The luxury jewellery brand Chaumet is thoroughly French and absolutely intertwined with the history of the country. The house was founded in 1780 by jeweller Marie-Étienne Nitot and not long afterwards was chosen as the official jeweller of Napoleon and Empress Joséphine. In 1812, François-Regnault Nitot, son of Marie-Étienne, bought a building at number 15 on the chic Place Vendôme, where he opened the Chaumet boutique. Nowadays, by the way, that is where the stately Hôtel Ritz is located. Later, they moved to number 12 on the square, where the flagship store still stands today. The connection with Napoleon ensured that Chaumet received high-profile commissions to create exclusive jewellery; it made the Nitot family the most sought-after jeweller in Europe, with a loyal and prestigious clientele. Napoleon did not choose Chaumet solely for its fine jewellery: the general also wanted France to become the epicentre of luxury products in terms of fashion and haute joaillerie. Father and son Nitot dedicated themselves to the creation of extraordinary and romantic jewellery inspired by the Italian Renaissance and the prevailing trends of seventeenth-century France.
