If you”™re a Francophile, you”™ll aimez French Kande, a line of glamorous jewelry featuring medallions with iconic French designs like the royal fleur de lis and the bee, Napoleon”™s symbol.
The medallions were a fad in France in the 1960s, when businesses distributed them to customers, much like matchbooks. They were given out by scores of stores ”“ coffee roasters, Champagne vintners, banks, restaurants, women”™s clothing boutiques, even companies specializing in kitchen cabinetry and horseback riding. Each featured a special French design on the front and, on the back, bore the name and phone number of the establishment..
French Kande owner Kande Hall told me how she came upon creating her own French-inspired jewelry line, using these vintage medallions:
“On a trip to France in 2009, I was walking down a narrow isle of the flea market (at the Porte de Clignancourt) and jutting out, into my pathway, was a TV tray with a shallow box on top. I stopped to run my fingers through the contents”¦rusty and dirty medals. I began looking at them closely and saw iconic European designs from the Lion Passant to the symbol of the Dauphin (heir to the French throne).
“I thought they were intriguing and purchased 15 of them, thinking that I may want to give them to friends as souvenirs of my trip.
“After returning home to California, I tucked them into a drawer and forgot about them. A couple of months later, I discovered them and decided to drive to Michael”™s craft store to buy something so that I could string them onto pearls that my husband had given me.”
Within a week, people were asking Hall about the necklaces, wondering if they were for sale. The words “Yes, they are for $125” popped out of her mouth ”“ and her French Kande business was born.
Hall has now designed several collections, learning how jewelry is cast, plated and finished, and has exhibited at four major accessories shows and 15 regional fashion markets in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta. French Kande collections can be purchased in more than 200 boutiques around the United States.
The jewelry is made in El Segundo, California, across the street from Los Angeles International Airport, using freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, semiprecious stones, sterling, gold and brass-plated chains and details. At the atelier, you can also book a private appointment.
Prices for necklaces range from $250 to $500 and bracelets from $125 to $300, while earrings and rings sell for about $99.
For more, visit here. And follow me, “The Gorgeous Globetrotter,” on Instagram @DebbiKickham.
