Address:
Haut-de-Cagnes – place du Château
06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer
Presentation
This museum, located on the castle square in the medieval village, has been dedicated to contemporary jewelry since 1999. A place of discovery and dissemination, it regularly hosts temporary exhibitions devoted to artists from around the world.
A unique museum in the heart of Haut-de-Cagnes
Housed since 1999 in Suzy Solidor’s former antique shop, the Musée du Bijou contemporain (Museum of Contemporary Jewelry) is a unique venue entirely dedicated to this distinctive field of creativity. Nestled on the castle square in the medieval village of Haut-de-Cagnes, it offers visitors the opportunity to discover the work of French and international artists through temporary thematic or monographic exhibitions. A small specialized library with large windows allows the most curious visitors to delve deeper into their discoveries.
Contemporary jewelry
Halfway between sculpture, design, and social commentary, contemporary jewelry has broken free from the traditional codes of fine jewelry. Since the 1960s, it has established itself as a means of artistic expression in its own right. Precious materials (gold, silver) are used alongside more unexpected ones: paper, plastic, rubber, recycled metal, etc.
By turns poetic, rebellious, and experimental, contemporary jewelry goes beyond simple ornamentation to question society and our relationship with the body.
A reference collection
Cagnes-sur-Mer organized its first contemporary jewelry exhibition in 1993 at the Grimaldi Castle Museum. In 1995, it was awarded the “Ville et Métiers d’art” label for its work in promoting this discipline. To date, it remains the only municipality in France to be nationally recognized for its work in the field of contemporary jewelry.
The permanent collection of the Musée du Bijou contemporain now comprises more than 300 pieces, enriched in particular by a significant donation from the Alliage association of designers in 2019.
Overview of the collections at the Musée du Bijou Contemporain
The Musée du Bijou Contemporain houses a collection of around 300 original pieces. Built up through donations and purchases, it reflects the diversity of contemporary French and international design. While some pieces in the collection illustrate the beginnings of this art form in the 1960s, the vast majority reflect the artistic explorations of the last three decades: the use of modern, unusual, even ordinary materials, and the links forged between jewelry and the body.
My visit to the Musée du Bijou Contemporain
Practical information
Opening hours
Open every day except Tuesdays.
July and August:
– Wednesday to Monday, 2pm to 6pm
– Late night opening until 7pm on Fridays for “Jazz au château” evenings.
April, May, June, and September:
– Wednesday through Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
October to March:
– Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 5pm.
Closed on December 25 and January 1.
Rates
Free admission
Transport and access
On foot :
From the bus station or downtown parking lots (10 min.).
From Cagnes-sur-Mer SNCF train station ( 30 mn).
By train :
Cagnes-sur-Mer station (21 minutes away) or Cros-de-Cagnes station (40 minutes away).
By bus :
Free shuttle bus no. 44 from the bus station in the city center every 15 minutes, 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., stop “Place Wéry.”
By bike :
Parking available nearby.
By car :
Freeway A8 + Exits 47/48 CAGNES-SUR-MER + Direction Centre-Ville.
Limited free parking on site.
Preparing my visit
Temporary exhibitions
The Musée du Bijou Contemporain regularly hosts exhibitions showcasing leading names in contemporary design as well as emerging young artists.
Self-guided tour
Admission is free all year round.
You can explore the museum’s collections on your own, without a reservation.
Guided tour
Guided tours are available upon request.
They provide a better understanding of the world of contemporary jewelry and an opportunity to explore the work of its founding artists.
Reservations required: reservations.musees@cagnes.fr
Events not to be missed
Haut-de-Cagnes Art en Fête
Every first Sunday of the month, the village celebrates art in all its forms: creative workshops for all, exhibitions, guided tours, concerts, and more.
On this occasion, the museum is open continuously from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
European Artistic Crafts Days
Every April, this free event showcases arts and crafts at the national and European level.
The museum participates with guided tours and workshops on contemporary jewelry.
Children and families
The Musée du Bijou Contemporain offers artistic discovery activities for children and their families related to our collection of contemporary jewelry.
The adult is not simply a companion, but a participant in the activity in progress, an actor in the same way as the child. A moment specially designed to have fun together and share a creative experience.
- From 0 to 10 years old, activities take place with the whole family and at least one parent.
Opening hours
During school holidays (Zone B), Thursdays according to schedule:
- Ages 0 to 4
- 2 p.m.: Ages 5 to 10
During school holidays (Zone B)
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Booking and rates
Information and reservations required, subject to availability: ateliers.musees@cagnes.fr.
Price: €5 per child
School
Discover the Musée du Bijou Contemporain, its permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions, and take a curious, critical, and informed look at contemporary jewelry design. Decode the aesthetic, historical, and scientific issues to deepen your knowledge through various themes.
From kindergarten to senior high school, we offer school groups the chance to exchange ideas and discover artistic creation. The cultural mediator will demonstrate that cultural venues are also places of enjoyment and sharing.
Tours and workshops
Visits and workshops designed for schoolchildren enrich the discovery of the collections through a cultural and educational approach aimed at developing the creativity of young visitors and encouraging them to practice their art within the museum. The aim is to enable students to integrate the content of the visit through an activity that draws on their resources and creative qualities, rather than to give them a course in plastic arts.
The contemporary jewelry museum is closed in the mornings and on Tuesdays.
Reservations required at: ateliers.musees@cagnes.fr
Information: +33 (0)4.89.22.40.74 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm)
There must be at least one supervisor for every 15 children.
Rates :
Cagnois school groups: Free
School groups from outside Cagnes :
French tour: 1 hour: €50.00 / half day: €100.00 / full day: €150.00
Foreign-language tour: half day: €200.00 / full day: €300.00
Disabled public: half-day: €50.00 / full day: €100.00
Groups
Resources
Page Major themes related to contemporary jewelry
We offer two thematic dossiers for download:
History of jewelry, Major themes related to contemporary jewelry, Jewelry glossary.