Fred Samuel: The story of the visionary jeweler between innovation and timeless elegance

Born in 1908 in Buenos Aires to an Alsatian jeweler father, Fred Samuel arrived in Paris and began studying jewelry at the age of 16. He opened his first boutique on Rue Royale in Paris in 1936, writing on his business card: "Fred Samuel, the modern jewelry designer."

Enlisted in the Foreign Legion during the war, he became a prisoner of war and distinguished himself as a member of the Resistance. After the war, he returned to jewelry and introduced cultured pearls to France , giving his name to a particular shade of pearl, a light creamy pink: the color "Fred".

Known for his relaxed and elegant style, Fred Samuel created collections inspired by his passion for sailing and the marine world. His eldest son, Henri Samuel, launched the Force 10 bracelet in 1966, combining a steel marine cable and a gold shackle.

Fred also built his reputation by collaborating with renowned artists such as Jean Cocteau and Bernard Buffet , to create their own jewelry in 1962 and 1971, and then by organizing an exhibition of Georges Braque 's jewelry in 1972.

Passionate about the South and the Mediterranean, Fred Samuel opened a boutique in Monaco in 1976, in the presence of Grace Kelly . The company became a supplier to the royal family. At the inauguration, Princess Grace wore a symbolic ring representing two intertwined panther paws.

This ring, reinterpreted today in the Ombre Féline collection by Valérie Samuel, granddaughter of Fred Samuel and artistic director of the house, has become emblematic.

Fred has a close connection with the seventh art. Famous collaborations include the diamond necklace adorned with 23 heart-shaped rubies, worn by Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman (1990), as well as the necklace worn by Lily Collins in the series Emily in Paris .

Fred, jeweler of colors, is also known for his love of colored diamonds. In 2021, the house recovered the Soleil d'Or , a yellow diamond of more than 100 carats acquired 44 years earlier by Fred Samuel. This jewel became iconic when it was highlighted at an event with the actress Margaux Hemingway , simulating the loss of the diamond in front of the journalists present.