploration of gemology and to identify precious stones.
Ruby, a Fiery and Bewitching Stone
Discover the Ruby
What is red? How do we perceive it? What is its special symbolism?
You'll set out to discover this mythical gem through the places it's extracted around the world. You'll understand its fascinating and special properties, which have made it the "king of precious stones".
Your teachers
This course is given by two gemology experts.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.24 - 09:00-13:00
2023.02.26 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.03 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.05 - 14:30-18:30
To go furtherTo go further
- Take part in the course "Recognize the gemstones" to broaden your exploration of gemology and to identify precious stones.
Savoir-Faire
All students, including beginners, wear jewelers’ white coats and learn how to handle the materials and tools with their own hands.
The Gouaché in High Jewelry 1 - The Light
Depict light on a gouaché painting, the first stage in creating a High Jewelry piece.
After a presentation of the gouaché technique, experience the designer's gestures while painting a white gold piece in the shape of a bow. Using three different colors, learn how to position light and shadow, and then depict them using gouaché. Understand the creative process and become familiar with this specific High Jewelry design technique.
Your teachers
Students will be guided by a jewelry designer and a visual artist.
Practical Information
3 hours, 2 teachers, 6 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.03.05 - 14:30-17:30
2023.03.08 - 09:00-12:00
2023.03.09 - 09:00-12:00
To Go Further
- An additional course is devoted to this technique of creation of fine jewelry: "The Gouaché in High Jewelry 2: The Color".
The Gouaché in High Jewelry 2 - The Color
Depict color on a gouaché sketch, the first stage in creating a High Jewelry piece.
In this second class devoted to color depiction, experience the designer's gestures while painting both a cabochon and a faceted stone. Discover how color, combined with the depiction of light, enables the designer to reproduce both the color and shape of stones until they appear to come to life.
Understand the creative process and become familiar with this specific High Jewelry design technique.
Your teachers
Students will be guided by a jewelry designer and a visual artist.
Practical Information
3 hours, 2 teachers, 6 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.03.06 - 14:30-17:30
2023.03.07 - 14:30-17:30
2023.03.09 - 14:30-17:30
To Go Further
- Take part in the course "From the Wax Project to the Setting Techniques" to discover the next key steps in the creation of a piece of High Jewelry.
From the Wax Project to the Setting Techniques
Try your hand at stone setting and wax sculpture techniques.
This course will roll out in two chapters.
For your first part, you will discover setting techniques, then you will execute your own mounting on silver.
For the second part of your course, you will sculpt on a wax model and design the placement for the stones on it, preparing the wing of a butterfly jewel. Your teacher will guide you in your pursuit of symmetry, adjusting the shapes and the drawing out of placements for stones.
Your teachers
Your teachers are a jeweler and a stone-setter from the High Jewelry workshops of the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels. They are called the "Mains d'Or™" because of their virtuosity.
Practical Information
4 hours, 3 teachers, 8 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.03.05 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.06 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.08 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.09 - 09:00-13:00
To Go Further
- Participate in the course "From French Jewels to Japanese Lacquer", in order to discover another specific set of artisanal set of skills and to compare it to the traditional French art of High Jewelry.
From Design to Mock-up
Explore the first steps in creating a jewel.
Using various sources of inspiration, understand the three stages which allow a jewel to be represented in two dimensions: the drawing, the tracing, and the gouaché.
Experience the mock-up maker's gestures while creating a pewter mock-up, the first three-dimensional interpretation of the jewel. Cut a butterfly out of metal, shape it and decorate it with rhinestones.
Your teachers
This class led by three teachers, including a designer and a mock-up maker.
Practical Information
4 hours, 4 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.26 - 09:00-13:00
2023.02.28 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.01 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.02 - 09:00-13:00
2023.03.03 - 14:30-18:30
To go further
- Take part in the course "From the Wax Project to the Setting Techniques", to discover the next steps in the process of creating fine jewelry.
Trying Out the Jeweler's Techniques
Discover what it takes to create a High Jewelry masterpiece.
After a brief introduction, you will sit down at the traditional and authentic jeweler's workbench and you will participate in four different workshops, guided through every step by the artisans themselves. You will practice sculpting on a piece of jewelry modeling wax, you will use the jeweler's saw to make cuts into a piece of metal, you will do some polishing, and finally you will learn one of the most essential gestures to the setter by "lifting the grain" in a piece of metal.
