Ambroise Degenève — fr
La perle autrement: an innovative vision of contemporary jewellery
Ambroise Degenève, aka la perle autrement, reinvents the codes of contemporary jewellery. A graduate of the HEAD (Haute École d’Art et de Design) in Switzerland, he currently lives and works in Lyon. A year after graduating, he opened his own workshop, building on his experience as an assistant to the famous jeweller Jean Grisoni in Paris. Since then, his creations have been shown in several group exhibitions in Europe and the United States, reinforcing his reputation as an innovative craftsman in the world of contemporary jewellery.
Ambroise Degenève’s creative universe is a sensory journey. Fossilized species, oxidized flowers, crystallized petals… His work seems to rewrite an encyclopaedia of nature through unique pieces, each one a tribute to the beauty and fragility of the living world. With over a hundred creations to his name, he invites us into a poetic, post-apocalyptic realm of minerals, where experimentation and the reinvention of traditional techniques are at the heart of his creative process.
Ambroise Degenève brings an innovative perspective to jewellery design, masterfully overturning ancient techniques while embracing new materials. He conceals synthetic gemstones in rough rings and daringly combines cultured pearls with silver, which he roughens with a patina to strip away its gloss. Contemporary jewellery thus becomes a playground where the craftsman plays with the value of materials and reinvents the conventional codes of the craft. This unique interplay between pearls – symbols of elegance – and raw materials perfectly embodies the designer’s bold spirit.
We showcased Ambroise’s work for the first time at our exhibition “Round”, celebrating pearls in a modern context in July 2023.