Grenat de Perpignan

The working of gold and silver is attested in Perpignan from the 13th century, and garnet appears in inventories from that time, on jewellery as well as on liturgical objects. The “Perpignan garnet jewel” in the strict sense was born under the Second Empire, when Catalan jewellers turned away from goldsmithing to devote themselves to setting garnets, which were then in great demand. According to the INPI, the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900 gave it its true heritage value; the vogue lasted until the 1930s, from the regionalist style to Art Nouveau and then Art Deco.

It is not the origin of the stone that makes the jewel, but the way it is set. The garnet receives the “Perpignan cut”, a rose cut attested locally from the 18th century: the top is faceted, the underside remains flat. The stone is placed in a closed setting, shaped by hand for that stone alone, at the bottom of which the craftsman slips a paillon: a thin metallic foil, tinted according to the shade of the stone, which reflects the light and gives the red its brilliance. This know-how is no longer taught in jewellery schools: it is passed on in the workshop.

After a marked decline in the second half of the 20th century, the trade obtained recognition from the INPI: since 23 November 2018, the “Grenat de Perpignan” has been a geographical indication, the fifth granted to a manufactured product. The specifications require 750-thousandths gold, the Perpignan cut, and that all stages, from the working of the gold to the hallmarking, take place within the département.

In Catalan families, the garnet accompanies the great moments of life, from communion to marriage. The croix badine, the “dormeuses” earrings or the marquise ring are often handed down from mother to daughter. Every December, the Saint-Éloi, the jewellers’ feast day, puts the garnet in the spotlight in the streets of Perpignan.