CollardManson – beautiful jewellery, handbags and luggage

Les Nereides, the French bijoux brand was established in Nice, 15 years ago, by husband and wife team Enzo and Pascual Amaddeo. With a family background in costume jewellery it was a natural progression for Enzo to start designing himself and after meeting and falling in love with Pascuale on the Cote d’Azur, Les Nereides was born!

With the name “nereides” being derived from ancient myth, the nereides were nymphs of the sea who guided sailors through storms and bad weather, so do the boutiques have that touch of fantasy and make believe about their origins. Immediately as one walks into a Les Nereides shop, a fairy tale world appears in front of you with shop assistants draped in pearls and Swarosvki crystals and exquisite jewellery displays are interspersed with gardens inhabited by rag doll gnomes and felt mushrooms. A dusty pink chandelier lights a mural of cherubs dropping rose petals over blonde goddesses.

Everything is created at the workshop in Paris. Pieces are handpainted, embroidered or styled with miniature pearls and Swarovski crystal inlays.

A treasure-box collection of objets d’arts seems to have been deposited nonchalantly around the shop – gilded birdcages, old-fashioned lace fans and silk butterflies. Occasionally, stars such as Vanessa Paradis and Kate Winslet drop by to scoop up jewels and trinkets.

New for spring/summer ’06 is the most startling collection called L’ile Eperdue, comprising bold flowers with diamante centres in delicious ice cream colours of fuschia and cream and red and cream. There are kitsch palm tree earrings, cherry heart bracelets and cockatoo , crab and fish necklaces. The Sous Le Ciel Bleu D’Hawai collection takes this kitsch theme one step further with brightly coloured fabric necklaces covered in painted wood, horn and shells with hoola girls and parrot charms.

Inspiration is drawn from many sources and each collection within the collection has its own tale to tell. The Ballade En Reve (Dream Song) collection comprises delicate butterfly charms with birds and flowers adorning delicate necklaces and pearl earrings

Flowers, a personal passion of Enzo’s , feature heavily in almost all the designs. His garden, contains more than 200 different types of rose, which he regularly tends at dawn. La Mariee collection is extremely delicate and uses a range of pastel coloured roses with gold and mother of pearl.

The silver collection is simpler, with a slightly edgier feel but no less charming.

Les Nereides Jewellery