This article first appeared in the JNA November/ December 2022 issue.

French fine jeweller Marie Cabirou, founder and creative director of Marie Mas, is taking the jewellery design narrative to the next level with an exceptional technique that combines artistry and mobility. Cabirou sits down with JNA to talk about her creative journey.

JNA: What inspired you to become a jewellery designer?

Marie Cabirou: I have always loved imagining and creating things. My grandmother, Henriette Mas — my brand name is a tribute to her—, was gifted in embroidery, knitting and sewing. She taught me how to cultivate ideas and turn those into reality, which fuelled my creativity. I took up design courses and somehow, every project I undertook involved jewellery. That was how I found my calling. I learned more about jewellery and was fascinated by the works of iconic jewellers like Suzanne Belperron, Joel Arthur Rosenthal and René Boivin, to name a few.

JNA: How would you describe a Marie Mas jewellery piece? What sets your collections apart from others in the market?

Cabirou: My brand DNA is based on the idea of movement and jewellery. My designs come to life when worn. I love to work around new techniques of movement and offer buyers a fresh, more contemporary perspective on fine jewellery. The vocabulary of shapes and colours is always very soft and feminine, with a great deal of gradients in stone, size, cut and hue. What is important is that people recognise your jewellery because of its strong style and identity. That is what makes a real difference in the market.

JNA: What are your favourite gemstones to work with and why?

Cabirou: It is a difficult question as I adore many of them! There are a few favoured gemstones that I have yet to use in my collections. For instance, I am partial to opals, tanzanite stones and rubellites, but these are gems that have yet to figure in my designs. One reason is they do not currently fit in any of my creative ideas.

It is also a question of suitability between the concept of the collection, the design idea and technique, and the stones themselves. The first step in my creative process involves design conceptualisation, which in turn inspires the choice of stones. I always look forward to my next collection where I can develop ideas using new gemstones.

JNA: What inspires you to design and create jewellery?

Cabirou: I mainly work around a concept and a technique of movement. This helps set the overall aesthetic theme. I then produce the colour palette, which in turn, aids in gemstone selection. It is an extremely fun process. I have always been obsessed about mobility. A good design for me should be animated, full of life, vivacious. Designing does not only entail manufacturing objects, but creating something with a soul and a purpose. I find inspiration in nature and everything that moves around us. I am also enamoured by the sea and marine life. Flora and fauna are massive design influences for me.

JNA: You recently launched your new collection. What inspired this and how is it different from your past work?

Cabirou: My latest high jewellery collection, Luminous Lines, is inspired by rays of light dancing against the skin. The jewellery glides effortlessly over the skin, caressing the body’s curves and crevices. Luminous energy emanates from the jewellery while its warmth and gentleness empower the wearer.

For this collection, I imagined surrealistic lines that I could draw on the skin using the jewels, guiding them to a path. There is an artistic juxtaposition between soft and supple components that highlight sensuality against the more rigid elements that draw attention to the slopes and dips of the body. And of course, the illusion that these are held together by magic is a personal delight of mine! The use of diamonds is an intentional choice as they are the brightest and most resplendent stones, and can perfectly catch the light of the sun.

The technique I used for Luminous Lines varies greatly from my past collections. I wanted a heightened focus on movement and to find a balance between softness and rigidity in the same piece of jewellery.