L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts will present “Journey with Minerals”, an Exhibition in Partnership with the Renowned Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL

L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts will present “Journey with Minerals”, an Exhibition in Partnership with the Renowned Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL

Press Release –
L’ÉCOLE School of Jewelry Arts –

From July 20th to October 31st, 2024, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts will present “Journey with Minerals”, an exhibition in partnership with the renowned Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL. It will explore the fascinating world of minerals, revealing their intricate properties and poetic features, from their atomic organization to their cosmic substance. With approximately 40 pieces, the exhibition will showcase minerals through five thematic journeys.

New exhibition at L’ÉCOLE
Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts “Journey with Minerals”
Investigate the world of mineralogy with forms, crystals, colors and textures as you have never contemplated them before!

“Journey with Minerals” invites visitors to discover the incredible shapes and structures that make minerals so fascinating, while learning about their role in human history and beyond. By presenting minerals and gemstones such as jade, ruby, aquamarine, tourmaline and garnet through the prism of nature, industry, technology and jewelry making, the exhibition takes visitors along on an unprecedented discovery journey.

1 Journey through Matter
Are these perfect geometric shapes natural or man-made? It is easy to mistake minerals with forms and shapes such as squares, pyramids, triangles, prisms, or hexagons for man-made artifacts. However, minerals are natural inorganic crystalline solids, composed of atoms that stack together in an ordered and periodic arrangement – which is why they present such perfect shapes…

2 Journey through Jewelry
We might consider that the ultimate end for a mineral would be to be cut, polished, and set in a piece of high jewelry, but only a few minerals are suitable for use in ornaments. A mineral is a good candidate for a gemstone if it is beautiful and durable enough to be faceted.

3 Journey through Technology
The discovery of metals has played a crucial role in the development of civilizations around the world. The world of minerals is a fascinating one and one that has led to many industrial inventions.

4 Journey through the Arts
Minerals crystallise in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and textures, ranging from wavy lines to spikes that recalls mountain peaks. They can have banded or striped layers, which give them mystical features, and which have inspired artists in various fields such as architecture, painting, sculpture, and design to create amazing works.

5 Journey through Space
Minerals are the fundamental building blocks of rocks, not only here on Earth but also on other planets and asteroids. Some meteorites provide evidence of the early stages of our solar system. The exhibition will showcase minerals from cosmic origin such as the pallasite meteorite.

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“Minerals play a significant role in our daily lives, offering multiple uses due to their versatile nature.
Mineralogy Museum Paris – PSL
L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific is excited to partner with the esteemed Mineralogy Museum Paris – PSL, renowned for housing one of the most extensive mineral collection worldwide. This collaboration will bring these remarkable collections to Hong Kong for the first time, highlighting the significance and beauty of minerals.

This exhibition delves into the diverse properties and captivating beauty of these geological wonders, guiding visitors on a journey to explore the connection between gemstones and jewelry arts. This showcase resonates with L’ÉCOLE’s mission of sharing jewelry culture to a wider audience through courses, talks, books and exhibitions.” – Olivier Segura, Managing Director of L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific

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This exhibition has been made possible thanks to the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL, and its curators, Eloïse Gaillou, Director of the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL and Didier Nectoux, Geologist and former Director of the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL.

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We spoke with Curator and Director Eloise Gaillou, who tells us that L’ECOLE and the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL have been partners since 2017, with support from 2021 to 2023. They are currently building a new 2-year partnership.

“L’ECOLE builds exhibits around jewelry topics,” notes Gaillou. This including this current exhibit at L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific in Hong Kong, “Journey of Minerals.”

Concurrently, L’ECOLE is also showing the “Garden of Emeralds” exhibition in Shanghai at L’ÉCOLE China. L’ECOLE Middle East is just finishing up its exhibition in Dubai, “Gold and Treasures, 3000 Years of Chinese Ornaments,” scheduled to end August 10. And of course, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts in Paris, just announced the extension of its exhibition, “Stage Jewels of the Comédie-Française” until October 13.

As for the Journey of Minerals exhibition tying in with “jewelry topics,” Gaillou points out that “minerals come naturally as part of this sub-topic. Minerals are essentials for the basic components of jewelry. Think metals!” … as well as gems. As for the beauty of the exhibit, Gaillou says, “We wanted to show the rough, before everything gets transformed.” And it’s a spectacular showing of Mother Nature’s art!

