Meet
Audrey Jean-Baptiste inaugurated its jewelry brand Semper Astra December 6, 2024, on the website www.semper-astra.comThis Parisian, former business lawyer and international jurist, left behind a brilliant career to launch into the creation of unique pieces, often made to measure, followed by a collection of jewelry all in undulation, in matte gold and colored gems.
Semper Astra revisits antique and classic jewelry in a contemporary and evolving interpretation. Audrey Jean-Baptiste designs each piece, which she then has manufactured by two partner workshops in Paris and valence (Italy) in recycled gold, environmentally friendly diamonds Kimberley Process and carefully sourced gems. Jewelry already available on semper-astra.com and soon at selected points of sale.
Audrey Jean-Baptiste gave an interview to Luxe Infinity magazine to discuss the creative process of her brand Semper Astra.
Luxe Infinity: You were a business lawyer and then held various legal positions within companies. How did this career path lead you to launch a jewelry brand?
Audrey Jean-Baptiste: My love of jewelry has its roots in my childhood. Part of my family is from Martinique. In the West Indies, it's traditional to give gold jewelry, usually polished yellow gold, from childhood onward.
That being said, it was much later, when I was a business lawyer, that the idea of designing my own jewelry first took root in my mind. At that time, I dreamed of treating myself to a beautiful piece of jewelry; so, I observed the jewelry pieces that those around me wore: often the same iconic models from renowned brands. I was looking for something different. About ten years ago, at a dinner party, I found myself sitting next to a gem-setter and was fascinated by what he told me about his profession, on the border between craftsmanship and art. He agreed to create the jewelry I had in mind. We started by making very simple jewelry, in precious metal. Then, over the years, we added stones and my designs became more complex. The possibilities were endless! I was driven by the idea of wearing unique pieces, different from those I regularly encountered. And I loved the idea of falling in love with a stone and imagining a special setting for it.
Upon my return from Brazil, where I was lucky enough to live between 2018 and 2021, I enrolled in various evening courses offered by theBoulle School in Paris. I took a wax modeling course, to better understand volumes, and a jewelry course, which helped me work with metal and better understand the associated technical constraints. This year I am teaching jewelry design and gouache. Meeting other jewelry, stone, and gemology enthusiasts only confirmed my interest.
Semper Astra is the logical continuation of this journey. My passion was taking on more and more importance, and, encouraged by those around me and the enthusiastic feedback I was receiving, I had to face the facts and give myself a chance to share my passion with the world. It seems that law leads to everything!
Why take the risk of making matte gold jewelry when French taste leans more toward polished, shiny gold?
I am fascinated by the absolute purity of gold and its simplicity. In France, shiny gold is more common, but I suppose my taste for matte gold is another manifestation of my thirst for difference!
From my very first creations, about ten years ago, matte yellow gold seemed like an obvious choice to me. I like the idea of a noble but discreet metal, which is not the center of attention and which patinates and transforms over time, a bit like each of us. When gold is polished, we are captivated by its flamboyant color and it seems to me that this is sometimes to the detriment of the stones. With matte gold, a subtle balance is created between the stones and the metal.
Among the pieces in the collection, this matte yellow gold is worked using different techniques: sometimes sandblasted, sometimes satin-finished using a diamond cutter. On the ring Sculpture No. 1, which represents a female bust, the wide ring is sandblasted for a velvety appearance that evokes the grain of the skin.
Semper Astra jewelry also stands out for its choice of intensely colored stones. The result is a contrast between the vivid hues of the stones and the matte yellow gold. Conversely, when paired with brown diamonds, the metal blends into the stones; the result is unparalleled softness.
Which stones appeal to you?
Heart stones are often the first ones we acquire. I chose and purchased my first gemstone in Brazil. It was an emerald whose apparent imperfection, with its rich "garden," captivated me.
I then set my sights on a chrysoberyl, a relatively unknown stone, rarely used by major jewelry houses (due to its rarity and its color range ranging from yellow to brown to green) and which I particularly appreciate. I opted for an absinthe yellow chrysoberyl with fluorescent accents, which is not ordinary. To showcase it, I imagined a simple ring, inspired by Art Deco. I wanted the stone to become a canvas, framed by a line of diamonds, and for it to appear suspended, as if to let it breathe.
