Heritage Days 2026: discover the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau with the School of Jewelry Arts

The Heritage Days 2026 are back, offering a chance to discover iconic places that are often closed to the public! Churches, historic monuments, castles and other spots that occasionally open their doors in special circumstances, await you to reveal all their secrets on September 19 and 20. Inaugurated in 1984, these Days let the general public explore cultural heritage through guided tours and free activities.

In Paris, many of the city's private mansions hide behind beautiful facades. Located at 16 bis boulevard Montmartre, the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau provides a prestigious new setting for L'École des Arts Joailliers. What could be more beautiful than this listed hotel to host the school's free exhibitions? A hidden treasure, founded with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels to promote jewelry culture.

Throughout the year, visitors can discover its rich history and neoclassical architecture at jewelry exhibitions in the reception rooms, adorned with gilded woodwork and Corinthian porticos. A spacious library and a unique bookshop, L'Escarboucle, complete the space available to visitors. Don't forget, reservations are essential!

Did you know? A discreet advisor to the young Queen Marie-Antoinette, the Comte de Mercy-Argenteau was one of the key figures at the court of Versailles in the 18th century!

Journées du Patrimoine 2026: offbeat and original outings in Paris and Île-de-France
You think you know Paris inside and out? Think again. This Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, you’ll be wowed by the Journées du Patrimoine. We’re sharing our offbeat picks not to miss during the 43rd edition of Heritage Days in Paris and Île-de-France. [Read more]

• To be read
• This week's best bets in Paris and Île-de-France (Sept. 7–13, 2026)

The 2026 Heritage Days program:

• The School of Jewelry Arts: Guided Tours of the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau

  Explore the spaces of the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau and meet the experts from L'École des Arts Joailliers through a unique tour where light forges a link between each stage.

  * Overview of the Cabinet of L'École des Arts Joailliers - For the first time, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days, a selection of objects from the Cabinet of L'École des Arts Joailliers is presented to the public, each revealing its features through light. The Cabinet gathers a collection of jewelry, gemstones, antique objects and tools, designed as a genuine teaching aid to illustrate the history of jewelry, grasp its materials, and learn its ancestral techniques.

  * Jewelry making demonstration or gemology demonstration - Attend a demonstration of metalworking techniques, including the mirror polish technique, led by a jeweler, or observe various rough stones with a gemologist to understand how light behaves with different materials.

  NB: Visitors will be divided into two distinct groups to attend one of the two demonstrations.

  * Visit to the Library of L'École des Arts Joailliers - Discover some 7,000 works (rare books, exhibition catalogs, auction catalogs, academic theses, trade press, etc.). Usually accessible by appointment, it also opens its doors for these days.

  * Visit to the exhibition “ Daniel Brush, the Art of Line and Light ” - The itinerary culminates in a self-guided visit to the exhibition devoted to American artist Daniel Brush (1947-2022), revealing more than 75 jewels and objects, some of which have left his New York studio for the first time. This monograph presents the work of this modern artist, sculptor, draftsman, philosopher but also goldsmith and jeweler. Self-taught, Daniel Brush embodies a visionary approach, unfettered by artistic boundaries, driven by work on light, materials and lines.

  Participation rules: Free, by reservation. Departures every 20 minutes. Tour duration: 50 minutes. First departure: 10:00 / Last departure: 17:20. Up to 30 people per group. Tour conducted in French. Reservations open on September 10. - Free | Reservation required - https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/fr/fr/decouvrez-lhotel-de-mercy-argenteau-pour-les-journees-europeennes-du-patrimoine-2026

  Hours: Saturday, 19 September 2026 - 10:00 ⤏ 18:00 | Sunday, 20 September 2026 - 10:00 ⤏ 18:00

• The School of Jewelry Arts: Conference “Meeting with the Carbuncle”

  ### Encounter at the Escarboucle

  In step with the 2026 theme of European Heritage Days, "Heritage of Photography," the École des Arts Joailliers presents an Encounter at the Escarboucle that traces the origins of the book Daniel Brush, The Art of Line and Light and examines how photographing the works helps bring them to light.

  Moderated by:

  - Benjamin Chelly, photographer

  - Laetitia Gilles-Guery, gemologist and faculty at the École des Arts Joailliers

  This conversation delves into the specific challenges of photographing jewelry and gems, and how the photographer captures the play of light.

  ### The Escarboucle, the bookstore at the École des Arts Joailliers

  Located inside the Mercy-Argenteau Hotel, The Escarboucle is a bookstore entirely devoted to the world of jewelry. As poetic as it is enigmatic, the name "escarboucle" harks back to the once-used term for radiant red gems—rubies, remarkable spinels or garnets ("Carbunculus" meaning "little ember" in Latin).

  This space brings together works on jewelry, the creators behind them, the techniques they demand, gemology, and, beyond that, the applied arts and the history of taste. The bookstore's shelves hold nearly 3,000 titles in French and a variety of foreign languages.

  Participation conditions: Free of charge, by reservation. Each session lasts one hour and accommodates up to 25 participants. The meeting will be conducted in French. Registration opens on September 10. - Free | Booking required - https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/fr/fr/decouvrez-lhotel-de-mercy-argenteau-pour-les-journees-europeennes-du-patrimoine-2026

  Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00–12:00, 14:00–15:00