JEAN MAHIE (founded 1969)

Jean Mahie was a French design firm founded in 1969 by French businessman Jean Marie Mazard (1907-1994) and his daughter-in-law Jacline Nataf Mazard (B. 1943).

Jacline’s son Cyril affectionately called his grandfather Jean Marie “Jean Mahie,” and the name was so beloved that Mazard adopted it as her artistic pseudonym. From an early age Mazard was drawn to artistic creation. She began painting as a child and learned metalworking from the local blacksmith, discovering early on that she could make or design nearly anything she imagined. At her father’s urging, she moved to Paris at seventeen to study law. Two years later, she left law school behind, marrying a childhood friend and supporting herself through painting—particularly noted for her delicate watercolors of orchids.

Her artistic breakthrough came through her father-in-law, a businessman who recognized her talent. After Mazard sketched a horse with a woman and child, he traced the design onto a gold ingot and sawed it out. Drawing on her blacksmithing experience, Mazard hammered the piece into a sculptural form—marking the beginning of her career as a jewelry artist. Inspired, her father-in-law sold his business, and together they launched the Jean Mahie in France.

Although major houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier expressed interest, Mazard insisted that the name Jean Mahie appear on every piece. Every piece was made in their workshop, now with the help of Jacques, her husband, in order to preserve a distinct and personal style. In later years, their children Cyril and Veronique also worked with them.

Jean Mahie jewelry is recognized for its hand fabricated, hammered, high karat gold, pieces inspired by ancient artifacts, Mesoamerican culture, joyful human figures, beads, and a molten gold aesthetic.