Today, as the collection illustrates, I would say that my favorite stones are those with intense colors! The same material can cover so many different realities and shades that I don't hold back anything. The collection Wavy is articulated in this way
You seem to have already found your signature with the Wavy collection: how did you imagine it?
As is often the case, it all started with a unique piece that I named Wavy Queen Max. This is a band ring that can be worn in two ways, on its front or its back, depending on your mood. From the front, it features an opaque raspberry ruby (pear-shaped), floating on a bed of seven waves paved with more than 150 multicolored sapphires and raspberry spinels, in a gradient of colors evoking a sunset. When you turn the ring (particularly for safety reasons, on public transport, or to show another side of the jewel), the extravagance gives way to waves of matte yellow gold adorned with a vertical gradient composed of 7 stones recalling the gradient of colors visible from the front.
My goal then was to create series models while maintaining a form of exclusivity. Wavy Solo No.1 and Wavy Solo No.2, which are rings with a more or less pronounced undulation, are offered in all-gold or pavé versions with a total of 16 variations available and a choice of thirteen gem tones, generally saturated in color: yellow, mauve, orange, peach, royal blue, denim blue, white
The rings then opened the door to bracelets and earrings, all set with white or brown diamonds, multicolored sapphires, spinels and tsavorite garnets.
The Wavy collection earring, which forms an arc hugging the earlobe, can stand alone as a single earring or be worn as a pair. It can be worn up the lobe or as a pendant.
The idea behind the Wavy collection is to reproduce a ripple, a wave, a movement. I was undoubtedly influenced by the years I spent in Brazil, by the Northeast, its colors, its rhythm and its swaying lightness… I wanted to introduce a lot of softness into these enveloping curves and, thanks to the matte yellow gold, make them sensual pieces.
Sculptural rings make up another identifiable line. What gave rise to it?
It seems to me that this reflects a very present character trait of mine: I am naturally curious. This had an immediate effect on the collection: I wanted plural pieces from which one can pick and choose according to one's desires and moods. I like the idea of worlds colliding.
With the intaglio ring, I used glyptics, an ancient art, in a revisited way. A seated panther, seen in profile, is engraved in a tiger's eye. With its nuances, the stone seems to reproduce the feline's fur. This piece is the result of an extraordinary encounter with one of the last practicing glypticians who works in a traditional manner and not with lasers, as some practice today.
I also imagined a headband ring with the appearance of an antique sculpture, called Sculpture No. 1. It represents a female bust
You also offer custom-made creations: what are the differences with the pieces in the collection?
Some pieces in the collection, including the Wavy Solo, are made in Italy, in Valenza, to guarantee consistent quality at reasonable prices and allow women to indulge themselves.
Custom-made jewelry is made in Paris because it requires a lot of communication with the workshops, which must be visited regularly.
Among the unique pieces is a ring adorned with a slightly brownish-grey diamond of 2,03 cts. Around it, 47 diamonds (for a total of 1,66 cts) are housed in a white gold basket, oscillating from brown to very light green. You can hardly see the metal, which blends in between the stones. I turned around this atypical diamond for a few weeks. It's a stone of character that obsessed me and that I ended up buying. Then, I took my little sketchbook to draw the ring and the magic happened.
I want to maintain this proposition of unique and tailor-made pieces, by accompanying each client in the choice of their stones (to acquire or to recycle from an old jewel), the design of the jewel and its manufacture. It is an exceptional experience that it would be a shame not to share!
Why did you choose a Latin name for your brand?
The brand name is the combination of two Latin words: " semper ", which means " always "And" astra » which means« the stars ". Two words whose sound I appreciated and which appeared like a mantra: we can always reach for the stars and give ourselves a chance to reach them. This mantra has always accompanied me, until the launch of this brand. I chose to leave behind a structured professional life to follow a dream. I wanted to believe in myself and give myself a chance. You never know what will happen when you embark on a new adventure, but if I hadn't done it, it's a certainty, I would have had a regret.
Interview by Carine Lœillet
Instagram: @semper.astra
Photo credits:
@semper.astra
Photography Editorial: Listen Darling
Photograph of the jewelry worn: Listen Chérie
Packshot Photography: Anne-Sophie Auclerc
Artistic direction: Joanna Spadiliero
Packshot photos
@semper.astra
Photography: Anne-Sophie Aucl
Artistic direction: Joanna S
Photos taken
@semper.astra
Artistic direction: Joanna S
