The jeweler Dinh Van pays tribute to its founder on the occasion of the Maison’s 60th anniversary. The creator’s legacy will be celebrated through an exhibition, a book, and a film, while two reissues of iconic pieces will highlight Jean Dinh Van’s iconoclastic and avant-garde vision.
Born in 1927 in Boulogne-Billancourt, the son of a lacquer craftsman, Jean Dinh Van was not initially destined for jewelry. The turning point came at the workbench. “Perhaps because my mother was from Brittany and my father was from Vietnam, I wanted to become a sailor and I wasn’t particularly handy. Yet, after studying design in the Decorative Arts and learning the foundry trade in a school, I joined Cartier in the early 1950s as an apprentice.” A vocation was born. Within the French maison, he developed his creative talents, expressed through exceptional pieces that showcased precious stones meant for life’s grand occasions.
“I touched metal — a passion was born: I loved gold.” — Jean Dinh Van
Quoting Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus manifesto, Jean Dinh Van upheld and reiterated the importance of technique throughout his career. “You need to work the hand before working the mind”. This concept sheds light on the originality of work that delved into a search for new shapes, made possible thanks to expertise in the arts du feu (firing arts, including metallurgy, ceramics, glasswork, etc.), the essence of modernity.
“Creation is a form of revolution.”— Jean Dinh Van
Iconoclastic
After honing his talent at Cartier for 10 years, Jean Dinh Van set out on his own. He initially flexed this new independence on Rue Saint Anne, where the artisan started a collaboration with Jean Schlumberger. Then, in 1965, he founded a company that shared his name and opened a studio on Place Gaillon in Paris, which allowed him to bring his unique vision of jewelry to life. This visions was focused around the belief that jewelry designed by a creator, just like fashion or furniture, should also take to the streets. It was also built around a desire to break away from the model offered by the traditionalist Place Vendôme —unique pieces designed for wealthy clients— to offer an alternative with « multiples »: jewelry that could be reproduced, designed for day-to-day wear. Lastly, the creations offered by Jean Dinh Van were commended for their innovative designs. In his own words, it was about offering that extra touch of emotion that is sparked by discovering an entirely
unique piece.
The Clan
Jean Dinh Van’s American adventure, which includes a ten-year collaboration with Cartier New York, should not overshadow the deeply Parisian nature of the jewelry imagined by the iconoclastic designer. Inspired by the masters of French decorative arts and influenced by the works of Picasso and Bernard Buffet, the dinh van style also resonates with the work of the avant-garde personalities of his time. His selective affinities gave rise to collaborations that led to iconic creations: first, the legendary Deux Perles ring, created in 1967 for Pierre Cardin. This piece highlights two cultured pearls—one gray and one white—framed by a square structure. Also noteworthy is a silver creation designed in 1967 for Paco Rabanne, which connects two rings with a chain. Like the great icons of the dinh van heritage, these jewelry compositions have demonstrated the enduring relevance of a modernity that transcends time. Among those in his inner circle was also the sculptor César. Jean Dinh Van invited him to exhibit in his boutique on Rue de la Paix a pendant shaped like a breast, molded from that of Trucula Bonbon, a dancer at the Crazy Horse. In thanks, César created for him a compression sculpture made from dinh van jewelry.
“With a few friends, we wanted to leave our mark on our time.” —Jean Dinh Van
With the “Deux Perles” ring designed for Pierre Cardin in 1967, Jean Dinh Van created his first piece—now exhibited at the Museum of Decorative Arts—ushering in a long series of square jewelry. This form, unseen in Western jewelry at the time, drew on Cubist influences while also, as historian Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter (2) notes in her book on the house, unconsciously evoking Malevich’s Black Square. “The square is the first step of pure creation in art,” prophesied the Russian painter in 1915. That square would evolve into an architectural cube. Its rounded edges echo the tubular furniture popular in the sixties and the screens of vintage televisions, while its inner geometry—combining void and mass—captures the spirit of an era and a generation eager to break from tradition. A symbol of a student movement born at the Sorbonne in 1968, the Pavé becomes, in Jean Dinh Van’s hands, a symbol of jewelry that also asserts its manifesto of independence and freedom.
