Who hasn't heard of the pearl, sought-after since ancient times and a source of inspiration for the greatest modern jewellers? But who knows that it was at the heart of intense trade between the Arabian Gulf and France between the end of the nineteenth century and the middle of the twentieth? And who remembers that for decades it was at the heart of the luxury industry and Parisian culture? The exhibition ‘Paris, Pearl Capital’, organised by the Van Cleef and Arpels School of Jewellery, tells the forgotten story of an incredible artistic, commercial and human adventure.

Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau: 16 bis, boulevard Montmartre, 75009 Paris