IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
TrendsDec 07, 2016
Inside the Fantastical Mind of Lydia Courteille
A monograph dedicated to the French fine jewelry designer delves into her life and jewels.
Lydia Courteille’s new monograph is filled with images of her collaboration with Lithuanian digital artist Natalie Schau, whose portraits featuring Courteille’s jewelry are seen here. (© Natalie Schau)
New York--A new monograph dedicated to French fine jewelry designer Lydia Courteille delves into the mind behind the designs.
ACC Art Books published Lydia Courteille, Extraordinary Jewellery of Imagination and Dreams this fall.
Written by jewelry expert Julia Weir de la Rochefoucauld, the book recounts Courteille’s childhood and the traits that eventually manifested themselves in her jewelry design: an extreme curiosity about the world’s diverse cultures (she corresponded with 18 pen pals worldwide), a love of narrative, and an eye for aesthetically interesting objects, such as the stones she saw at the mineralogical museum in Paris.
It was in 1979 that Courteille turned her attention to jewelry outright.
While trying to repair an Art Deco watch she had purchased, Courteille became besotted with jewelry antiques she saw in dealers’ shops.
She began re-setting antique cameos, transforming them from brooches to large rings, finally deciding to pursue her passion for these jewels through formal gemology study, which culminated with a career as an independent antiques dealer, in which she collected great jewelers like Suzanne Belperron and opened a store in Paris.
This diadem is from Courteille’s Queen of Sheba collection.
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Courteille created this headdress bangle as part of her collection inspired by Native American tribes. It features a variety of gemstones and enamel set in rhodium-plated gold.
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Courteille’s bunny earrings featuring rubellite, pink sapphires and white and black diamonds set in rose gold
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
The Ashanti warrior ring featuring ebony, diamond and gold
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Serpent pendant earrings from the Xochimilco collection, inspired by Courteille’s first trip abroad at age 21 to Mexico
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
A Memento Mori Couple brooch, circa 2007, featuring a boulder opal, diamonds and white gold
Copyright Lydia Courteille
Copyright Lydia Courteille
As Courteille began creating her own jewelry, she displayed it in the windows of her store along with her antique finds. The store and, subsequently, her designs garnered an impressive following.
Extraordinary Jewellery takes the reader through 20 of Courteille’s exquisite collections, their inspirations and origin stories.
Filles du Ciel, one of Courteille’s first collections, created in 1998, is inspired by carved jade in Asian design. Courteille made elaborate carved rings from turquoise and coral, adorning one with a ruby-encrusted beetle. It’s history reimagined through Courteille’s colorful, over-the-top lens.
In The Rainbow Warrior collection, there’s a fantastic take on Native American themes, such as a collar that feels ceremonial in its heft: Seven large semi-precious gemstones hang from the necklace and are bedecked with an array of animals.
Courteille’s collaborations are also highlighted, like the ongoing relationship she has with Lithuanian digital artist Natalie Schau, who illustrates Courteille’s creations, embedding them in her signature, anime-esque portraits.
Schau’s works fill the pages of Extraordinary Jewellery.
Extraordinary Jewellery is available now through a variety of booksellers, including its publisher, at ACCPublishingGroup.com.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Trends
The Latest
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
MajorsApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
Weekly QuizApr 16, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
IndependentsApr 16, 2026
Edge Retail Academy Updates Leadership TeamAs demand for jewelry retail coaching grows, the company has established a dedicated business coaching leadership team.
MajorsApr 16, 2026
Stuller’s Latest Mountings Catalog Is Out NowThe “Mountings 2026-2027” catalog showcases Stuller’s largest and most diverse assortment to date with more than 400 new mounting styles.
PodcastsApr 15, 2026
Episode 4: The Natural Diamond DilemmaSally Morrison and Mark Klein discuss De Beers’ first beacon in 16 years and the mistake the industry made with lab-grown diamonds.
MajorsApr 15, 2026
Spark Creations’ Randy McKenzie Dies at 72 McKenzie spent 45 years with Spark Creations and is remembered for being kind, dedicated, and hardworking.
WatchesApr 15, 2026
These Are the New Rolex Watches for 2026Rolex focused exclusively on the Oyster Perpetual this year, as the model is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
