cbijoux by Cédric Chevalley
The creation of contemporary jewelry by a Swiss designer: Cédric Chevalley
Cbijoux, the brand founded by Cedric Chevalley in 2001, his history.
His history in the field of design began in 1993 where he learnt how to work with glass in Rep. Czech, in Zelezny Brod. For one year He trained by using 4 different methods of shaping glass: spinning glass, hot blowing, cutting glass (size gold cold or stoning). This truth and real experience based on hand practice (not theoretical), in the heart of Bohemia, allowed Cédric to certify his artistic potential and gave him the basics to gives him the courage to start and introduce his artistic pieces.
Back from Czech Republic with a chalumeau and baguettes of glass Cedric finally decided to start his own and original jewelery creations: necklaces, pearl necklaces, about one hundreds of pieces made entirely by hand, sold on markets or small exhibitions which are now sought-after pieces.
Then he arrived in the Vallée de Joux in the cradle of Swiss watchmaking where the most prestigious brands like Audemars Piguet, Jaeger Lecoultre, Patek Phillipe and of course the Swatch group are based. In this calm region, Cédric has finally settled down with his own workshop in a basement of his house to create larger pieces of steel and glass, lamps, chandeliers … while continuing to create glass jewelry.
illustrated jewelry golay
He then realized that he was missing some experience and knowledges in the field of the work with precious metals and decided to undertook a training of jeweler at the Technical School of the Vallée de Joux, excelling in the apprenticeship of this profession. It only took him 2 years and a half to complete the training instead of 4 years. He finally got certified with a price of excellence in the way he works and received the Technical Prize of the Golay Prize in 2001 for a silver bracelet set with 110 Biwa pearls he made himself.
Finally assured of his various technical cerification: precision mechanic, glassmaker and jeweler / jeweler, Cédric Chevalley opened his first gallery workshop at Esserts de Rive, Vallée de Joux, and devotes himself exclusively to the creation of contemporary jewelry called “cbijoux”.
“There is a lack of aesthetics, and just because of the scarcity of the materials used and their high price, anybody can pretend to sell a piece of jewelry without real creation behind… any banality is proposed and carried as a piece of art. I want to be able to change the concept around the jewel: it is necessary to keep in mind that jewelery is an art, a mode of expression, not a riot of means and that is the power of materials such as steel, titanium, silver, tantalum, the glass etc.. and the jewel will not be appreciated because of the cost of its components but because it will be itself a piece of art”
After two years spent in the heart of the Vallée de Joux, while participating in many exhibitions and design fairs: Blickfang, fashion shine in Paris (winner of a fashion star), Bijorhca, Ornaris (selection of new trend …) Cedric decided to settle in the old town of Lausanne.
It is by condensing his past experiences that Cédric Chevalley, talented and inventive creator, managed to give birth to the “mood ring”. This revival of contemporary jewelery that he launched under his own jewel brand cbijoux, is at the same time a materialization of a radical aesthetic, giving birth to fantasies and ways to original expression.
It all started with an idea who was born between Lausanne and Paris during a train trip. The simple but fundamentally innovative idea immediately attracted the attention of Cédric, who decided to make it a reality: to create a ring with a minimalist aesthetic but with infinite possibilities of personalization, which would suit both men and women. From the first sketches scribbled on his notepad, to the original prototype, the various stages were chained quickly, and the jewel became obviously a project that only needed to succeed.
It still remained to give an optimal answer to the numerous technical constraints. It is now done and the ring is now out under the name of mood collection.
At first sight, it presents a structure with clear and balanced profiles. Its uncluttered personality is highlighted by a very current opposition between two materials, a singular encounter between the strength of steel and the delicacy of materials included in the center called “addon”.
The secret of the mood is a clever technical process that allows to customize the jewel to infinity. In a simple manipulation, the central ring can be changed according to the desires and the moods. One ring but a lot of potentialities.
The barriers had not yet been crossed, far from it! Once the ring was designed, it needed to be marketed, and it was a big challenge that’s why cbijoux opened a new online shop called: yourmood.net, on which you could find the entire offer, all the novelties who were presented and available for purchase. Today, acetate is an excellent substitute for glass, offering the same aesthetics with strength and more.
In order to always be free to create and not become a “victim of its success” Cédric Chevalley gave Mood Collection to his 2 friends: Stéphanie Pousaz and Arlette Bélat but stay close to help when needed.
Since 2013 Cédric is free to create under the claw of contemporary jewelry Cbijoux, and at the same time creates very personal contemporary jewelry: www.cedrichevalley.com.
Cbijoux has been based for 6 years in Monthey, VS, Switzerland and receives its customers in the gallery dedicated exclusively to contemporary jewelery.