Menē x Louise Bourgeois

I N V E ST I N 24 K

page on front cover

Menē crafts 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry sold by gram weight.

By combining innovative technology, timeless design, and radical transparency, Menē restores the link between jewelry and savings.

THE PROBLEM

2

Luxury jewelry brands no longer craft jewelry with lasting value.

3

FA I L I N G O N P U R I T Y Man-made chemical alloys of 14-18 karats (58%-75% pure) have become the most common jewelry marketed and sold. Alloys do not exhibit the natural properties of gold and platinum and even tarnish with time.

FA I L I N G O N S C A R C I T Y The modern jewelry industry has also ascribed nonexistent intrinsic value to diamonds and gemstones, causing consumer confusion when it comes to what is truly rare in nature. Diamonds and gemstones are merely crystals of Carbon (C), one of the most abundant elements, and Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃). Sadly, diamonds have played an important role in the declining value and increased price subjectivity of modern jewelry.

4

FA I L I N G O N T R A N S PA R E N C Y The precious metal weight and value are almost never disclosed. This lack of transparency is what enables modern jewelry brands to earn up to 80% of the original purchase price as revenue and is why modern jewelry fails to maintain its value.

5

THE MENÄ’ DIFFERENCE 24 KARAT PURITY RADICAL TRANSPARENCY STORE OF ENDURING VALUE

24 KARAT PURITY Menē jewelry is crafted from pure 24 karat gold and platinum, the same form that these precious metals are found in nature. The difference in purity over man-made chemical alloys of 14-18 karats (58%-75%) is instantly observed and felt. It also means our jewelry is hypoallergenic and antimicrobial.

There is a myth that jewelry cannot be crafted from pure 24 karat gold due to its softness. While it is true that pure gold is more malleable than other metals and may contour to your body, gold is indestructible and will not tarnish. This special quality can only be understood when experienced physically, leading to an appreciation of this authentic purity as superior to any element in nature.

9

RADICAL TRANSPARENCY Menē jewelry is sold by the gold and platinum weight value plus a transparent design and manufacturing premium.

This premium is around 20% of the precious metal value each day. The result: a $500 Menē ring will have at least $400 in gold or platinum value at the time of purchase while $100 is the revenue earned by Menē.

Other Costs: Manufacturing, Design & Operations

11

STORE OF ENDURING VALUE By avoiding gems and diamonds, the pieces we design are homogenous as pure gold and platinum leaving no doubt as to their long-term precious metal value. As the value of Menē jewelry is essentially a weight of pure precious metals, the jewelry can be exchanged or sold in the future as easily as it was purchased.

We stand behind this value by offering the Menē Guarantee which allows you to sell or exchange your jewelry at the daily precious metal value less a 10% fee. We also provide an innovative dashboard to keep track of your collections real-time value.

For every gram of gold or platinum on earth there are 60 grams of silver, 5,000 grams of sapphires, and 400,000 grams of diamonds.

13

LOUISE BOURGEOIS

One of the most influential female artists of modern and contemporary art, Louise Bourgeois’ illustrious career spanned eight decades, encompassing sculpture, drawing, printmaking, installation, and writing. Always at the forefront of successive new developments, she took techniques, ideas, and images rooted in her memories and experiences of childhood to create radically new and shocking pieces of art, with the intention of evoking emotional responses from her audience.

Her impressive body of work is full of context, deep meaning, and was characterized by variety. Today, her work is celebrated globally; her famous spider, Maman, a permanent fixture in London, Tokyo, Spain, Seoul.

Spider I Pendant

16

Louise Bourgeois SPIDER I, 1995 Bronze, dark and polished patina, wall piece 50 x 46 x 12 1/4”; 127 x 116.8 x 31.1 cm. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo: Christopher Burke

“For me, sculpture is the body. My body is my sculpture.”

Louise Bourgeois, “Self-Expression is Sacred and Fatal: Statements,” in Christiane Meyer-Thoss, Louise Bourgeois: Designing For Free Fall (Zurich: Ammann Verlag, 1992), 195

The Spiral Pendant

20

Louise Bourgeois UNTITLED, 2004 Aluminum, hanging piece 72 x 42 x 46”; 182.8 x 106.6 x 116.8 cm. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo: Christopher Burke

“The spiral…has two directions. Where do you place yourself, at the periphery or at the vortex?“ Louise Bourgeois, “Self-Expression is Sacred and Fatal: Statements,” in Christiane Meyer-Thoss, Louise Bourgeois: Designing For Free Fall (Zurich: Ammann Verlag, 1992), 179

Arch of Hysteria Pendant

24

Louise Bourgeois ARCH OF HYSTERIA, 1993 Bronze, polished patina, hanging piece 33 x 40 x 23”; 83.8 x 101.6 x 58.4 cm. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo: Christopher Burke

“Here in the arch of hysteria, pleasure and pain are merged in a state of happiness.”

Louise Bourgeois, quoted in Louise Bourgeois: Blue Days and Pink Days (exh. cat.), Asbaghi, Pandora Tabatabai and Jerry Gorovoy, eds., with an essay by Paulo Herkenhoff (Milan: Fondazione Prada, 1997), 211.

MEET OUR DESIGN TEAM

Menē designs are born from true love. Love of art, history, and design. Renowned art historian Diana Widmaier-Picasso and multifaceted designer Sunjoo Moon met while both living in Paris and have been close friends for decades. Their mutual passion for art, history, and design motivated them to join forces as a creative team for Menē. Combining their extensive experience in their respective fields while working closely with skilled craftsmen to fully realize and utilize the elements of pure gold and platinum led to the creation of timeless pieces that have a look and feel unlike any other brand of jewelry. Diana and Sunjoo draw inspiration from antiquity for their designs in pure metal; artists have been paying homage to and creating with gold since the beginning of time. The ancient Egyptians believed it conferred immortal power and there’s no doubt that the dynamic Menē design team has captured yet enhanced both the modern and ancient spiritual values of 24 karat precious metal.

29

D I A N A W. P I C ASS O

Wearing jewelry needs to be a pleasurable and beautiful experience; pieces should fit like a velvet glove and contour perfectly to the body.

Finding the perfect balance between aesthetic and wearability. Jewelry should live on you and not walk in front of you.

SUNJOO MOON

LIFETIME GUARANTEE 32

Our certified buyback guarantee enables you to exchange or sell your Menē jewelry at any time for its realtime value less a 10% buyback fee.

Your account will be credited within seven business days upon receipt of your package.

You may earn the value as Menē Credit, deposit the amount to your PayPal or Goldmoney account, or have a cheque mailed to your address.

Once you initiate a buyback via your Menē Dashboard, you will receive a discreet prepaid shipping envelope within three to five days time.

Please ensure your Certificate of Authenticity is enclosed with your item to avoid incurring an additional 5% assaying fee.

33

CUSTOMER SERVICE Our customer service team is available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week via phone, email, and live chat on mene.com.

1-833-MENE-24K service@mene.com

34

page facing back cover

page facing back cover

mene.com @mene