Casa Michel de Worms Irmãos

: as joias, as joalherias e o comércio de luxo na cidade de São Paulo no período de 1880-1940

Abstract

In this thesis, we sought to examine the presence of jewelry stores and jewelers, the use of jewelry and the role they had for society in the city of São Paulo between 1880 and 1940, a period in which the coffee industry enriched the elite and brought development to the capital of São Paulo. In this context, profound transformations occurred in commerce, industry, urban planning, sociability, and fashion, accompanied by population growth. A more demanding social class also emerged, leading to a more specialized trade. Luxury became an important business segment in which the brand, the design and the beauty started to impose itself in the Brazilian society, which followed the influence of France - icon of elegance. The jewelry stores became specialized, importing and selling jewelry, watches, art objects, decoration and utilitarian items, important items acquired as gifts at weddings, as part of the “corbeilles de marriage”, at Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, among other special occasions. It was in the Central Triangle, and mainly at Rua 15 de Novembro, where part of the jewelry stores had been established. Among them was Casa Michel de Worms Irmãos, French origin jewelers whose ancestors had already worked in this business and had knowledge of the trade. With branches in Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo, the jewelry store had a buying house in Paris, from where it made its imports. The establishments commercialized jewelry made of noble metals and gemstones; Swiss, German and other watches brands; objects of art, decoration, and utilitarian items from renowned foreign suppliers. Between 1880 and 1940, these products followed the European artistic trends of the Neoclassical, Belle Époque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. In the 1913 General Catalogue of the Casa Michel, one can observe the aesthetic tendency and the diversity of commercialized products, as well as in the 1937 Catalogue. The Worms brothers, as well as other jewelry store owners listed in this work, sought to participate in social, sporting and cultural events of São Paulo society, thus gaining the trust and prestige of an elite that sought to affirm itself.

Date of Award	14 Sept 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Gonçalo Vasconcelos e Sousa (Supervisor)