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Gold prospection at the Sinnamary River, 1984

A family story

In 1981, Olivier Honegger left the French metropole for French Guiana to undertake his military service. He had previously studied forestry, and at the end of his service, decided to remain in French Guiana to become a gold prospector. Despite his limited knowledge of the region, he mastered the laws of the forest and soon began his first search for gold in the surrounding rivers.

French Guiana's landscape is dominated by dense rainforest crisscrossed by countless rivers and streams, waterways that have carried gold from ancient rock formations for thousands of years. This remote territory, where nature remains largely undisturbed, would become the foundation of his understanding of gold in its purest form.

Man in a green jacket standing on a riverbank with dense forest in the background
Olivier heading a gold expedition, 1984
Close-up of gold in the palm of a person's hand beside a river
Native gold nuggets, unearthed from the riverbed, 1984
Man holding a pan with gold collected in the centre while standing in a river with trees in the background

Manual extraction of native gold from alluvial deposits, 1984

River with large rocks and surrounded by dense greenery

Petit Saut Lake, 1985

Helicopter with people beside it

Tamara landing at the mine site, 1992

As his activity developed, Olivier met Tamara, a young woman born in Brazil who, like him, had left everything behind to live in the heart of French Guiana. In this territory where nature reigns and the quest for gold is a way of life, their daughter Esther was born and grew up fully immersed in the culture of gold panning.

This heritage, rooted in exploration and resilience, would later become a defining influence in the creation of the Honegger brand.

Three people standing in a jungle

Tamara and the garimpeiros, 1992

Person holding a small bowl outdoors with gold inside it in a natural background

Native gold revealed in the pan, 1985

Person sitting on a tiled floor with a tray of gold, surrounded by plants.

Tamara carefully selecting native gold nuggets, 1992

Person standing beneath a building beside a river surrounded by greenery
Wooden cabin in a forest with a scenic view of trees and sky.

Observation post in the Guianese rainforest, 1992

Olivier panning for native gold in the river, 1984

Heritage

In 2020, Esther inherited a necklace that had once belonged to her grandmother — designed by her mother and made with

gold nuggets found by her father. Within it, the story of three generations was etched in gold.

This heirloom sparked a quiet conviction: to carry that legacy forward.

In 2023, she founded Honegger. The necklace passed down through generations became the house's very first creation.

Gold necklace with floral and bead details.

Transforming ancien matter into modern heirlooms, 1996