The Black Alchemy — Local services in Lyon

I walked by after an appointment at the spa down the street. I noticed a gorgeous men's lapel pin in the window and came back a few days later. The pin was handmade in the store, out of pure silver. It was really reasonably priced, and, best of all, really cool. I bought it for my husband. It's such a good and unexpected piece of men's fashion.

There are two storefronts, a men's and a women's right next door to each other. There are workspaces in both, so if you're lucky you might even catch the magic being created and get to learn about these amazing artisanal jewelry creations handcrafted in the heart of Vieux Lyon. The couple who owns this business (as well as the artists behind everything sold) seem so so nice. Sacha was kind enough to tell me about their passion (this business) for a while.

I went to a different store afterwards and someone saw me carrying the black alchemy bag and had to stop me to talk about how his favorite ring he's ever purchased came from The Black Alchemy. (Then he showed me he was currently wearing it.) He said he gets so many compliments on it, and he confirmed that the owners are incredible humans.

If you live in Lyon, support local. If you're a tourist, skip the other dumb plastic stuff in Vieux Lyon and get yourself something you'll actually enjoy owning as a souvenir. You'll be shocked at how reasonable...

I contacted Chrystelle & Sacha about making a wedding ring earlier this year. My wife had bought two rings of theirs that she loved, and I thought working with them would be the best way to find a design that would compliment her rings. As you can see from the photos, theirs is a one-of-a-kind style, so it’s hard to match.

They proposed several different designs and were open to feedback throughout the process. After seeing the first mold in wax, I knew that my wife would love their work. We were lucky enough that they planned to be in NY around the time of our wedding, so the ring was hand delivered to us and they joined in our wedding celebrations.

Their customer service from start to finish was impeccable. The finished piece of art still amazes us each day. (As do the photos they took of the creation process.)

I highly recommend these two lovely people. Go buy some of their...

My husband and I had the pleasure of attending The Black Alchemy's private sale in Paris during Fashion Week in March and it was an amazing experience. I have always loved the inspirations from the natural world that shape their designs, and that was especially true of the "Eucalyptus" ring I saw at their show in Paris. Chrystelle helped me pick out the sapphire for the ring and make sure it would be crafted in the right size. When I picked the ring up in Lyon a few weeks later, it was just perfect and I haven't taken it off since. My husband is similarly fond of the Zephyr ring he got in Paris, and really appreciated the team's help in picking out the right Labradorite stone for the piece. We will continue to keep our eye on the Black Alchemy website - what emerges from their workshop is...