This course gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the richness of the "métiers d'art" (the artistic professions).
Your teachers
You will be guided by three teachers, including a jeweler and a stone-setter.
Practical Information
2 hours, 3 teachers, 8 participants.
¥ 14,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.03.04 - 14:30-16:30
2023.03.06 - 14:30-16:30
2023.03.07 - 09:00-11:00
2023.03.09 - 14:30-16:30
To Go Further
- Participate in the course "From Design to Mock-up", in order to go further in your understanding of the jewelry making process.
From French Jewels to Japanese Lacquer
Experience an encounter between two craft traditions.
Immerse yourself into two magnificent arts and crafts traditions: French Jewelry & Japanese Urushi lacquer.
In the lacquer workshop, surrounded by tools and materials from Japan, create your own lacquer work butterfly using three of the lacquer master's ancestral techniques: applying color, Maki-e, and mother-of-pearl mosaic.
In the jewelry workshop, sit at a workbench, shape the metal and encrust it with vegetable ivory to create motifs on the wings of a jeweled butterfly.
Experience all the richness of these artistic professions.
Your teachers
This class is conducted by two teachers, including a Master of Japanese Urushi lacquer.
Practical Information
4 hours, 2 teachers, 8 participants.
¥ 28,000/Pers.
Available Sessions *This course has ended.
2023.02.25 - 09:00-13:00
2023.02.26 - 14:30-18:30
2023.02.27 - 09:00-13:00
2023.02.28 - 14:30-18:30
2023.03.01 - 09:00-13:00
To go further
- Take part in the course "From the Wax Project to the Setting Techniques", if you want to deepen your understanding of the art of French jewelry.
Workshops for Young People
L’ÉCOLE carries a mission of passing on the culture of jewelry, and in that spirit, offers five workshops to teach the depths of jewelry culture and the joy of creation to the next generation. A workshop lasts 2 hours and costs 2,100yen (including tax).
Crowns and Swords
6 to 8 years old
Guided by their teachers, the students are immersed into the history of royal symbols, coming from the four corners of the world.
They choose a template for their crown and/or their sword to cut out and to decorate with mosaics, leather, rhinestones, ribbons, feathers or lace in order to make their own creations, driven by their individual inspiration.
Accompaniment by an adult is required.
This workshop is reserved for children from 6 to 8 years old.
Your teachers
This workshop is led by several teachers: art historian, multimedia artists.
Practical Information
2 hours, 2 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 2,100/Pers.
Available Sessions *This workshop has ended.
2023.03.04 - 10:00-12:00
Make Your Own Precious Clock
8 to 12 years old
The children start by discovering how the makers of clocks and watches find inspiration for their designs, then they choose from among 5 different templates for the face of their clock which for which the motifs are inspired by Nature, and then they apply their clock faces to a real wooden clock which they can hang on the wall of their room.
Accompaniment by an adult recommended.
This workshop is reserved for children from 8 to 12 years old.
Your teachers
This workshop is led by several teachers: art historian, multimedia artist, designer.
Practical Information
2 hours, 3 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 2,100/Pers.
Available Sessions *This workshop has ended.
2023.03.04 - 14:30-16:30
The Mock-Up: First Sculptural Vision of the Jewel
12 to 16 years old
Seated at the jeweler's workbench, and guided by experts from the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, the teenagers become acquainted with the world of the jewelry making professions and with the specific techniques involved in making jewelry mock-ups--the process via which the initial design takes three dimensional form for the first time.
This workshop is reserved for children from 12 to 16 years old
Your teachers
This workshop is led by two teachers, one of whom is a High Jewelry mock-up maker.
Practical Information
2 hours, 2 teachers, 8 participants.
¥ 2,100/Pers.
Available Sessions *This workshop has ended.
2023.03.04 - 10:00-12:00
Discovering the World of Gems
12 to 16 years old
Ensconced in the gemology workshop, the teenagers use gemologist's tools to examine colored and ornamental stones.
In touching and manipulating the materials with their own hands, the become initiated into the mysterious world of stones.
This workshop is reserved for children from 12 to 16 years old.
Your teachers
This workshop is led by two gemology experts.
Practical Information
2 hours, 3 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 2,100/Pers.
Available Sessions *This workshop has ended.
