Interview: Pauline Laigneau, creator of the jewelry brand Gemmyo

Gemmyo offers colorful high-end jewelry, designed to adapt to today's life with chic and discretion. Meet the designer.

Can you briefly explain your background before the creation of Gemmyo?

I have an atypical background because I don't come from the jewelry sector at all. I fell into it by chance at the time of my engagement. I had studied to be a teacher and I realized that was not what I wanted to do with my life. I had a great period of doubts, it was very difficult. I loved telling stories, sharing, meeting and spending time with people. Being a teacher was therefore not enough, I lacked this creative side. When we got engaged to my husband, I couldn't find a ring that suited me. So it was obvious, we wanted to create our company and that's how the Gemmyo brand was born.

How and why did you decide to create your jewelry brand? What was your goal?

I had the feeling that jewelry was a “sleeping beauty”, that is to say beautiful, but not very modern in terms of jewelry. We see a lot of massive rings filled with diamond and white gold. I wanted to shake it all up and create fashionable jewelry that suits me: luxurious jewelry that you can wear every day. I had this image of jewelry as something inaccessible and I wanted all women to be able to say "it's for me". I wanted to make it desirable, even for customers who are not used to wearing it.

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Finally, I wanted to add a personalization dimension. I don't like to wear the same ring as my girlfriends, so I wanted to suggest a change of stone, metal or model for each jewel. My goal was to modernize and personalize jewelry so that each woman has a ring that looks like her.

Why did you choose “Gemmyo” as the name for your brand?

It was very simple. When I got engaged, I realized that there weren't a lot of rings with colored stones. I discovered many stones that we hear very little about although they are magnificent and sometimes rarer than diamonds. I then became very interested in gemmology (science of stones). The name Gemmyo comes from the words "gemmology" and "yo", which means me, in reference to the concept of personalization. Gemmyo therefore means: "through the stones, I have a jewel that looks like me and corresponds to me".

How does your brand stand out from others?

I think our ultimate differentiation is personalization at every level. As for jewelry, they can be personalized with different stones and metals, and they can all be engraved.

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We also personalize the customer experience. When you come to the store, you have generally made an appointment beforehand so we welcome you by calling you by your name, we know which models you want to see, your style... When you order online, we give you a call to ask you if you have any questions, if it's a gift, if we can personalize the experience with a note... And finally, we inform you about all the manufacturing steps (when the stones are chosen, during melting metal etc). Our entire customer experience is made so that each person is involved in the process and is unique like their jewel.

Gemmyo is “Made in France”, was that important to you?

The question of Made in France did not arise. At the beginning, it was a choice in terms of quality but today, it is a societal commitment. In my opinion, France is the country of jewelry, so it was obvious to produce our jewelry there. Few jewelers produce in France but for us, it is a proof of quality and a choice of which we are proud since we employ more than 150 French artisans.

The brand was made famous thanks to the jewelry in the shape of a cat, why this animal?

I realized that each jeweler had his own animal. I then looked for the animal that would best correspond to our high-end brand, but gentle, caring and which seeks closeness with the customer. Luxury brands usually use a scary animal that creates distance. Gemmyo is certainly a luxury brand, but we listen to our customers and we reduce this distance. The cat is a classy, ​​friendly animal that does not frighten, which is why it has become our emblem.

Where and how do you find inspiration for your collections?

We have one person in charge of all the collections, but it's a team effort. Inspiration can come from an emotion, from a woman we met, from nature... It's quite variable, but it's generally visual elements that mark us and that we wanted to translate into jewelry.

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If you could change one element in your journey or that of the brand, what would you change?

For the first five years, the brand was exclusively digital and we opened our first store in 2015. If I had to change something, I think I would open our first store sooner, because it allows you to have a friendly space that resembles us, where to meet and discuss with our customers.

Until now, all your stores were in France. Why open a new store in Brussels?

For several reasons. First, we wanted to open internationally and it was Brussels that appeared to us as our first idea of ​​where to settle. Then, we have a large clientele in Brussels and it is a very beautiful city. The language was also a favorable factor and I think that the Brussels woman corresponds well to the state of mind of the brand.

Can you explain the concept of “Tea & Jewelry”? How did you come to this idea ?

This is an exclusive for Brussels. We wanted to mark the occasion for our first international store by doing something a little different. People don't know much about jewelry but when they discover it, they love it. The universe of stones is incredible, so we thought of doing free events during which people could come and discover jewelry. It's a kind of workshop on stones around Belgian sweets. They last about 45 minutes and take place from Tuesday to Friday by appointment. The concept works very well, people are there to discover our universe without having the pressure to buy anything.

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Do you have any future projects for the brand?

First, open other stores in a few major European capitals. There may be an opening in 2022 in Geneva… And of course continue to release new collections by extending the product categories. I say no more...

In addition to Gemmyo, you make podcasts and also offer training and bootcamps. How do you organize yourself?

I have a great team that helps me on a daily basis. Gemmyo is well established, so I was able to free up some time for other projects. I like helping women to become the best version of themselves and to have confidence in themselves. I like to share my advice and meet people to ask them questions, so that's how the idea of ​​doing podcasts was born.

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It was not premeditated but it became a success, and I love sharing my experience on jewelry and entrepreneurship. I was not born an entrepreneur but I became one, so I devote time to showing women that they can do it and that if I could do it, there is no reason that they should not not succeed. Anything is possible with hard work and willpower.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs or young people who, like you a few years ago, are struggling to find their way?

I think the main piece of advice I have to give is: “it is better to have remorse than regrets”. This is my way of thinking in life. When you have an idea, you have to go for it. A lot of people are scared and put up barriers but when you think about it, what would be the worst case scenario, a failure? It doesn't matter, at least they tried. I want to encourage people to gain self-confidence and take action to have no regrets. When you have a dream, you have to stop being afraid, and think big.

If I had another piece of advice to give, it would be that it is important to surround yourself with the right people. I think Gemmyo's success is largely due to the fact that we created this brand with my husband, that we complement each other and that we trust each other. The people we meet on a daily basis influence us. Surrounding ourselves with people we admire and who lift us up is fundamental.

Our favorite Gemmyo pieces

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