Since its founding in Turin in 1957 and the opening of its flagship boutique on Place Vendome in 1986, Repossi has carved out a singular place within contemporary jewellery. While many maisons struggle to balance heritage and savoir-faire with the need to remain culturally relevant, Repossi – under the eye of creative director Gaia Repossi, great-granddaughter of founder Costantino Repossi – has instinctively gravitated towards the language of architecture, art and modernity.
Under Anne de Vergeron, that balance between heritage and reinvention has only sharpened. After joining parent company LVMH from investment banking in 2015, de Vergeron was appointed chief executive of Repossi in 2020. While the move marked an unlikely pivot into high jewellery, her approach has remained remarkably clear-eyed.
Rather than pursuing aggressive global expansion, she has focused on quieter, more deliberate growth grounded in cultural relevance, craftsmanship and identity.
“When I joined, my vision was to ensure the continuation of the Repossi codes of exceptional jewellery blended with expertise and traditional savoir-faire,” de Vergeron says on a call from Paris. “Years later, that vision remains the same. My role is to ensure these codes remain strong and unchanged. We remain focused on long-term, sustainable growth with a clear identity. That is our guide.”
Those codes are immediately recognisable. Where many high jewellery houses lean on flora, fauna or historical ornamentation, Repossi takes its cues from contemporary architecture and modern art. A programme of collaborations led by Gaia Repossi, with artists including Sterling Ruby and Robert Mapplethorpe, further underscores the house’s ongoing dialogue with the art world.
That architectural approach is perhaps best expressed in the Serti sur Vide collection – literally “set on the void”. A daring reimagining of the traditional solitaire ring, the pieces are designed using an almost invisible setting to suspend three pear-shaped gemstones against the skin.
“There is a movement in jewellery to assess the beauty of stones by placing them between the fingers,” de Vergeron explains. That gesture has now been translated into rings where the stones sit not on top of the finger, but beside it, held by a delicate three-pronged structure engineered to maximise light. Known as the Eiffel Tower setting, it is visible only from the side, recalling the silhouette of the Parisian landmark from which it takes its name.
Stripped of excess, Serti sur Vide is an exercise in pared-back modernism – and, as such, a test of the Repossi workshop’s technical skill. “You cannot do minimalism without exceptional craftsmanship. It is impossible,” de Vergeron says. Without an ornament to distract the eye, even the smallest flaw becomes visible. “Everything has to be perfect.”
That pursuit of perfection has defined the house from the beginning. Every gemstone is painstakingly sourced and selected, while technical innovation remains central to the creative process. The house has also reinterpreted chandelier earrings as ear cuffs, wrapping diamonds around the ear rather than suspending them from it. It is this avant-garde thinking that defines Repossi’s ability to challenge established jewellery codes while remaining rooted in traditional techniques.
Today, as luxury consumers increasingly gravitate towards quieter, more personal forms of expression, Repossi’s restrained aesthetic feels especially resonant. Whether in the repeating circles of the Berbere collection or the jagged peaks of Antifer, the bold lines and absence of fuss possess a clarity attuned to a younger customer raised on contemporary design, art and fashion.
That same clarity shapes de Vergeron’s retail strategy. Rather than saturating markets with stores, Repossi is carefully expanding through a tightly controlled network of boutiques. Alongside its historic Paris address, the house operates only a handful of boutiques in key locations including Monaco, Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, where it opened at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in November last year. Partnerships with retailers such as Dover Street Market in the UK, Printemps in France and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong further extend its reach.
The Middle East, in particular, has become an important market for the brand. Openings in Doha, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, alongside the renovation of its Dubai Mall flagship, reflect the region’s significance. Yet expansion, de Vergeron stresses, is not simply geographical – it is about resonance and community. “Local sensitivity is very important,” she says. “Which is why we work with local artists in the Middle East.”
Repossi has collaborated with influential women including Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy, who fronted the 2026 Ramadan collection, and Saudi model Alanoud Al Turki, star of the Ramadan 2024 campaign. The brand also partnered with Kuwaiti entrepreneur Duha Al Ramadhan and her store Aubade Jewellery on a collection of earrings and ear cuffs.
More tellingly, perhaps, following the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020, Repossi donated all regional profits from one bracelet collection towards efforts to rebuild the city. That sense of care and female collaboration extends beyond communications. Repossi also works with women miners in the Umba Valley between Tanzania and Kenya through a partnership with Moyo Gems and the Tanzania Women Miners Association.
By allowing women to mine their own parcels of land, the initiative not only improves working conditions, but also ensures gemstone traceability – a thorny issue elsewhere in the industry.
“They are producing the most beautiful sapphires,” de Vergeron says. “Not just blues, but greys that look like a Parisian winter sky.” Prized for their shifting tones – moving from pale green to dusky pink depending on the light – the sapphires are incorporated into the Serti sur Vide collection. What began as a one-off project is now in its sixth year, and has enabled the miners to build a kindergarten, purchase tools and train other women.
“This isn’t just a gesture,” de Vergeron says. “We buy stones from them at market prices. It gives us traceability and transparency, and we can even say that every stone on a particular ring has been mined by one woman, which is incredible.”
The Middle East, it turns out, is the biggest market for these pieces. “We get calls all the time asking when the new colours are arriving. Perhaps it resonates because there are so many women entrepreneurs in the Middle East – they recognise that the miners are entrepreneurs too,” she says.
The emphasis on sustainability feels increasingly rare in the jewellery industry, and reflects a broader progressive culture within Repossi itself. Though jewellery remains traditionally male-dominated, many of the house’s senior roles are held by women, including creative director Gaia Repossi, chief financial officer Clemence Saint-Aubert and chief marketing officer Alexandra Dubois.
“This wasn’t a deliberate strategy,” de Vergeron insists. “It happened naturally, simply by choosing the right person for the role. But I am very pleased.” As chief executive, de Vergeron is also one of only a handful of women leading major jewellery houses. There is something quietly fitting about a maison so attuned to the modern woman also being shaped by female leadership.
This year marks Repossi’s 40th anniversary on Place Vendome, a milestone being celebrated through a series of special projects. The Letters collection from the 1980s is being revived as diamond and gold bracelets, while a four-row Antifer ring has been released in graduated shades of gold. Dutch artist and designer Sabine Marcelis meanwhile, has, been commissioned to create artworks for the boutique inspired by the Antifer peak motif.
Doubling down on identity has become increasingly important. “Luxury today must be defined by authenticity, quality and exclusivity,” de Vergeron explains. “Being in Place Vendome means having the best craftsmanship, the highest level of jewellery and the best stones with the correct certification. We are very proud to be celebrating 40 years. It is an important milestone. It is about remaining true to who we are.”
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