2023.03.04 - 14:30-16:30
2023.03.05 - 10:00-12:00
Draw Some Precious Stones
9 to 11 years old
First time for your children to be a jewelry designer!
The jewelry designer’s profession is often misunderstood by the public but is essential to the jewelry creation process. Children will discover the tools while they find themselves inside the real world designer’s environment.
They will follow the different creation steps and will discover how the jewelry designer is set apart from other designers. They will then make their own jewelry design from a model of a cabochon cut stone.
For children from 9 to 11 years old, the accompaniment of an adult is recommended and without reservation.
This workshop is reserved for children from 9 to 11 years old.
Your teachers
This workshop is led by 2 teachers: art historian, designer.
Practical Information
2 hours, 3 teachers, 12 participants.
¥ 2,100/Pers.
Available Sessions *This workshop has ended.
2023.03.05 - 10:00-12:00
Evening Conversations
L’ÉCOLE presents “Evening Conversations”, a deep dive into the world of jewelry. In these lectures, you will join two or more experts in a dialog that explores the world of jewelry and the art of jewelry from a variety of perspectives. Each lecture begins with a cocktail reception in the salon, inviting the audience into a world of learning in a relaxed atmosphere.
“Evening Conversations” will be held four times at the Kyoto University of the Arts Gaien Campus, around four different topics.
Marie-Antoinette as cultural icon
Passionate about fashion, fine furniture and jewelry, Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793), Queen of France, is still recognized nowadays for her very personal refined and delicate taste... and for her penchant for expense!
This inclination for luxury and pomp will unfortunately be fatal to this "Madame Deficit" at the dawn of the French Revolution. But behind this character decried and contested in her time hides, in reality, a very fragile and sensitive nature.
Considered one of the most essential historical figures, Marie-Antoinette still arouses fascination and enthusiasm today, thanks to the work of Riyoko Ikeda, manga artist who highlights, through her drawings, French know-how and elegance.
Immerse yourself in the existence of a sumptuous sovereign and in the intimacy of a woman in search of simplicity.
Date & Time *This lecture has ended.
February 25th, Saturday 7:00-8:30PM
Speakers
Riyoko Ikeda - Manga Artist, Vocalist
Léonard Pouy - Ph. D. Art Historian and Teacher-Resarcher at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Practical Information
1.5hours, ¥ 4,500/Pers.
Inside Out: Journey into the Center of a Gem
Precious gemstones are celebrated for the outward beauty, particularly for shining colors that capture our attention. Beyond their fascinating beauty, each of Mother Nature’s gems encapsulates part of Earth’s history, a story millions of years in the making. Join us on a journey into this hidden space inside of a gemstone. Together we will explore the microscopic depths of rubies and sapphires, seeing a world that most have never glimpsed.
Date & Time *This lecture has ended.
March 2nd,Thursday 7:00-8:30PM
Speakers
Olivier Segura - Gemmologist, Scientific Director of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Billie Hughes - Gemmologist
Practical Information
1.5hours, ¥ 4,500/Pers.
Men's jewelry, signs and insignia
Today obscured by the fact that most jewelry is worn by women, men’s jewelry has been extremely desired and important for a very long time. Much more than an element of adornment, it is at the same time a social and cultural marker, an instrument for the assertion of power, a communication tool and a fashion accessory. It combines symbolic and ornamental functions. This talk will provide an opportunity to rediscover the importance of men's jewelry in history.
Date & Time *This lecture has ended.
March 4th, Saturday 5:30-7:00PM
Speakers
Inezita Gay-Eckel - Jewelry Historian and Teacher at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Léonard Pouy - Ph. D. Art Historian and Teacher-Resarcher at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Practical Information
1.5hours, ¥ 4,500/Pers.
Pearls: Art & Science
Queen of gems, which for a long time outstripped the diamond in terms of interest and value, the pearl has continued to fascinate humans, from prehistory to the present day. Central to the understanding of entire areas of the human adventure, and in particular the history of art and jewelry, this precious biomineral, as appreciated and famous as it is, remains poorly understood by many. In addition to retracing its history and clarifying its nature, this talk will provide an opportunity to share some of its secrets.
Date & Time *This lecture has ended.
March 6th, Monday 7:00-8:30PM
Speakers
Olivier Segura - Gemmologist, Scientific Director of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Léonard Pouy - Ph. D. Art Historian and Teacher-Resarcher at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Practical Information
1.5hours, ¥ 4,500/Pers.