A Living Heritage company with a long-standing commitment to the transmission of savoir-faire,
Van Cleef & Arpels is organising the fourth edition of “de Mains en mains” ("from Hands to hands"). The goal of this programme is to introduce both young people and adults making a career change to the jewellery professions, and to show them how to access these career paths.

It operates through the mentorship of middle and high school students as well as an event open to the public, which was held from November 23rd to December 1st, 2024, in Lyon and, for the first time, in Clermont-Ferrand from February 12th to 16th, 2025. 

An event to showcase the jewellery professions

“de Mains en mains” also includes an event open to the public, held at the InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu from November 23rd to December 1st, 2024 before moving to the Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand from February 12th to February 16th, 2025. Both of these cities boast a dynamic jewelry ecosystem and a vast employment market.

On weekends, the general public will be able to watch experts at work during demonstrations, on a set resembling the inside of a workshop. An orientation area will also hold training courses and present career opportunities offered by various jewellery companies.

Mentorship founded on dialogue with middle and high school students

For centuries France’s jewellery-making tradition has shone throughout the world. Although the sector is known as being an important source of job creation, its various types of expertise remain little-known, particularly among younger people. To resolve this discrepancy, Van Cleef & Arpels partnered with the French Ministry of National Education in 2021 to create “de  Mains  en  mains,” designed for middle and high school students in Lyon. This year, five classes of seventh graders from Gilbert Dru Middle School, a class of ninth graders from Sainte Jeanne d’Arc, and four classes of tenth graders from the parcours Avenir will take part in the programme.

The mentorship runs throughout the school year. Beginning in October, experts from the Maison and L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts will visit partner facilities. Co-created with teachers, these in-class presentations link professions and savoir-faire to the school curriculum. Gemstones, for example, are studied in Physics/Chemistry classes under the guidance of a gemologist; the history of jewellery in the Middle Ages is discussed in History/Geography classes with an art specialist; and workshops introducing the practice of jewellery design are organised in Fine Arts classes.

Students are thus prepared for the Parcours Métiers (Professional Pathways), a key part of the programme held annually in November in Lyon—where one of the Maison’s jewellery workshops is located—and for the first time, in 2025, in Clermont-Ferrand. They take part in a week-long exchange with artisans from the Van Cleef & Arpels Workshops. The craftsmen will share their training and day-to-day experience, and will explain the various stages involved in creating a piece (design, gouaché, stone selection and cutting, jewellery-making, setting, or polishing). Students also gain hands-on experience at the workbench. The Human Resources team is present to provide information on the various training opportunities available in the field.

In February and March, the Atelier de la langue française association will coach the students in the art of oration to develop their public speaking skills. They will then share their experience in front of their families, their teachers, the académie de Lyon, and Van Cleef & Arpels representatives in May.

Growing interest

Since its launch in 2021, “de Mains en mains” has been reaching ever-growing audiences. The programme also brings together institutional and associative partners committed to giving young people access to the jewellery professions, and to helping support adults during their career transition.

Key figures:

• 900 student participants since 2021
• 15,000 visitors since 2021, including 7,800 in 2023
• 17 associative and institutional partners working alongside Van Cleef & Arpels since 2021
• 180 employees of the Maison involved in the project in 2023

Detailed information on the “de Mains en mains” event is available at the following address: https://demainsenmains.vancleefarpels.com

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