“We chose lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold, even when it meant facing skeptics”

Alix Battard and Julie de Cartier are the driving forces behind daŭre, a sustainable fine-jewellery brand where craftsmanship meets emotion. Hands-on, ambitious, and visionary, they build everything themselves and stay true to their core values: lab-grown diamonds, recycled gold, and the courage to take risks. The result? Timeless pieces designed to be cherished for generations.

“I jumped into the entrepreneurial adventure by launching our brand daŭre”
Alix Battard (40) – I come from the world of journalism, with over 17 years of reporting the news, including 13 years as an anchor on Belgium’s RTL. Today, I still host a show focused on royalty — and alongside that, I jumped into the entrepreneurial adventure by launching our brand daŭre with my friend Julie. I live in Brussels in a townhouse with my two daughters, my husband, and our cat. I get around by bike, have a serious banana-bread obsession, love treasure hunting at flea markets, and, of course, I’m passionate about jewellery. 

“I needed to create my own universe”

Julie de Cartier (41) – My background is in design. I moved to Hong Kong when I was young with my then-boyfriend (now husband), where I worked as a graphic designer and creative consultant for luxury brands. After 15 years, coming back to Belgium was a big shift — and I needed to create my own universe. That’s where daŭre was born. Today, I live just outside the city near the forest with my husband and our three energetic kids. I’m definitely more of a dog person ;-) I love the mountains and have tackled a few trail-running challenges too.

“I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful”
Alix:
The seed for what I do today was planted early — digging through my grandmother’s jewellery boxes, mesmerized by pieces that carried a lifetime of stories. After years of telling other people’s stories on TV, I felt the need to create something personal, tactile, and emotional. When I discovered lab-grown diamonds, I was hooked. This innovation is already huge in the US but still relatively new in Europe — and I knew there was a real opportunity to build something meaningful.

“ It's no longer just about rarity, but about craftsmanship, impact, and emotion”
Julie:
We want to shake up the luxury jewellery industry. Every piece is handmade using 18k recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds — a more ethical and sustainable choice than mined stones. It's a real value shift in luxury. Our mission is to push boundaries — in design, in sustainability, and in the way people think about luxury. It's no longer just about rarity, but about craftsmanship, impact, and emotion. daŭre is about crafting future heirlooms, pieces made to live and love for generations to come.

“growth happens when you dare to jump without a safety net”
Julie:
Moving to Hong Kong with nothing but a suitcase and a few names was the most defining moment of my life. It pushed me out of every comfort zone, taught me resilience, and showed me that growth happens when you dare to jump without a safety net.

“Dare to change your course and follow your intuition”
Alix:
I look up to Charlotte Perriand, Jeanne Toussaint, Pina Bausch. All strong, free women, searching for beauty. Women who dared to change course and follow their intuition.

“We chose lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold, even when it meant facing skeptics”
Julie:
I’m proud that we never compromised. From day one at daŭre, we chose lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold — even when it meant facing skeptics. We stayed true to our vision, always aligned and in full harmony with each other.

“We built our website ourselves to stay hands-on and in control”
Alix:
Our best investment is doing it ourselves to truly understand how things work — but knowing when to delegate too.
We built our website on Shopify ourselves, coding and setting it up so we could stay free and hands-on. But we also work with an amazing freelance consultant who jumps in when we get stuck on technical issues.

“I underestimated the insane range of skills you need to build a brand”
Julie:
I underestimated the insane range of skills you need to build a brand. It’s not just about creating beautiful pieces and imagery — you become a coder, a salesperson, a designer, a digital strategist, an accountant, a legal expert… It’s a lot to juggle, and it’s hard to excel at everything at once.

“Finding a true partner like Julie to share this with is priceless”

Alix:
The best moments in entrepreneurship are all the ones we’ve shared behind the scenes — trips to Italy, Switzerland, Paris, and our launch event. Finding a true partner like Julie to share this with is priceless.
The hardest part? Everything takes time. Perfecting designs means tons of back-and-forths and tiny refinements. Coming from the fast world of news, this taught me patience — and that every little step matters.

“I love it when a client shares that our jewellery became part of her story”
Julie:
I love it when a client shares that a piece of daŭre jewellery became part of her story — a symbol of love, strength, or new beginnings.

“There’s real beauty in starting, refining as you grow, and embracing evolution”

Alix:
If I could do one thing differently today, I’d stop waiting for everything to be “perfect” before launching. We’re both perfectionists — but there’s real beauty in starting, refining as you grow, and embracing evolution.

“I stay healthy by reconnecting with nature”

Julie:
I stay healthy by reconnecting with nature, with long runs through the forest, hiking trails, and escaping to the mountains whenever I can.

“I hope I’ll still be building, dreaming and mentoring other women chasing their own wild ideas”
Alix:
Looking ahead, in 10 years I see daŭre growing into a leader in sustainable luxury across Europe and beyond. We want to be the go-to for people who want jewellery that’s ethical, beautiful, and made to last.
Personally, I hope I’ll still be building, dreaming and mentoring other women chasing their own wild ideas.

“There’s always a powerful takeaway for business”
Julie:
We both regularly listen to the French podcast Génération Do It Yourself. The guests are top-notch — there’s always a powerful takeaway for business.