Zolotas, a luxury Greek jeweler
Zolotas is a prestigious jewelry brand created 125 years ago by a Greek jeweler. He wanted to modernize antique jewelry and worked on gold the old fashioned way by hammering it, sculpting it or enhancing it with precious stones. Maria Callas, Romy Schneider or Elisabeth Taylor were seduced by these necklaces, bracelets and rings reminiscent of mythological pieces. After having experienced difficulties at the end of the 20th century, Zolotas is once again the favorite jeweler of the elegant women of the Jet-set.
Zolotas, 4000 years of inspiration
In Athens, in 1895, a young man laid the foundation stone of the future most fascinating jewelry store in Greece. Efthymios Zolotas returned from a long apprenticeship in Paris with a well-established idea: to create a purely Greek prestige jewelry by drawing his inspiration from the gems of Hellenic antiquity. Her jewelry will symbolize the meeting of matter and time, both magical and perfect. To make them, he brought together craftsmen with incomparable know-how and the Zolotas house conquered the high society of Athens.
A global clientele for high-end jewelry
The shipowners Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos gave their wives jewelry from the incredible "Zolotas" jewelry store. From then on, Greek art became the infatuation of the All-Paris and the global Jet-set. In the 1960s, voluptuously braided pure gold threads adorned female wrists and ankles to transform them into modern goddesses. Jakie Kennedy, Romy Schneider, Elizabeth Taylor and Maria Callas were seduced by these jewels, giving the impression of coming out of archaeological museums.
The original creations of the house Zolotas
In the early 1970s, the world-renowned house moved to Paris. Great designers from different artistic backgrounds bring their signature to the brand. The Greek sculptor Takis imagines jewelry adorned with pearls changing place according to body temperature. Painter Alekos Fassianos creates sublime engraved lucky charms. Claude Lalanne has the idea of pouring gold on bay leaves turning into long necklaces. The young Paloma Picasso, daughter of the painter, designs a limited collection of necklaces and bracelets in the shape of daisy petals. She also creates bracelets representing the different phases of the moon. In the late 1970s, New Yorker Mc Namer, designer for the Tiffany’s house, agreed to be the star inspiration for the new collection. He then embodies the soul of the house and its emblematic creator.
The Sphinx of jewelry rises from its ashes
In 1988, the jeweler closed the doors of his boutique on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Indeed, the competition is fierce. Large groups are creating their own line of jewelry and the Zolotas family house is struggling to keep up. In 2009, during the Greek economic crisis, Georges Papalexis became CEO of Zolotas, but in four years, the Athens store had its windows broken eight times. In 2015, when the government announced the closure of the banks, the store was filled with distraught customers wishing to buy gold. The crisis over, Zolotas is getting a makeover by expanding its range and offering more accessible creations. Rings with the head of a lion, signet rings stamped with the effigy of the sphinx and pendants studded with diamonds are conquering a new audience.
In 2016, Zolotas opened a new Parisian boutique located at 3 rue de Miromesnil. The Athenian architect Lykourgos Psareas gives the house spirit to this space in the heart of the capital: white marble covers the storefronts and the furniture is carved in bronze from the iconic Zolotas motifs. Fans can admire the "Kronos" ring, the "Colonnades" necklace or the "Constantinople" earrings. Queen's jewelry making you dream.
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