MARIE-ALEXANDRINE YVERNAULT

Marie-Alexandrine Yvernault was raised in the heart of France, right on the beautiful land of writer Georges Sand. The very old stone house she grew up in told so many stories that they must have sparked her passion for the past and for jewels. As a child, she was fascinated by the wonders her mother wore, to the point she would cut out images of precious necklaces, bracelets, rings in magazines to wear them as paper adorments. At the age of twelve, she knew she would be an antique dealer. So when she had to chose her graduate education, she logically enrolled in l’Ecole du Louvre, then received a specific training at IESA (Arts and Culture School in Paris). Soon afterward, she followed her vocation and opened a booth at the Marché Serpette, located in the Puces de Saint Ouen, where she specialized in design styles from the 20th century through the 80’s. Although she had never lost interest in jewelry, it is at the age of 30 that Marie-Alexandrine got an in-depth knowledge of the antique jewelry market and happily joined its dynamics, to the point she was soon able to display the treasures she had hunted at luxury jewelry shows, notably in Las Vegas and Miami. Having left « les Puces » for some time to open up a gallery on rue de Beaune, in the Carré Rive Gauche, right in the heart of the uber-chic 7th arrondissement of Paris, she got rapidly noticed for her very sharp selection of design pieces and jewels. The PAD (the most prestigious design show) has hosted her three times as a young gallerist, as well as the Biennale des Antiquaires. She was approached by the Magen H Gallery in New York, which offered her a showcase for her 20th-century artist jewelry. If one of her friends still displays in the same way her most exquisite vintage pieces at the Marché Serpette, Marie-Alexandrine Yvernault has embraced artistic creation for over a year. As following an encounter with an artisan who handcrafted luxury pieces such as Line Vautrin’s, Marie-Alexandrine, the treasure hunter, realized she could create her own pieces.