Even though they were time-constrained, Gaillou notes that their experience paid off. They had the their first notice of the exhibit at the end of February (yes, of this year). But having L’ECOLE and VCA working alongside certainly helped to make this all happen. “They came with an agreement in March, created the content, then selected the samples between April and May.”

The exhibit looks great! “The scenography was developed at the same time from France, while we were working with the Hong Kong team to create extra content for the education team, for the booklet, for the audio guide, etc.”

How challenging was it to move those pieces from Paris to Hong Kong?
“As natural pieces of art, the rough minerals are sometimes difficult to move,” noted an experienced Gaillou, having moved museum quality mineral specimens from a few other museums prior to this. “We have a long-standing way to pack our minerals,” says Gaillou, “and we use art carriers from Paris all the way to HK.”

3 Feet Tall, 1/8 of an Inch Thick
There was one specimen though that had Gaillou a bit worried. “My worse fear was the nephrite jade slice of 90 cm high and 3 mm thick.” Just moving it off exhibit must have been nerve wracking, let alone shipping it half way across the globe.

What was the most fun part of this project?
To see the exhibit taking shape while Gaillou was in HK at the beginning of July was truly exciting! “The ECOLE campus is small but amazing, with only windows from floor to ceiling that overlook the Hong Kong bay,” says Gaillou. That must be an amazing sight! “The scenograph did an amazing job, playing with the light, while still protecting the minerals.”

And they used all of their environment to enhance the exhibition. “We played with the buildings overlooking the rocks,” says Gaillou. “It is just fantastic – the harmony between those is just stunning!”

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What Visitors can Expect
With this exhibition, L’ÉCOLE warmly invites visitors to immerse themselves into the enchanting world of minerals. By contemplating the links between the world of gemstones and jewelry arts, this exhibition resonates with the mission pursued by L’ÉCOLE since its creation in 2012, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels. With a presence in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts spreads jewelry culture to the widest possible audience through courses, talks, books and exhibitions.

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About L’ÉCOLE , School of Jewelry Arts
Established in 2012 with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts aims to introduce the public to all aspects of jewelry culture. It is an initiation school, open to everyone – complete beginners as well as enlightened amateurs, collectors and those with a curiosity for the world of jewelry.

L’ÉCOLE offers courses in three major fields: the history of jewelry, the world of gemstones, and the savoir-faire of jewelry-making techniques, taught by art historians, gemologists, jewelers and artisans. The classes are all practice-based and the students experiment with gestures, skills and tools, guided by their lecturers. It also offers other activities: exhibitions, books, videos, podcasts as well as in-person and online talks. Creative workshops were also created for children and teenagers.

L’ÉCOLE now has five permanent locations: two in Paris, one in Hong Kong, one in Shanghai, and one in Dubai. Moreover, since its inception, L’ÉCOLE regularly travels abroad, in Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East, for talks, exhibitions or travelling course programs that can last one to three weeks. L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts therefore contributes to the promotion and visibility of jewelry culture on an international scale.

For more information: https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/hk

About the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL
Created in 1794, the mineralogy collection at the École des Mines de Paris (Mines Paris – PSL) was then known as the Cabinet des Mines, with the mission of gathering “all the productions of the globe and all the productions of the Republic arranged according to the order of localities”. From the very start, its aim was strategic, to identify nature’s potential resources with a view to their use in industry.

Today, it is one of the most comprehensive and spectacular collections in the world, with 100,000 samples in its collection, including 5,000 on display, representing over a thousand mineral species. In addition to minerals, the collection also includes meteorites, rocks, gems and artificial materials. The samples are the fruit of almost 230 years of collecting, providing an inventory of our planet’s geodiversity, while also demonstrating their strategic interest.

The collection is an essential support for teaching and research, as well as serving as a means of scientific and cultural mediation on these themes. These natural objects are also a source of artistic inspiration. The museum thus welcomes artists and organizes art exhibitions, establishing a symbiosis between art and science.

About Mines Paris – PSL
Mines Paris – PSL, part of the PSL University, trains engineers capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow, as well as scientifically excellent and international leaders. In line with its strategic plan, the school aims to be a benchmark player in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, energy transition and materials for more economical technologies, mathematics and digital engineering for the transformation of industry, including healthcare, while remaining true to its values of solidarity and openness to society since its creation in 1783.