Encouraged by the success of its traveling school sessions organised in recent years in the Middle East, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts will open a permanent campus from 23 November in the Dubai Design District (d3)  – a place of cultural effervescence and a popular destination for contemporary art lovers.

An exclusive, creative neighborhood

Dubai Design District (d3) is a global creative ecosystem, developed by TECOM Group, in the heart of Dubai where leading creative businesses, talent and entrepreneurs from around the world connect, create, and inspire. The district is securing Dubai’s influence in the global creative sector through flagship events including Dubai Design Week and the official Dubai Fashion Week and has helped establish Dubai as a UNESCO Creative City of Design.

“We really wanted a presence in the Middle East and to open a L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts location there. When we were offered this building in this very exciting and vibrant neighborhood, it was the perfect time.”

- Lise Macdonald, President of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

Spreading jewellery culture around the world

Founded in 2012 in Paris with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts spreads jewellery culture to the widest possible audience. Open to all, from beginners and collectors to the simply curious and young people, L’ÉCOLE offers a rich program of online and in-person courses and talks on Savoir-Faire (jewellery craftsmanship), the World of Gemstones and the Art History of Jewellery, as well as free temporary exhibitions, publications and research projects.

The jewellery world is vast, fascinating and universal and this is exactly why L’ÉCOLE spreads its reach internationally. Established in France, today it boasts two permanent campuses in Paris: one in the Hôtel de Ségur, a stone’s throw from Place Vendôme – the historic center of the French jewelry industry; the second is to open its doors in the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, one of the few 18th-century buildings preserved on the Grands Boulevards.

In 2019, L’ÉCOLE opened its second campus in Hong Kong in K11 MUSEA, known as the Silicon Valley of culture, located in the heart of the Victoria Dockside art and cultural district. This was the first permanent campus outside of Paris.

In 2023, L’ÉCOLE inaugurated its third permanent campus in the heart of Shanghai. L’ÉCOLE China chose the Twin Villas as its home, two beautiful Art Deco villas that are a symbolic landmark in the historic neighborhood that is the former French Concession of Shanghai. 

L’ÉCOLE will now extend its presence in the Middle East with the opening of a fourth campus in Dubai: the campus will open its doors from 23 November with its inaugural exhibition “Garden of Emeralds” and a program of in-person talks.

The “Garden of Emeralds”: an inaugural exhibition

The inaugural Dubai exhibition dedicated to the emerald, “Garden of Emeralds”, reveals the many secrets and mysteries of this gemstone to the public. This exhibition, part of the “Discover the gemstones” series, presents the research carried out by L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts on emeralds, with the aim of introducing as many people as possible to the scientific, cultural, artistic and technical aspects of this gem.

The tour takes visitors from the depths of the earth, where the unlikely union of elements gives birth to emerald crystal, to the workshops, where it is shaped and worked by expert hands to reveal its color, intensity, and beauty. Nature, craftsmanship and symbolism form the three main sections of this exhibition, which brings together rough and cut specimens from the collections of the Mineralogy Museum Mines ParisTech, others from the collections of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, numerous pieces of jewellery symbolising emerald creation, thanks to loans from Van Cleef & Arpels and private collectors, and original gouache drawings that illustrate the full range of nuances of this gem, as well as the passion that people have had for it for over two thousand years.

1. Van Cleef & Arpels
Ballerina clip, 1945
© Van Cleef & Arpels Collection

2. Van Cleef & Arpels
Collaret, 1929
Formerly in the collection of Princess Faiza of Egypt
© Van Cleef & Arpels Collection - P Griès

3. Van Cleef & Arpels
Two woodpecker clip, 1949
© Van Cleef & Arpels Collection

In addition to this inaugural exhibition, from its opening this fall, L’ÉCOLE Middle East will offer a program of in-person talks covering three main areas: Savoir-Faire (jewellery craftsmanship), the World of Gemstones and the Art History of Jewelry.

From spring 2024, L’ÉCOLE Middle East will also offer courses and workshops for adults and children. Delivered by a body of lecturers including art historians, gemologists, jewelers and craftsmen, each course will bring together a maximum of six to twenty-four students to ensure ideal learning conditions.

Looking forward to receiving you at L’ÉCOLE Middle East!

L’ÉCOLE Middle East
Dubai Design District,
Building 10, Ground Floor

Website: https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/me/en

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