K&IRÈNE, A LEGEND OF LOVE

• The story behind K&IRÈNE is that of a voyage and a spellbinding encounter, resembling a legend of love.
• In the XVth century, the young Chinese prince Kou Qinghe, nephew of Chinese emperor Yongle, was fascinated by Marco Polo. Keen to retrace Marco Polo’s steps along the Silk Road, he decided to embark on a journey to the West with the famous Chinese navigator, Zheng He, eventually ending up in France where he set out to find Jehan Renaud, the goldsmith to King Charles VI of France. He was aware that the goldsmith was not only the custodian of an astonishing collection of objects brought back by Marco Polo from his travels, but also had in his possession a copy of the superb illuminated manuscript, The Travels of Marco Polo.
• Whilst strolling through the streets of Paris one day, a beautiful young woman with stunning features suddenly caught the young man’s eye. He just managed to catch her name: Irène. As a lasting tribute to this fleeting vision that had made his heart skip a beat, he set about the task of sculpting her beautiful features from a block of pure white jade, imbuing his sculpture with all the attributes of a goddess from Greek mythology, for the Greek goddess of peace is also calledIrène.
• Sometime later, he finally met up with Jehan Renaud, who was looking for a talented craftsman to be his successor. Kou Qinghe seized the opportunity to showcase his expertise by presenting him with the statue of Irène. Kou Qinghe was stupefied to discover that the beautiful creature he had admired and carved from jade was none other than Renaud’s daughter. A beautiful love story gradually blossomed between the young couple. The young prince presented Irène with a small pendant with magical powers: the Haïmafong, a winged creature which, in his country’s culture, brings happiness. This thoughtful gift, imbued with meaning and poetry, revealed Kou Qinghe’s love for Irène. He himself wore another legendary creature around his neck, the Haïmalong, which offered him protection.
• The two symbols united enabled the young couple to bravetrials and tribulations beyond their expectation. In 1418, Paris found itself under threat of a new plague epidemic. Irène and Kou Qinghe made the courageous decision to save a large group of children from the scourge by leading them to safety on an island just off the Atlantic coast, far from the infectious outbreak. They not only had to face the treacherous waters of the Atlantic, but also hunger, cold and the hostility of the island’s inhabitants. Their heroically altruistic act was underpinned by their incredible determination, with the pair appearing to be protected by their talismans Haïmafong and Haïmalong, which never left their sides. A few months later they returned to the capital, safe in the knowledge that Paris was no longer affected by the plague.
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• Perseverance and adversity brought the two young men together. On September 9, 1419, Kou Qinghe and Irène were married and this union gave rise to a feast where jewellery and costumes expressed the beauty and delicacy of richly crafted designs. On the church square, in front of everyone as tradition dictates, they exchange two rings of Haïmalong and Haïmafong as a sign of fidelity. K&IRÈNE is engraved on the inside of the rings, he associates the first name Irène with K, the initial of Kou Qinghe and the word KING, transforming into a true king the Chinese prince whose queen and goddess is Irène.
• Six centuries later, the high jewelry brand K&IRÈNE was born inspired by this incredible ‘legend of love’.
• Suffusing the earth’s gems with their own power of expression, glorifying their personality, drawing out their remarkable nuances and gently taming gold is something only the very best master jewellers can achieve. K&IRÈNE breathes life into the messages of humanity, altruism, love and peace that underpin the brand’s strong identity. Their interpretation has been placed in the hands of designers based all around the world, underscoring the brand’s international personality. K&IRÈNE pays tribute to both Kou Qinghe’s long voyages along the Silk Road, which not only gave rise to the birth of outstanding civilisations but spanned many centuries, a lasting reminder that different cultures and arts represent both a precious source of inspiration and a veritable asset for a brand.