Spotted on the Rock recently was Inès Swaton, the granddaughter of celebrated beauty pioneer Élima Hall, an icon in the beauty business since 1973 and the founder of The Face Place. Swaton works at the international export department of Gas Bijoux in Paris, France. Gas Bijoux is one of the leaders in costume jewellery in France and just in case you’ve been living under the other rock, the Duchess of Sussex stepped out in a pair of their earrings during an official tour of Morroco, and crashed their website…

My preferred beverage is… a very smooth London Mule with friends in Saint-Germain-des-Près! It’s a great way to unwind!

Home is… Marseille, Paris and Jamaica. I’ve made incredible memories in these places and the closest people to me are at these destinations. Where I have family is where I call home.

My favourite hotel to stay at is… My grandparents have a home in the Beaux de Provence, in France. It is ranked one of the most beautiful homes in the region and it’s like being at a five-star hotel! I enjoy spending time there; it’s extremely relaxing and drop-dead gorgeous!

When on holiday in Jamaica I… always get sorted at The Face Place on my first day here. Enjoying the spa is the best thing for getting over jet lag! I also enjoy the local food, I love a good beef patty and coco bread! I also enjoy day trips or weekends on the north coast with childhood friends or family, and that is priceless!

Bus, taxi or tube?

I’m a tube girl in Paris in the day, and taxi girl at night. In Marseille, I drive, and that’s one of my favourite things to do.

If you could buy any building anywhere in the world and live there, which would it be?

I would probably go for a house on the water in Port Antonio, right by Monkey Island. I would style it with Greek vibes, white walls and periwinkle blue windows. I spent so much of my childhood there in the summers. It’s one of my favourite places on this Earth!

What’s the secret to effortless chic styling?

Very simple… the secret is to embrace classics and work around that. I’ll never wear something that looks like I struggled to get into it. The outfit should always include beautiful colours, great fabric and a simple cut. I sometimes complement my outfits with big earrings; I get inspired by Italian women for that.

What makes Gas Bijoux so special?

Gas Bijoux is special because of its endless creativity! The flow never stops, new pieces are created every day, and it is all handmade in France by French artisans. The materials used are sourced from all over the world: feathers, python leather, stones, acetate, and everything is plated 24K gold.

What was the piece worn by the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle?

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle wore our Onde Gourmette earrings in gold. A gourmette is a chain. If you look closely, you will see that the chain has been hammered down flat. They are statement earrings and she wore them so well!

What was your reaction to seeing her wearing them?

These weren’t gifted by us, so it really was a huge surprise! We all received an e-mail with the official pictures. My heart was beating; I had to take a shot and send it to my mother! She’s a fan of the Royals. And then our clients (retailers) heard the news… needless to say, there’s now a wait list!

Who else wears Gas?

We actually received, in our atelier, a visit from our First Lady Brigitte Macron. She is a big fan of our creations and wears them regularly. We also have celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Izabel Goulart or Leïla Bekhti rocking our jewellery.

Where and how did the story of Gas Bijoux begin?

Gas Bijoux started off in St Tropez, in the late 60s, where the creator, Andre Gas, sold lucky charm bracelets on the beach. He would make them himself at night and sell them during the day. He was very successful!

His children joined him on the adventure of Gas Bijoux in the late 90s, developing the international and business side of the company. In recognition of this unique savoir-faire, Gas Bijoux was in 2011 awarded the prestigious Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label by the French Ministry of Economy alongside the likes of Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels. This year we are celebrating 50 years of creations and craftsmanship. This is a big year for Gas Bijoux and I’m really glad I’m a part of it!

What are you up to at the moment for work?

Work is very challenging and at the same time loads of fun. I really love working with so many beautiful pieces! Right now I’m prospecting around the island for potential new spots to sell our jewellery. Next month, I’ll be in Lebanon visiting clients for a couple of days. And when I’m in office, I create selections of our jewellery for our clients all over the world, and make sure they always have gorgeous new pieces to sell. We propose very different jewellery sets from one side of the world to another. We have retailers in more than 30 countries around the world… the export team of Gas Bijoux is kept busy.

What are your favourite pieces of Gas Bijoux and who else would you have wear them?

My favourite pieces right now are from the Arpa collection. The earrings are so powerful, sexy but ultra-feminine. I would love to see the incredible Amal Clooney wearing these off-duty, in a relaxed jumpsuit somewhere exotic!