ELLE Jewelry’s designer, Claire Vessot, believes in finding something special in the smallest aspects of everyday life
Article by: Bonnie Siegler

Someone bent down one day and whispered in her ear, “Stay close to beauty.” Since that day, the Montreal native, Claire Vessot has been inspired by that idea throughout her work, designing fashion and fine jewellery. Today, Vessot is the sole designer for ELLE Jewelry Collections, a jewellery line distributed worldwide through Brands 88 Inc., an affiliate of PAJ Group, one of the world’s largest sterling silver suppliers since 1976.

In 1995, Vessot formed her own company, which provided a design service to numerous clients, including Montreal-based Bijoux Continental. PAJ Group acquired Bijoux in 1998, and this was how she first met and joined the company.

Passion for silver
Revealing a fierce passion for sterling silver, with 18 Industry Design Awards behind her, Vessot’s designs begin with layers of sketching and often take her all the way to clay molding, when developing a sculptural ELLE theme of bold dimensions. 

“Until recently, silver seemed to take a back seat to other precious metals,” explains Vessot on her metal choice. “I have always believed in sterling silver and saw it as a way to create pieces with fierce passion and expression, jewellery that can carry a look and has value to back it up.  Its properties allow me to extend fine treatments such as back plates, hidden connections, softer looks or knife edges, all with a flawless finish and a rich luxurious feel,” she says. “I love the way it takes on the feel of the wearer. Fine sterling has a look of its own. It’s very personal, and silver is an experience.” Based on the top trends from fashion forecasters, Vessot creates her collections each season, keeping textures, colours and silhouettes as her inspiration.  

Staying close to beauty is a philosophy Vessot has been faithful to. Yet, what defines beauty in jewellery? “It’s more of a state of mind, it’s the beauty of the process,” she carefully explains.
“The peace and happiness during the creative process, some great music playing while
sketching, that fantastic feeling when I’m onto something new – all these things that I hope translate somehow into the finished piece.” How can she tell when she actually attained beauty? “It’s something that creates a good feeling.”
Add a little splash
Even though designers can display a wide range of styles in their work, they usually have one they’re drawn to and that somehow defines them. “My personal taste is ever-changing, yet I do like a little splash mixed into something very simple,” admits Vessot. “Confident, sleek styling would describe it – that’s an irresistible combination for me.” 

Each piece of ELLE jewellery has a genuine signature ruby trademark, which poignantly symbolizes a woman’s inner strength and beauty – something the colour red has displayed for centuries. “The mysterious location of this ruby in square motif changes with every piece,” says Vessot. “We could relate the stone meaning gathered from many different cultures and throughout history to discover a multitude of interpretations. What is important, however, is that a vivacious ruby-red colour is associated with fire, passion and luck. These are empowering sentiments. The importance of the ruby is beyond the stone itself.” Other gems such as quartz, opaques and semi-precious stones are also used in Vessot’s pieces. 

While the exact meaning of the designer’s strategically placed ruby is richly abundant and open for interpretation with the wearer, she is quite clear on her evolving jewellery designs over the years:  “My ELLE designs have become less geometric, while maintaining ease, softness and displaying a little more playfulness.”

For her “Latitude” cuff, for instance, Vessot had an “open feel” in mind “to address the evidence of lace being present as indicated with seasonal fabrics. I wanted a non-traditional approach, lightweight yet not delicate, so I created a weave and band approach to lace.” Admittedly, this cuff is one of Vessot’s ELLE favourites.

Inspiring travels
Vessot has designed pieces for both fine and fashion jewellery and says
the major differences between the two kinds are in the details: “Fine or hidden connections, weights, settings and the degree of refinement possible – it’s all about details, not to mention price and lifespan. The similarities are the statements or the feeling being expressed.” A constant theme though is where she draws her inspiration from. “Often with travel,” she reveals. “I find
a global perspective on what is important, much like viewing something obvious through a mirror and seeing it differently, as if for the first time.” 

Vessot also works closely with ELLE Paris, which offers an extensive forecast of Europe’s fashions. “The design process is intangible, yet rich and true inspiration is a feeling that comes with impetus, evolves, and I just know I’m onto something good,” she explains.