From a Love Story to a Modern Jewelry Experience

Gemmyo is a jewelry brand born from the love story of Charif Debs and Pauline Laigneau. Coming from a family of artists, the founder Pauline Laigneau (40) has always been drawn to beauty. Initially on the path to becoming a teacher, with a passion for storytelling, she did not see herself in that role and decided to reinvent herself, channeling her love for storytelling into sharing the fascinating stories of stones, metals and jewelry through her brand. At 26, her journey into the world of jewelry began when her husband Charif proposed to her.

Although neither had experience in the industry, Pauline considered their outsider perspective as both a challenge and an opportunity to reimagine jewelry from a fresh angle. Since 2011, Pauline and Charif have built their family business, blending 100% French craftsmanship with personalization, a made-to-order model, top-quality products and fair pricing. Gemmyo’s offerings range from engagement rings to unisex designs and one-of-a-kind haute joaillerie sets. After establishing a presence in France, the brand has expanded internationally to Belgium, Switzerland and recently Japan, with plans for further growth.

Safar: Pauline Laigneau, what is the inspiration behind starting Gemmyo?
Pauline Laigneau: It’s a very personal story. My husband, Charif, and I got engaged in 2011. Since he didn’t have an engagement ring, we decided to choose one together. Coming from a family of artists and being fascinated by sculpture, I immediately fell in love with the idea of wearing sculptures on your hands – something both precious and timeless. While searching, we admired the beauty of established brands but found their experiences outdated. I envisioned a modern, warmer and more engaging experience that would highlight the beauty of jewelry. This sparked the idea of creating our brand, blending high-end luxury with a contemporary twist. Since then, we’ve focused on the fundamentals of luxury: precious stones, French craftsmanship and savoir-faire – while introducing modern elements like vibrant colors and strong digital presence. For 12 years, we’ve been reimagining jewelry for people like us.

What is your vision for Gemmyo?
We want to return to the essence of luxury by emphasizing artisanship, customization and personality while creating something of exceptional quality. At the same time, we aim to offer a modern experience that is approachable and warm. True luxury is deeply personal – it’s not about showing off but about having a representation of yourself.

What is the philosophy behind Gemmyo?
Honesty is at the core of everything we do. We believe in transparency, even when acknowledging our imperfections.

What challenges did you face when starting Gemmyo?
The biggest challenge was not coming from the jewelry industry. We had to learn a lot, such as where to find manufacturers and artisans. The sector is secretive, so gaining the trust of artisans and manufacturers was difficult, given our lack of heritage. Another challenge was our innovative made-to-order model, where each piece is customized for the client, unlike bulk production for big brands.

How did you come up with the name Gemmyo?
The name reflects my love for colored gemstones, which I wanted to promote alongside diamonds. It was also inspired by Japanese Empress Genmei, a pioneer who revolutionized Japan in the first millennium. She was the first Japanese woman to rule the country in a patriarchal society. She evoked a lot of change. Basically, the word Gemmyo comes from both the love of gems and this pioneering spirit.

How does Gemmyo embrace sustainability?
Sustainability is integral to our brand. By producing jewelry only on demand, we avoid excess inventory. All our gold and platinum are recycled and we strive to trace gemstones back to their origins.

You started the business online?
Yes, started completely online because it was easier. Without a shop or inventory, we decided to go digital to promote our jewelry brand. This was something quite new at the time. We were pioneers, because no brand at the time even had a website and platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Being digital was very important to us, as we had the mindset to disrupt the jewelry industry. Today, we’ve diversified with physical stores, but online sales still account for around 50% of our revenue.  We’ve sold beautiful pieces worth up to 30,000 francs online.

Do you think colored gems will replace diamonds for engagements?
It’s already happening. While diamonds remain popular, many people now choose colored gemstones. It’s not just for engagement rings, but also for anniversaries, births and other occasions. This customization allows people to have something unique. I believe that true luxury lies in this.

What materials and gems do you work with?
We work with a lot of metals and stones like ruby, emerald, tanzanite, alongside lesser-known gemstones. We are on a mission to unveil the mysteries of rare gemstones. We showcase limited editions featuring unique stones that few people have heard of, such as non-heated sapphires from Tanzania and Padparadscha sapphires from Sri Lanka.

What led to opening boutiques in Switzerland, starting with Geneva and then Zurich?
After establishing ourselves in France and Belgium, we decided to expand internationally. Moving to Switzerland was always a dream, and we have been living in Lucerne since 2021. We began with Geneva, a city that epitomizes luxury. Already well-known in France, Geneva was a natural choice due to its familiarity in terms of language and marketing. Zurich followed soon after, as we live nearby. Our pop-up, La Résidence Gemmyo at the Signau House in Zurich offered a European-chic aesthetic perfectly aligned with our brand. It’s an intimate, warm and discreet space where customers can explore our pieces and even attend gemology sessions.

Could you tell us more about these gemology sessions?
We love sharing our passion for gemstones. In these casual sessions, called “Tea & Jewelry”, people can discover our jewelry while enjoying tea and cookies. It’s not a formal lesson but an opportunity to examine stones up close and learn about their unique inclusions. Our goal is to make jewelry more accessible, creating a fun experience for friends and enthusiasts.

What are some of the milestones you achieved with Gemmyo in the past 13 years?
There have been many. The brand is well known in France, and we are expanding in Switzerland. One of our biggest achievements is attracting customers who work in the jewelry industry with major brands. What I love is that they come to us because they believe in our values. I often receive messages from knowledgeable people from the industry who, despite working with larger brands, admire what we do because they identify with our story and see the future of luxury in it. Another milestone was our international expansion– Geneva was a big moment for us, followed by openings in Zurich and Tokyo.

You have stores in France, Switzerland and Japan. Where do you hope to expand further?
We still have a lot of work to do in Japan, Switzerland and Europe in general. But one of the next destinations is going to be the United States. We’re considering the East Coast.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs starting a jewelry brand?
There are beautiful brands that excel at what they do – Cartier does Cartier very well, Bulgari does Bulgari very well. Don’t try to copy them. Instead, focus on creating your own DNA and put yourself into it. What other brands do is already taken, so your focus should be on inventing something new, remarkable and different that stands out. This mindset has been central to the success of Gemmyo. We didn’t try to be like others because we didn’t come from the jewelry sector and didn’t know it that well. This was both a blessing and a curse, as thinking differently gave us the opportunity to carve out our own unique path.