Chaumet – Ultimate Guide And Review Of Bee My Love & Jeux De Lien Lines
About Chaumet
Chaumet, the epitome of French luxury, has a history that spans over two centuries. As the go-to jeweler for royalty and aristocracy, including the likes of Queen Marie-Antoinette and Empress Joséphine, Chaumet has cemented its place as a leader in haute joaillerie. Founded by Marie-Étienne Nitot, a master craftsman who honed his skills under the royal jeweller of King Louis XIV, the brand quickly gained a reputation for creating one-of-a-kind jewels for the elite.
During the Napoleonic era, Chaumet’s prestige reached new heights as Emperor Napoleon commissioned the brand to create extravagant jewels to showcase the wealth of his empire. From the 141-carat Regent diamond-studded sword he carried at his coronation to the jeweled suites created for his second wedding, Chaumet played a vital role in defining the opulence of the era.
As the brand evolved over the centuries, it has embraced different design aesthetics, from the romanticism of the Italian Renaissance to the naturalistic themes and Japonisme influences of the Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque eras. Today, the brand continues to innovate while staying true to its heritage, offering a wide range of exquisite jewels and timepieces.
Acquired by the LVMH group in 1999, Chaumet now boasts a global network of boutiques, making its creations accessible to new generations of fashion-savvy collectors. The brand’s flagship boutique, located at the prestigious 12 Place Vendôme in Paris, has been open since 1907, and serves as a symbol of the timeless appeal of Chaumet’s designs. If you’re looking for a piece of jewelry that exudes elegance, craftsmanship, and French heritage, look no further than Chaumet.
Chaumet’s Most Popular Lines
The most popular Chaumet’s collections are : Bee my love, Jeux de Liens and Josephine. Let us explore each collection individually:
Chaumet’s Bee My Love Review
Bee My Love collection must be one of the most sought after collection at Chaumet. This stunning range of jewelry is inspired by the elegance and beauty of the bee’s honeycomb, a symbol of wisdom and creativity. The collection features a variety of pieces including rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, all with the statement hexagons.
Whether you’re looking for a statement piece or a subtle hint of luxury, the Bee My Love collection has something for everyone. It’s hard not to fall in love with these bee-autiful creations.
Chaumet’s Bee My Love Bracelets
The Chaumet Bee My Love bracelets are perfect for either wearing on their own or stacking them (especially if you choose the bangles). You can choose between solid gold pieces or diamond adorned. The bangle BML is often seen as an alternative to the Cartier Love bracelet as it has a similar aesthetic but it’s more underrated and less popular.
If you’re wondering how to open a Chaumet Bee My Love bracelet, it’s pretty simple. The BML has a hinge that you simply lift and then you slide it back again. It also has a side “lock” that you need to push to secure the bracelet. Compared to a Cartier Love (that you need a mini screw driver to open), the Bee My Love is quite easy to open and close while still being secure.
Price starts at: $6,000 USD
Chaumet’s Bee My Love Rings
Chaumet’s Bee My Love rings, like the rest of the line features the iconic honeycomb – which make them great for stacking. The rings come in either gold, white or rose gold with or without diamonds. Most of the BML rings are quite dainty and perfect for daily wear. If you want a more wow factor we recommend the chunky Bee My Love ring or to stack several rings together.
Price starts at: $1,000 USD for the yellow gold, 2.5 mm ring
Chaumet’s Bee My Love Necklaces & Pendants
Chaumet’s Bee My Love necklaces are a work of art but very structured and pricy. They are not an everyday piece for most people. If you want something slightly more understated but still featuring the same beautiful honeycombs, take a look at their pendants. You can choose pendants with or without diamonds and there’s even one featuring a bee on a honeycomb!
Price necklaces: starting at $15,000 USD for the BML necklace in Rose Gold
Price pendants & chains: starting at $2,150
Chaumet’s Bee My Love Earrings
There’s a BML earring for everyone: starting from studs, hoops and long, statement earrings – all featuring the same hexagons.
Price starting at: $2,450 for gold and diamonds studs
Chaumet Bee My Love vs Cartier Love
When we compare the Chaumet Bee My Love and the Cartier Love bracelet, a few things come to mind:
- price
- design & aesthetics
- popularity
Let’s go into all these subjects and see which bracelet wins each category: the Chaumet Bee My Love or the Cartier Love? For the sake of comparison we’re going to look at the slim Love without diamonds and the non-pave BML.
Price: Bee My Love vs Cartier Love
The Cartier Small Love retails for $4,450 while the BML retails for approximately $6,000 USD. The LOVE is a 18k gold bracelet with a 3.65 mm width whereas the BML comes in 18k gold with a 4 mm width.
The LOVE weights approximately 19.5 grams – and the Bee My Love weights approximately 16 grams.
As we can see, the Cartier Small Love is less expensive for more gold – so we would say that Cartier wins this round!
Design & Aesthetics: Bee My Love vs LOVE
Both bracelets are iconic and different from your average gold bangle. The Cartier Love features the screw motif whereas the Bee My Love has a beautiful honeycomb design. We would say that the Love feels more unisex and the BML more feminine. We love the BML design because of how the light catches the hexagons, it’s so sparkly without needing any stones. However, with that comes the worry that the bracelet will loose it’s shininess with time and scratches.
The Cartier love also includes a screwdriver which is part of the design, as you cannot open the bracelet without one. For many people this design symbolizes the love and commitment of a partner – so if that is the case, you might enjoy the Cartier Love more.
Popularity
There’s no doubt that the Cartier Love is more popular than the Bee My Love. Cartier, in general seems way more popular than Chaumet. Maybe it’s due to the Kar-Jenners, but the Cartier Love bracelet is pretty well known, even among the general population.
Chaumet on the other hand is pretty unfamiliar for most people. A Chaumet Bee My Love will definitely attract some attention, but it will most likely be because of the design and not because of the brand itself.
In conclusion, if you want a popular bracelet that people will recognize, go for Cartier but if you want a more understated brand, go for Chaumet.
Chaumet Jeux De Liens
Symbolizing the link or connection between people, the Jeux de Liens collection is one of the most well known and iconic Chaumet line.
The collection features the rounded X in gold or stones such as carnelian, mother of pearl, onyx, jade and more. It can be an alternative for Van Cleef lovers who love jewelry adorned with gemstones.
The Jeux de Liens collection can be more affordable, with prices starting at $1,150 for a single mother-of-pearl earring or $1,250 for a rose gold & diamonds X ring.
The most expensive Jeux de Liens piece is the Harmony large pendant with diamonds which retails for $14,850.
How Can You Buy Chaumet?
At the moment there’s no Chaumet boutique in the US, so you have the following options. Order online from Chaumet.com, choose an online stockist such as Selfridges (based in the UK but ships to the US).
Another alternative is to use luxury consignment websites such as ReBag, 1st Dibs, Fashionphile or even eBay – but for the later make sure to authenticate the pieces when you get them.
Conclusion: Is Chaumet Worth Buying?
Chaumet is a prestigious high-jewelry brand that is definitely worth buying if we look at the brands’ heritage, design and craftsmanship. Of course, you can find jewelry pieces at cheaper prices – so, unless you’re looking for a very iconic Chaumet design, we recommend you shop at your local jeweler that most likely has better prices per gram of gold.
OUR FAVORITE FINDS
