2.4 ct antique cushion, hidden sapphire inside band
Maison fondée à Lyon · 1986
One piece. One person.
Six to ten weeks.
A commission from Atelier Collet is a quiet conversation between you and our bench — sketched on paper, finished by hand, and delivered on a date we agree to in writing before a single gram of gold is melted.
The Atelier Method
Four chapters, one finished piece.
The bespoke journey at Atelier Collet is structured, finite, and entirely yours. From the first conversation to the moment your piece is placed in its box, the work follows four named chapters — and a fixed-price quote that travels with you through all of them.
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Chapter I
The Conversation
You arrive with a story — an anniversary, a hand to fit, a stone already inherited, or simply a feeling you want to wear. Henri's successor, Maëlys Collet, sits with you for ninety minutes. We listen, take your measurements, photograph any existing pieces, and leave with the raw material for a sketch.
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Chapter II
Sketch & Stone
Two hand-rendered sketches and a single sheet of paper that names every line item: the alloy, the stone weight, the labour days, the hallmark, the box. Once you sign, the number on that sheet is the number on your invoice. No upcharges. No open-ended cost.
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Chapter III
Crafting
Your piece is cast, set, and polished by one of our nine bench jewelers — each averaging fourteen years at the trade. You receive two progress photographs: one at the casting stage, one at setting. Every gram of gold and platinum is recorded against your commission file for traceability.
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Chapter IV
Delivery
Your piece is hallmarked at the Lyon assay office, accompanied by its signed certificate, its quote sheet, and the original sketch. If you are within reach of our 12 Rue Saint-Jean flagship, Maëlys will hand it to you personally. If not, it travels by insured courier on the date we agreed.
The Quote
The price we quote is the price you pay.
Every bespoke commission at Atelier Collet is accompanied by a single-page, fixed-price quote — signed, dated, and itemised down to the gram of alloy and the hour at the bench. We do not add fees for stone sourcing, for revisions within reason, or for the hallmark.
- Stones
- Sourced through our in-house gemological team — GIA-graded where applicable, with certificates and provenance attached.
- Alloy
- 95% certified recycled gold or platinum, or Fairmined gold for heritage and bridal lines. Tracked by weight on your file.
- Labour
- Sketching, casting, setting, and finishing — itemised in days at the bench, performed under one roof by our team of 28.
- Hallmark & box
- Lyon assay office hallmark, signed certificate, and the original sketch are included in every quote.
Recent Commissions
Four recent pieces. Yours could sit beside them.
A selection from the commissions delivered in 2024 — anonymised, captioned with the brief in a single line, and accompanied by the week the piece left the bench.
Signet, family crest engraved by hand on the bezel
Triplet of rose-gold bands with three pale sapphires
Emerald cabochon pendant in a hand-forged bezel
A small selection — 211 commissions left the bench in 2024, with an average delivery time of seven weeks against an eight-week promise.
The Atelier, in Figures
1986
Founded by Henri Collet in the Vieux Lyon district
28
Bench jewelers, setters, and polishers under one roof
7 wks
Average commission lead time across 2024 deliveries
211
Bespoke commissions completed in the last calendar year
A note from a 2024 engagement-ring commission — delivered to a client in Geneva, on the agreed date.
I had been told by two other houses that the stone I wanted would take four to five months and that the price could rise once the setting was chosen. Atelier Collet wrote the entire commission on a single sheet of paper before I left Lyon, and the number on that sheet is the number I paid. The ring arrived, beautifully packed, on a Friday in October — the Friday we had agreed to in the spring. The hidden sapphire inside the band is the detail I had not thought to ask for, and it is the detail my partner notices first.
Begin a Commission
Tell us what you have in mind.
A few lines are enough at this stage. Within three working days, our atelier will write back with a fixed-price estimate range, the lead-time we can hold for you, and a proposed date for the first conversation — in Lyon, by video call, or by post.
- No payment is taken at this stage.
- Your details remain with our atelier concierge only.
- The estimate is provided in writing, on the same single-page quote sheet used for every commission.