A Language Student Who Now Speaks Fluent Jewelry

Elise, the communicator behind @thegemsnerd, on going from international business to Cartier, the creative opportunity in Paris, and why loving jewelry isn’t materialistic.

Oct 17, 2026

There are people who wear jewelry, people who work in jewelry, and then there are people who seem to live somewhere in between the two.

Elise, the jewelry obsessed creator behind @thegemsnerd, found her way into the industry somewhat unexpectedly. After studying languages and completing a master’s degree in management and international business, she completed her end-of-studies internship at Cartier in International Media, working on advertising campaigns. It was there that jewelry began to feel less like a personal interest and more like a world she wanted to deeply understand.

Today, Elise works in a jewelry boutique while building her own voice through social media and writing for Silhouette, an independent French fashion and arts magazine. She sees herself first and foremost as a communicator, drawn to the stories behind jewelry as much as the objects themselves.

We met at Café des Moulins in Paris to talk about the jewelry she actually wears, her current obsessions, and the assumptions about jewelry she wishes people would rethink.

Elise’s favorites. Photos by @thegemsnerd and Cult Carat.

THE CONVERSATION

On life in Paris, personal style, and the stories we attach to jewelry.

What stands out to you about Paris’s jewelry scene?

“I think it’s very international, but also very French.”

For Elise, Paris’s appeal lies in the variety of people and perspectives that come together around jewelry. The city brings established maisons and independent French creators into the same orbit, while attracting jewelry professionals and enthusiasts from around the world. With events and showrooms creating opportunities to meet, discover, and exchange ideas, she sees Paris as a particularly dynamic place to be part of the industry.

What makes jewelry meaningful to you?

“In jewelry, you can have your mother give you something, and you can make it your own. That’s something really beautiful.”

Elise’s pinky ring is a personal example of this idea. Given to her by her mother, the ring wasn’t originally designed to be worn on her little finger. She had it resized to suit her style, transforming how she wears it without losing its sentimental significance. For Elise, that balance between personal expression and emotional connection is part of what makes jewelry special.

Outside of jewelry, what inspires you?

“I think the people that take time to make artistic things, like creative people. I think that’s what inspires me.”

Elise is drawn to people who take their time to create something meaningful. In a world where so much is made and consumed quickly, she admires the patience and creativity behind thoughtful work. It’s the people and the care they put into what they make that inspire her.

What makes a jewelry brand memorable?

“You can have something beautiful, but what makes you different is your storytelling.”

For Elise, storytelling is what gives a jewelry brand its identity beyond the pieces themselves. It needs to reflect the person behind the jewelry and the intention behind its creation, rather than simply being invented as a marketing tool. Jewelry is often deeply symbolic, and its meaning can be just as important as its beauty.

If you could change one thing about the way people think about jewelry today, what would it be?

“Sometimes when I meet people for the first time, I say that I work in jewelry, and they think of me as a materialistic person, but it’s not true. There is so much emotion behind the jewelry. And I think that’s the most emotional object that you can wear on yourself.”

For Elise, that assumption overlooks the personal significance jewelry can hold. A piece can carry memories, represent a relationship, or become part of someone’s identity. Its value isn’t always something you can measure.

She also sees working in jewelry as a way to keep dreaming and finding beauty in a world marked by violence and escalating conflict. To her, jewelry can be a form of soft resistance: a reminder to hold on to beauty, to dream, and to make space for the things that bring us happiness.

WHAT SHE WEARS

Two childhood bracelets, a resized pinky ring, and the cedar necklace she never takes off.

Elise’s jewelry: cedar/amber necklace (center) and mother’s pinky ring (right). Photos by Cult Carat.

Elise’s jewelry is personal in a very literal sense. She wears two baptism bracelets, a pinky ring her mother gave her, and an Aurélie Bidermann ring she received as a gift around the time of her Cartier internship.

The pinky ring wasn’t always a pinky ring. Elise had it resized to better suit her own style, making an already sentimental piece feel even more personal.

But the piece closest to her heart hangs around her neck: a gold chain carrying two pendants, each with its own story. Her mother gave her the cedar pendant when she turned 18, a nod to her Lebanese heritage and a reminder of where she comes from. Alongside it hangs an amber pendant gifted by her aunt, created by Jacques Mouzannar, the renowned Lebanese jeweler and father of designer Selim Mouzannar.

Together, the pendants reflect both her heritage and the people who have shaped her life.

When asked how it feels to wear the necklace, Elise’s answer was simple: “Just myself.”

Sometimes, the most important piece isn’t the rarest one in the room. It’s the one that makes you feel most like your authentic self.

HER POINT OF VIEW

The perspective she brings to jewelry and beyond.

For Elise, jewelry is where craftsmanship, storytelling, and personal identity meet. She’s interested in the people who create it, the stories that make a brand distinctive, and the emotional connections that make an object worth keeping.

Her own jewelry illustrates that relationship. A ring from her mother can be adapted to her style without losing its original meaning. The cedar and amber pendants she wears daily connect her to her heritage and family members. Each piece carries a history, but its meaning continues to evolve with the person wearing it.

We inherit its history, then make room for our own.