He walked into Christie’s New York with a pair of aluminum geranium leaf earrings tucked in his pocket. Not an appointment. Not a name, yet. But Emmanuel Tarpin, then just 25 years old, walked out as one of the most talked-about young designers in high jewelry.
It’s the kind of story you expect from a movie script. But Emmanuel Tarpin’s real life reads just as beautifully as his jewelry.
Emmanuel Tarping earrings: Burmese rubies and pink sapphires.
Violet-rose matte aluminium, yellow gold, red gold
Born in Annecy, nestled in the French Alps, Tarpin wasn’t raised in a family of jewelers. His parents, however, gave him something perhaps more valuable: curiosity. From Mongolia to the Trans-Siberian railway, they took him on adventurous travels that opened his eyes to the world’s diversity and natural beauty. This early immersion in landscapes and cultures became the seed of his lifelong inspiration: nature.
Earrings: bird of paradise, Emmanuel Tarpin, black matte aluminium, rose gold, yellow gold, spessartites garnets, sapphires, and tsavorites garnets
Emmanuel Tarping Butterfly brooch
After studying at Geneva’s prestigious HEAD (Haute École d’Art et de Design), he landed a spot at Van Cleef & Arpels’ High Jewelry atelier in Paris. There, he honed his skills under some of the most experienced artisans in the world. However, the desire to create his own vision, something less traditional, more sculptural, and deeply personal, soon became too strong to ignore.
In 2017, Tarpin took a leap. He launched his own high jewelry collection, guided not by market demand but artistic exploration. His first design? A pair of earrings inspired by the geraniums in his family garden. He brought them to Christie’s on a whim, and the auction house added them to the catalogue alongside the names of Place Vendôme. They sold for $25,000. The world started paying attention.
Blue Wing Earrings: Set with diamonds in blue aluminium, Emmanuel Tarpin
Flower Ring: yellow sapphires and diamonds. Yellow gold and patinated bronze.
What sets Emmanuel Tarpin apart is more than just talent. It’s his approach.
Rather than focusing on size or value, he emphasizes color, texture, and volume. Instead of platinum or heavy gold, he works with aluminum, titanium, copper, and occasionally gold…materials once overlooked in the world of luxury jewelry but now finding a bold voice through his work. (We see more and more jewelry brands working with aluminum, titanium, and bronze today, especially in high-end jewelry)
Aluminum, in particular, is his signature material. It allows him to create large, sculptural yet featherlight designs that are wearable works of art. But it’s not an easy material. The coloring process alone takes 7 to 9 steps to achieve the soft gradients and matte-shiny contrasts that mimic petals, wings, or the shimmer of sea creatures.
Emmanuel Tarpin Snails in White Gold and Diamonds and Shell
Sunflower Earrings by Emmanuel Tarpin in yellow gold and titanium, with ceramic petals and brown diamonds
His earrings and brooches, whether inspired by calla lilies, sunflowers, jellyfish, or ants, balance abstraction with realism. A wild orchid becomes an earring. A jellyfish turns into a brooch that glows under light, its movement captured in titanium and rock crystal.
Tarpin is often compared to René Lalique, and for good reason. Like Lalique, he draws deeply from nature — not to copy it, but to translate it into jewelry that feels alive. Whether frogs encrusted with emeralds or ruby ants, each piece carries a sense of wonder, storytelling, and surprise.
Emmanuel Tarpin Frog Brooch with Sapphires
But where Lalique worked in glass and enamel, Tarpin turns to anodized aluminum, ceramic, and vivid stones. He’s part artist, part inventor, and part environmentalist.
Tarpin’s recent collaboration with Coral Gardeners, an NGO in French Polynesia, marked a new direction. A passionate diver, he created a breathtaking jellyfish brooch, rock crystal, titanium, and diamonds, and committed a portion of the proceeds to coral reef restoration. This isn’t a one-time gesture. It’s the beginning of a long-term partnership, as Tarpin looks to create jewelry supporting the environments that inspire him.
Emmanuel Tarpin Jellyfish brooch, rock crystal, titanium, and diamonds
Emmanuel Tarpin Brooch: Eggplant in white gold and bronze with two gorgeous amethysts
In his words:
“Each jewel I create reflects who I am as a person. Each of these experiences adds layers of depth to my work.”
He’s not just designing. He’s listening, learning, immersing himself — from Tahiti’s coral nurseries to Mexico’s opal mines — making sure the story of each jewel begins at the source.
Tarpin describes his creative pillars as:
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Color
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Contrast
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Texture
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Volume
This clarity shows in his work. It’s high jewelry, but also art, sculpture, and sometimes even activism. In just a few years, he has caught the eye of collectors, critics, celebrities like Rihanna, and established dealers like Siegelson in New York.
Emmanuel Tarpin earrings in blackened gold and diamonds
And yet, he works slowly. Each year, he produces only a handful of pieces. The rarity is part of the magic.
Tarpin brings air, light, movement, and a new kind of emotion to a jewelry world still often defined by tradition and prestige. His work reminds us that beauty doesn’t need to be heavy, that luxury can whisper, not shout, and that stories matter, even in gold and gemstone.
Perhaps that’s why he resonates so deeply right now.
Because when you wear a piece by Emmanuel Tarpin, you’re wearing a conversation between art and nature.
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