Born in 1889 in Souvigny to glassworker parents, Jean Després began his apprenticeship in 1905 with a Parisian goldsmith. Initially, he worked as a draughtsman in the military aviation during World War I. In the 1920s, he took over his family’s shop in Avallon and established his own silverware workshop. As a modernist artist, he was featured in his first Salon des Indépendants in 1926. This marked the beginning of numerous exhibitions and art shows, including the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, the Salon d’Automne, and the Salon des Tuileries.

He favored geometric forms over ornamentalism and preferred raw materials over gems. His jewelry creations featured rings, bracelets, and necklaces that combined silver and gold with materials like ivory, lacquer, rock crystal, onyx, and shagreen. His jewelry designs drew inspiration from the aviation world, incorporating hammered metals and mechanical shapes to create unique and modern pieces.

In 1940, Jean Després was appointed President of the Goldsmiths’ Union, after being awarded the Legion of Honor in 1938. He continued to produce highly sought-after pieces both in France and abroad until his death in 1980. Today, he is counted among the greatest names of 20th-century silverware. A museum in his honor stands in Avallon, and his work is displayed in significant cultural institutions such as the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Palais Galliera, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, to name just a few.