For Celine Catalaa, the quest to find the perfect vintage jewellery pieces is more than just a job, it’s a labour of love. An expert in her craft, she’s been travelling the globe for 12 years in search of the world’s most spectacularly unique designs, refining her skills along the way. Combining over a decade’s worth of experience alongside a deep passion for jewels with a story, her endeavour, French Collection, offers exclusive private viewings, investment opportunities and pop-ups at events.
Based in Amsterdam and Paris but with a network of connections spanning the globe, French Collection is Celine’s homage to treasures with a past. Having admired the jewels of her mother and grandmother before her, it wasn’t long before the pull of the vintage jewellery world became too much to resist. So leaving behind a career as a journalist, she began working as a consultant for famous auction house Hotel des Ventes Drouot in Paris, where she organised luxury auctions and met a network of collectors, professional dealers and experts.
Years later, French Collection was born, and now Celine prides herself on discovering the best fine jewellery in the world. From Cartier and Van Cleef to Arpels and Tiffany, as well as bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces, she sources according to client specification and taste — whether it’s for a special occasion like an engagement, an investment for future generations, or simply as a gift to be enjoyed.