By Pierra Calasanz-Labrador
Glimmering seascapes, enchanted gardens, darling forest creatures, tiny dancers… Attention, accessory lovers: Les Néréides, the French jewelry design house renowned for its romantic and whimsical designs, has finally opened its first store in Manila.
Designed in Paris, each intricate piece is handcrafted by artisans, and made of malleable brass gilded in 14k gold. The luxe costume jewelry brand features faceted glass or reconstituted stones instead of real gems, employing fine jewelry techniques to achieve its exquisite look, without the forbidding price tag.
Even the story of how the brand found its way to Manila is delightful—a thoughtful husband on the hunt for a special piece for his wife. “I emailed them about a product inquiry and somehow got into a discussion about bringing the brand to Manila,” shares Peejay Yambao in an official press statement. “They liked the trajectory and principles of my company, which enabled us to win their business.” Peejay and his wife Anne then teamed up with business associate Ninoy Roco, as well as Arthur and Martha King, who first introduced Les Néréides to them. Rounding out the team are noted local jewelers Kristine Dee and Paul Syjuco, who lend their expertise in selecting the pieces to bring to the Philippines.
“I’ve loved the brand since I first bought from their shop three years ago in Santorini. The pieces are eye-catching, the designs are well thought-out and the craftsmanship is undeniable,” shares Martha. While Martha raves about the lyrical designs and delicate enameling, Anne is attracted to the brand’s vibrant colors. “I usually wear very simple outfits so I like to dress them up through my accessories. Another thing that I like about the brand is that the designs are varied and versatile. For example, Martha tends to be bold with her choice of accessories and I prefer to be subtle with mine, but we’re both able to find something that we like.”
Anne took me on a quick tour of their kiosk in Greenbelt 3 and pointed out some of the most adorable designs for the season. “There are rabbits and squirrels, ballerinas and dogs. And lots of flower gardens—look closer, you’ll see tiny birds and butterflies!” Any cats or bugs, I asked. “Unfortunately, we didn’t bring in any cats, but we have bugs,” said Anne, pointing to a ring with a beetle and sparkly stones. They brought in 350 designs for the store’s first local collection, but there are limited pieces of each design, so if you fall in love with a piece, better snap it up or be haunted by #shoppingregret!
We noticed jellyfish dangling prettily from Kristine’s ears, and rings resembling coral garden on her hands. “This is from the Atlantis collection,” Kristine informed us. “In fact, the name Les Néréides was inspired by the sea nymph daughters of Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea in Greek mythology. They are known for reinventing themselves, just as you can change your look with these pieces, and even mix and match them with your fine jewelry,” tips Kristine.
Founded in 1980 by Pascale and Enzo Amaddeo, Les Néréides has charmed accessory lovers for decades with its delicate, poetic pieces. After expanding to Asia and becoming one of the top luxe costume jewelry houses in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, the brand is finally in Manila.
Les Néréides is located at G/f Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City. For more info, like LesNereidesManila on Facebook, follow @lesnereidesmanila on Instagram.