The jewellery
From steel to solid gold, from Corsican symbols to lucky charms: a chosen selection, named with precision.
Materials named with precision
Here we state the exact material — it is written on the label, and we prefer precision to overselling.
Stainless steel
The most common material in today’s fashion jewellery. Its colour — golden or otherwise — comes from a surface treatment, most often a PVD coating (physical vapour deposition). No care needed: it fears neither water nor daily life. Over the years it will eventually dull, and that dulling is permanent. An easy-going piece at a gentle price, worn without a second thought.
Sterling silver (925)
A precious metal: a silver piece can last a lifetime, be repaired, be transformed. It takes on a naturally darker patina — some love it that way, others revive it in a few strokes with a polishing cloth. Some of our pieces are rhodium-plated: a thin layer of rhodium slows tarnishing and cuts down on care. The Minerva-head hallmark guarantees the standard.
Gold-plated
Mostly brass covered with gold — and “gold-plated” is a regulated term: at least 3 microns of gold. Most of our pieces are plated with 18-carat gold: they have that colour and shine only real gold can give. The thickness is stated precisely on our labels, confirmed by the hallmarks — and our staff will always spell it out for you.
Gold
The real thing: 375 and 750 thousandths — what used to be called 9 and 18 carats. Gold is rare and precious like no other metal: these pieces last a lifetime, can be repaired, and are passed on as a true heirloom. Hallmarked, they are as much an asset as a jewel.
And also: natural stones, cultured pearls, ceramic, cubic zirconia… Other materials live in the shop too — and whatever it is, we always call it by its exact name, on the label and across the counter.
No certificate needed: the hallmark is the proof
Many people ask for “a certificate”. The good news: the guarantee already exists, struck into the metal under State control — it is the hallmark. It is better than any piece of paper: it cannot be reproduced.
There are two kinds, and both are read with a loupe:
- the eagle’s head guarantees gold at 750 thousandths, that is 18 carats;
- the Minerva head guarantees silver;
- the lozenge is the signature of the workshop that made the piece.
And if your piece has no State hallmark? That is not a bad sign. The law exempts the lightest items: under 3 g for gold, under 30 g for silver. The fineness is then struck directly — the “925” on the fine chains, for instance. It is normal and perfectly compliant: the legal fineness itself remains mandatory in every case.
This little hallmark is no modern invention: in France, gold has been marked under State control since the fourteenth century, and the figures we know today — the eagle’s head, the Minerva head — date from 1838. Nearly seven centuries of guarantee, struck into the metal.
And if your piece bears an unfamiliar hallmark? Our coral is often worked in Italy: an Italian piece carries neither eagle’s head nor Minerva, but its fineness in figures and the mark of its workshop. That is normal — it is simply another State guarantee.
Gold plate — a layer of gold at least 3 microns thick, deposited on another metal. That threshold is set by law: below it, the words “gold plate” may not be used.
Gilded — a layer thinner than 3 microns. The word differs because the object does too: gilding wears away faster.
In both cases the gold is on the surface: we never say “solid gold” for plated pieces. To keep it looking well, take it off before the sea, the pool and the shower — that is where plating suffers.
The motifs, and what they mean
The Moor's Head
The emblem of Corsica. Born in thirteenth-century Aragonese heraldry, where it stood for the defeated adversary — the enemy of the day, not a people. On 24 November 1762, at Corte, Pasquale Paoli made it the emblem of the Corsican nation. Tradition has it that the headband, at first over the eyes, was raised onto the forehead to “give sight back to the Corsican people”; historians debate this, but the meaning has remained: from a sign of submission to a sign of a head held high.
Red coral
The Mediterranean lucky charm par excellence, worn since Antiquity against the evil eye. Every branch is unique: gathered at depth by the few who are licensed to do so, worked, then set on silver or gold — as beads, cabochons or raw branches. Its legend, its regulated harvest and its secrets are on its page.
Saint Lucy's eye
The spiral that watches over you — and above all, they say, brings luck. Neither a stone nor a whole shell: it is the operculum of a Mediterranean sea snail, polished by the sea, set as a pendant or ring and given as a lucky charm. Its full story is on its page.
Crosses & madonnas
Corsica is deeply attached to its faith and to the Virgin: hence the omnipresence of crosses and madonnas, at once objects of devotion and markers of identity.
In Corsica, faith is not decoration: in 1735, on proclaiming their independence, Corsicans placed the island under the protection of the Virgin — hence the anthem Dio vi salvi Regina. In Calvi, it is said that praying as a couple at the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Serra is worth a lasting love.
Care, material by material
Silver — it may tarnish, but that can always be put right: a soft cloth or a polishing cloth restores its shine.
Gold — it does not tarnish; a simple cloth is enough, and it passes down the generations.
Stainless steel — no upkeep at all, though over time it does dull slightly, and irreversibly. That is the flip side of its simplicity, and we say so.
The good habit — take ythe jewellery off before swimming, showering, sport or sleep. It is not compulsory, but it keeps the shine longer.
Frequently asked questions
We read the label: 18ct/9ct gold, gold plate, or gilded — we name it exactly.
It may tarnish; a soft cloth or a polishing cloth will bring back its shine.
That term has no legal standing: we say “natural stone” and give the exact name (amazonite, onyx…).
We look first for a close match; failing that, we can order and ship.
With stainless steel, yes, no problem. For silver and gold-plated pieces, better to take them off: chlorine and salt speed up tarnish and wear. The good habit: jewellery goes on last and comes off first.
It is a regulated term: at least 3 microns of gold, and most of our pieces are plated with 18-carat gold. Worn with care — away from perfume, pools and rubbing — it keeps its shine for years. The thickness is stated on the label.
Stainless steel is known to be well tolerated, and gold and silver suit most skins. Tell us in the shop: we will point you to the right settings.
Come and try them on in Calvi
A piece of jewellery can only be judged once worn. Drop by the shop and we will let you try them on.
1 rue Clemenceau, 20260 Calvi
04 95 56 60 24 · @ebellecose_calvi