Glass paste
It all begins with a colored glass rod, a flame, and a copper wire. Heated to over eight hundred degrees, the glass becomes malleable, and the hand shapes it in a single gesture. Without machines or mass production, each piece is born one after another, never identical to the previous one.
Five Thousand Years of Material
Since ancient Egypt, artisans have worked it to adorn royal tombs, and pharaonic graves have yielded amulets, ointment flasks, and funerary jewelry that already bear the signature of the process: colors incorporated into the material, solid shapes, depth of color. Mesopotamia and then Imperial Rome continued this tradition before it faded for centuries in favor of blown glass.
The process was revived in Paris at the end of the 19th century, led by the master glassmakers of Art Nouveau, then by houses that made it the hallmark of couture jewelry. Françoise Montague also follows in this tradition.
The Gesture
At Françoise Montague, glass is shaped in the flame at over 800°C. Our artisans melt colored glass rods onto a copper framework that they shape by hand, then apply colors one after another. Then comes the cooling, which requires patience. Nothing in this work is rushed.
How to Recognize Pâte de Verre
A few markers are enough to distinguish pâte de verre from a resin imitation.
- The depth of color: Backlit, the material lets light through and reveals veils, gradients, and nuances that vary with the angle, whereas resin remains opaque and flat
- The weight: Pâte de verre is heavier than resin, and a piece that is too light for its volume should raise suspicion
- The trace of the hand: Fine bubbles, slight asymmetries, and a streak linked to the blowtorch smoke betray the artisanal gesture, while a perfectly smooth and symmetrical piece reveals industrial production
How to Care for a Pâte de Verre Jewelry Piece
Fused glass withstands time, but it does not tolerate shocks or abrasion. A few simple steps are enough to preserve its material.
- Clean it with a soft, barely damp cloth, never using abrasive products or ultrasonic cleaners
- Store it safely, away from metal pieces that could scratch the surface
- Avoid perfumes and hairsprays applied directly on the jewelry
- Remove it before sports, swimming, and sleeping
For thorough care, our workshop on rue Saint-Honoré handles maintenance and repairs, excluding soldering.
Some of our creations feature this material, crafted on rue Saint-Honoré. Others, selected from couture archives, preserve its memory.
