Korloff

Korloff is an independent French jewelry house founded in 1978 by Daniel Paillasseur, now active in fragrance through a division based in Paris [1]. The house takes its name from an 88-carat black diamond, the Korloff Noir, and built its early reputation as the first jewelry house to set black diamonds in its creations. Its fragrance arm, Korloff Parfums, was acquired by the cosmetics group Extend Beauty in June 2024 and remains active, with collections still sold today [3].

The brand spans jewelry, watches and leather goods alongside perfume, but in beauty retail it is represented by its fragrance line.

The house began with a stone. Daniel Paillasseur, a French jeweller, was drawn to a mysterious 88-carat black diamond and gave its name, Korloff, to the jewelry house he created in 1978 [1]. According to the company, Paillasseur "took 10 years to fully own" the diamond before the house bore its name [1]. The stone's history is wrapped in legend: the company recounts that it once belonged to the noble Russian Korloff-Sapojnikoff family, who kept it as a talisman for generations before leaving Russia in 1917 [3]. Wikipedia, describing the diamond itself rather than the company, notes it weighs 88 carats with 57 facets and contained 421 carats before cutting.

Sources differ on when the diamond was secured. Wikipedia states that "in 1978, Daniel Paillasseur, a French jeweller, purchased it" [4], while the house's own milestone record dates the full acquisition of the Black Korloff to 1988 [2]. The 1978 founding date for the house is consistent across the brand's accounts.

Paillasseur was born in Lyon in 1948, and the brand carries Lyon origins, though it is headquartered in Paris, at 18 rue de la Paix since 2020.

Korloff's recognition grew through the late 1980s and 1990s. The house won the Grand Prix du Bijorhca d'or in 1988, the same year it records fully acquiring its namesake diamond. In 1993 it opened its first boutique on rue de la Paix in Paris and joined the Vendôme Committee, the association of houses in the city's jewelry district. From the mid-1990s the house expanded internationally, reaching markets including Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, and moved beyond jewelry into perfume.

Between 2005 and 2008 the house developed two exclusive diamond cuts, the K73 and the K88. More recently, François Arpels took over leadership of the Maison in 2023, a change covered by the trade publication Luxus Plus as a revival of the jeweller under new direction [8].

In June 2024, Extend Beauty acquired Korloff Parfums, the fragrance division [3]. Extend Beauty describes the move as an expansion of its portfolio into the fragrance sector, and operates the brand's current perfume collections [3].

Korloff builds its identity around the idea that, as the company puts it, "audacity brings luck" [2]. The black diamond is treated as a symbol of fortune and success, and the house frames itself as founded on entrepreneurial freedom, designing pieces meant to "reveal free and bold personalities". The brand positions its fragrances in the niche, high-end segment of the market [3].

The fragrance line draws directly on the house's jewelry heritage. Its K88 collection is presented as a more accessible expression of luxury and a tribute to the namesake stone: the name refers to the 88-carat Korloff Noir, and the perfume is bottled in a 88 ml format that the company calls a homage to the diamond's facets [7]. The bottle is faceted like a gem, with a diamond-shaped stopper meant to reflect the brand's jewelry work. Under Extend Beauty, the fragrance range also includes the MEMOIRE line, built around destination-inspired scents, and the FACETTES line of four fragrances. Across its perfumes the house has worked with several perfumers, among them Julien Rasquinet, Céline Ripert, Coralie Spicher and Olivier Cresp [5].

The house's principal cited award is the Grand Prix du Bijorhca d'or, received in 1988. Its 2023 change of leadership was the subject of an interview feature in Luxus Plus.

Korloff remains active. Its fragrance division, owned by Extend Beauty since June 2024, continues to sell current collections, and the jewelry house brought in new leadership under François Arpels in 2023 [3]. The house maintains its headquarters and boutique presence on rue de la Paix in Paris.