Viewing page 36 of 45
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
French jeweler finds S.A. his jewel for life Entrepreneur By Laura Lambeth Express-News Business Writer Some people say the heartbeat of San Antonio is its downtown. For craftsman and designer Alain Teissier, the city's pulse is pinpointed even more exactly — in the heart of La Villita. That's why for 18 years the Frenchman has owned and operated Chamade Jewelers, a charming shop among more than 25 crafts stores clustered in long-established little village across from HemisFair Park. In French, the word chamade has to do with a rapid heartbeat caused by excitement, Teissier explained, noting that the word has its roots from Napoleon's march to build an empire. "When I decided to open this shop, I knew this was my chamade ," the distinguished jeweler said. Strong accent Teissier's strong French accent has not disappeared despite the years away from his home in the rich wine country of southern France. The well-traveled craftsman made San Antonio his home nearly two decades ago after a twist of fate. He was in Mexico studying his craft of jewelry-making when he was stricken with typhoid fever and was rushed to San Antonio for blood tests and treatment. "I thought I was going to stay three weeks, and I am still here," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Now, I am an American citizen, and I love to vote." Teissier's cultural expertise has helped him create a shop full off handcrafted designs and one-of-a-kind items from around the world. He travels extensively to faraway places such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Italy, France, Switzerland and Central America to hand-pick unusual items, and also to comb for the wares to make his own special fashions. In La Villita, four master jewelers and a stone-setter work above the shop creating imaginative pieces Teissier custom designs. "I try to hunt for the unique materials, something that makes a statement," he said, praising the jewelers he has recruited to stay with him through the years. Teissier was reared near Arles, France, the heart of the Roman Empire under Constantine I. His father was a wine merchant, but Teissier's dream was to study anthropology and archaeology. That dream was halted when he was a teen-ager and suddenly drafted into the French navy to fight in the Algerian War in 1960. He earned 30 cents an hour. "After the war, I returned to France, but I was broke," he said. So he started up an ambulance business. After five years, he decided he wanted to accomplish his dream of studying archaeology, and decided to attend school in Paris. Moved to Mexico He wanted to specialize in pre-Columbian art and culture, which includes the study of jewelry making, so he moved to Mexico to spend time studying in various areas of the country. That's when he was hit with typhoid fever, and was sent to San Antonio. When he recovered, Teissier started making jewelry items to sell to museums in Dallas and Houston, as well as shops along the River Walk. One of his first specialties was making the popular necklaces of African trading beads. In 1972, he moved into a small building in La Villita, and since has moved three times into even larger shops. Ollie, his black-and-white cat, is curled up on the stairway on a recent cold winter morning, giving a visual statement to the shop's friendliness and welcoming nature. "When I first moved here, I thought it was temporary," Teissier said with a laugh. "But I love San Antonio. It's the people." [[image - photograph]] Photo by Jose Barrera Alain Teissier, proprietor of Chamade Jewelers in La Villita, examines some of the craftwork produced in-house.
Transcription Notes:
Article transcribed in total first, with notations for the picture toward the end of the transcription.
