René Lalique started his career as a designer for renowned jewelry houses such as Jacta, Cartier, or Boucheron. In 1885, he took over the workshop of the jeweler Jules Destape and produced his first chased gold sets, inspired by Antiquity and Japonism in 1888. Lalique incorporated new materials into his pieces, breaking the jewelry codes of the time. He already used enamel and glass to adorn his jewelry, along with gold, opal, diamond, pearl, and amethyst. He triumphed at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900. René Lalique is today considered the inventor of modern jewelry.