Magazine 58F

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La maison Miller : 3 générations de passionnés de bijoux anciens

July 8, 2021

The Miller house: 3 generations of music enthusiasts antique jewelry

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Miller house in 2019, Sarah Miller takes us behind the scenes of her profession, in search of the rare pieces that we unveil on the website. 58 facettes.

How did your business start?

Sarah Miller: In 1985, my grandfather and my mother opened a small boutique at the Biron market. antique jewelry and watchmaking second-hand. Building on this success, they moved to the very chic area of rue St Honoré in 1989 where we still are today.

And you took over from them?

Sarah Miller: For 3 years, they have appointed me president of the Miller company and I am very honored by their trust. But my mother still follows the business from a distance because it is a profession of passion! It's a bit of a reflection of our customers who have faithfully followed us for 3 generations and are fervent collectors of antique jewelry.

How do you explain this success?

Sarah Miller: We are a 100% family company and in our business, trust is an essential factor. We are very particular about the selection of our jewelry so that the pieces are truly authentic and not imitations that you can sometimes see elsewhere.

Exactly, how do you make the selection?

Sarah Miller: First of all, we must like the piece, it must be well made with master's marks from reference workshops. These are particularly pieces from the period Art Deco or from the 40s like the bracelets Tank, which are not necessarily brands, but which reflect a true style of an era. Of course, we also offer numerous jewels from the great houses of Place Vendôme.

Bracelet Tank second-hand - Miller on 58 Facettes

Ring Ultra Chanel second-hand - Miller on 58 Facettes

What are the most sought after brands?

Sarah Miller: Currently with the Covid crisis, the market has changed considerably since we mainly have a French clientele. This clientele is looking for fairly recent classic pieces (1960-2000) with reference brands such as model Love of Cartier, there ring Quatre of Boucheron or the ring Ultra of Chanel. Foreign customers are more on the lookout for old pieces from the Art Nouveau periods, Art Deco or 1940s.

Only French creations are highlighted on the site 58 Facettes. Can you tell us about the specificity of jewelry made in France?

Sarah Miller: French jewelry is a reference at the international level with houses like Mellerio which is more than 400 years old or Chaumet (1780) who adorned many crowned heads. French jewelry has been able to reinvent itself with unique patents such as the Serti Mystérieux or the Zip of the house Van Cleef & Arpels. The styles of jewelry mix with great history and trends likeArt Deco who was born in France.

Pin Mellerio second-hand - Miller on 58 Facettes

Ring Cartier Diamond Shuttle second-hand - Miller on 58 Facettes

Can you give us an idea of price?

Sarah Miller: Classic pieces are very interesting since you have a discount of -40% to -50% on the original price. Our first prices are around 700-900 euros (currently pendant Dinh Van) up to 85,000 euros for a ring Cartier with a very beautiful shuttle-cut diamond of 3.15 carats (E/VVS2), supplied with a certificate from the French Gemmology Laboratory. In addition to women's jewelry, we also offer cufflinks highly sought after by men or bracelets Force 10 of the House Fred For example.

What services do you offer?

Sarah Miller: We appraise jewelry free of charge that we consider can be put up for sale on the site or in our store. We clean the pieces and sometimes we have to re-set stones, rhodium plating and polishing them so that they are in perfect condition to be sold. We give them a second youth without altering their value. Maison Miller provides access to pieces at affordable prices or highly sought-after signatures of Boivin, Belperron or Desprès when we manage to find these rare pieces!