He looks out on the grey waters beneath the Pont des Arts bridge, the faint spring sun lightening his cheeks
Amongst the hundreds of tokens of love attached to the wire, a silver padlock inscribed with the names of Russian lovers Kcroina and Kochl catches his eye
He reaches the door to the historic jewellery workshop, as he has for many years, and leaves the reality of the Parisian morning behind him. The only clue to his identity lies in the tools hidden within the square magician’s case he carries. This workshop is a place where time is of no consequence and the perfection of jewellery is the highest art
This seemingly ordinary man transforms into a modern Houdini figure, an artist in his own right, with refined skills in jewellery making
He installs himself at the worn workbench and his steady hands shudder over his top hat from the magic held beneath it, symbolic of the creation of a jewel. The performance steals the limelight as the tension in the workshop atmosphere builds
In a dazzling moment our head artisan reveals an exquisite Fabergé piece by his elegant hand. This jewel, designed by Fabergé's Natalia Shugaeva, is named after a dynamic Russian dance called The Mazurka
The Mazurka cuff illuminates the shadows of the workshop’s surroundings. The performance is over, the workshop is quiet and the jewel lies still on the bench