The Freedom of an independent House
The joy that defined the 1960s and 70s came hand in hand with a spirit of rebellion that triggered profound social change. The emancipation of women, student protests, and a newfound openness to the world made possible by the rise of travel formed the spiritual backdrop that allowed dinh van’s creations to assert their difference. “I was lucky to be curious,” confirms the inventor of modern jewelry. This curiosity fueled a body of work inspired by its time – and in turn, helped define it. For Jean Dinh Van, a successful piece had to be easy to wear. And easy to acquire, too. To the classical notion of jewelry as a symbol of success, the sculptor-jeweler opposed a personal philosophy: “The forms you believe in must be worn by as many people as possible,” he declared. The brand’s very first point of sale—the Publicis Drugstore—reflected this desire to democratize fine jewelry.
The Key as a starting Point
Combining an evocative shape and symbolic depth, this jewelry sculpture plays a double role. There’s the
semantic role to start with, as it symbolizes attachment through a motif that the creator used daily.
“The Menotte jewel has its origins in a key,” the jeweler recalled. “Every day, morning and night, I would come home and touch this apartment key. I suddenly thought it could become something else.” “From the piece of metal I held in my hand to open and close, I created the Menotte.” — Jean Dinh Van
Functionality long guided Jean Dinh Van’s pursuit of the perfect bangle. This iconic piece, free of any mechanism, was born in 1975 after a series of studies on the plasticity, elasticity, and resistance of precious metal. Designed for stacking, this technical marvel takes the form of a stretched gold ribbon, flattened at the end with a light hammer blow. A clasp shaped like a lock forms an ingenious fastening system, allowing easy wear and removal. Artisanal in spirit, it combines flexibility for opening with rigidity to prevent distortion. A cornerstone of dinh van’s stylistic grammar, the bangle is honored this year with a special edition: the Serrure collection, launching in October 2025, unveils a new version of the “Serrure Ruban” bracelet in yellow gold. Its clasp features a square signature crowned with a princess-cut diamond.
“I want my jewelry to be as essential as a doorknob.” — Jean Dinh Van
Creative Freedom
Creative freedom guided the sculptor-jeweler throughout his career. His creative process, instinctive and free from conventions, stemmed from a deep need to innovate:
“I’ve always liked, I don’t know why and it remains a mystery, doing new things that didn’t exist.” — Jean Dinh Van
This quest for independence was expressed through a desire to make jewelry speak to its time. By imagining jewelry meant to be worn freely, accessibly, and in everyday life, he reinvented both how jewelry is used and where it is seen, anticipating a society yearning for meaning and liberty.
1965 – 2025: 60 Years of Iconic Creations
To mark the house’s 60th anniversary, Le Pavé is continuing on its quest. From September 2025, this symbol of freedom will be relaunched for a limited series that will be available in 18-carat yellow gold and silver. A sculptural ring in three sizes – 53, 54 and 55 – or an illuminating geometric pendant on a dinh van link chain, the icon which left a big mark on multiple generations proves the versatility of its contemporary design, ready to meet the men and women of today. On top of these relaunches, there are two new versions of the large Pavé model in yellow gold, now available in small and medium models on a cable chain. A bracelet version on a dinh van chain also joins the collection, like a series of precious amulets that can be worn in everyday life. Among the house’s emblematic pieces, Jean Dinh Van loved to reinterpret his creations with different designs, particularly through pins. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the house is revisiting this tradition in bold style by adorning an 18-carat old pin with its iconic Pavé design. A subtly irreverent way of decorating a tie, jacket lapel or hat.
A Book
Written by jewelry historian Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter, a beautiful book published by Flammarion reaffirms the unique identity of a designer who reinvented the play of textures, the balance of shapes and volumes, and sought to reach the essence of things. The iconography, enriched with little-known archival materials and contemporary photographs by Emily Jeanne, will accompany the story of the years of learning and the saga of a signature that gave birth to modern jewelry. The selective affinities formed with André Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, and Paco Rabanne, the Drugstore years, and the recognition on both sides of the Atlantic will be highlighted through a bold and creative design.
Title: dinh van, 190 pages
Publisher: Flammarion
Retail price: €50 (VAT incl.)
Languages: French and English
One Exhibition. Two Iconic Capsules.
From September 3 to 13, 2025, the exhibition gallery of the international auction house Christie’s, avenue Matignon, will host a unique retrospective of dinh van creations. Bringing together archival documents, heritage pieces, and iconic jewelry, this exhibition—initiated in the heart of the Capital of the Arts—invites the public to discover a stylistic grammar born from the precision of craftsmanship and thriving in metalwork.
Curator: Vanessa Cron
Location: Christie’s, 9 avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris
Free admission
