‘The creative process needs to be protected’: gemologist and L’Ecole Apac head

[SEOUL] Olivier Segura lives and breathes gemology. Not only is the Frenchman a gemologist, his master’s degrees in biology and geology, and marketing and communications place him in the unique position of being able to effectively transmit his vast knowledge of and passion for all things gemological.

And from that vantage point, the managing director of L’Ecole, School of Jewelry Arts and co-author of a book on gems is keen to emphasise the centrality of the human in jewellery creation. It is a particularly salient issue, given the rapid and widespread adoption of artificial intelligence in the creative world.

It helps, he says, that jewellery is increasingly being seen not merely as a display of craftsmanship, but also an art form – just like sculptures and paintings.

“This has been changing in the last few years, with more and more academic research (on the subject matter) in universities,” says Segura, who was speaking to The Business Times in Seoul, at L’Ecole’s first nomadic programme in South Korea.

When it comes to the use of AI in the jewellery-making process, a distinction must be made between jewellery and high jewellery. “AI is a great tool, and technology can be very useful in producing large quantities, and bringing and developing new ideas,” says the man who owns more than 100 brooches, including a yellow gold and emerald vintage piece featuring an olive branch made by legendary Italian goldsmith Mario Buccellati in the 1960s.

“But high jewellery is different. It is a specific world where the human is at the centre, the hand is at the centre, and the mind and creative process need to be protected. In this world, AI has no place.”

The beauty of high jewellery, he adds, is that it is a space where human capacities are important; and where sometimes, the slight imperfections brought by human hands can be meaningful and moving.

After all, humans, he points out, are more interesting than machines.

And it is this interaction between the human spirit and the beauty of gems wrought from the earth, that continues to fascinate Segura. He has travelled to many mines – field trips which he still undertakes annually – with some leaving a particularly deep impression on him.

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“The Colombian emerald mines were really memorable because they have existed from the 16th century. The geography, landscape and colours there are really unusual. There is this very dark, black soil, and the mountains and jungles have a deep emerald colour. That’s really an experience by itself.”

He also recalls how emotional it was visiting the famous ruby mines in Myanmar, where “the most exceptional rubies in history” were found, as well as sapphire mines in Sri Lanka, where “things have happened since antiquity”.

Sometimes, it’s the ability to dive in the waters of Bahrain to see oysters from which the most amazing pearls come. “But it’s even more emotional to meet and understand the people and community working and making a living, thanks to gemstones,” he says.

The 14-year-old L’Ecole, whose objective is to introduce all aspects of jewellery culture to the public via activities including courses, talks and exhibitions, wants to have a greater presence in the Asia-Pacific.

Funded by French luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, it currently has permanent locations in Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai, and has a travelling programme.

“I would like to develop our partnership with museums and universities,” says Segura. “We’ve started discussions with Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and (South) Korea. So my vision is not only to transmit more about jewellery through our different programmes, but also create more knowledge through our various partnerships and adapt our content to local audiences in the region.”