History

The business was established in Lyon by Eugène Coquais in 1830. He offered each of his thirteen children a jewelry store. In 1870, Coquais’s son-in-law, Charles, succeeded him. Charles’ son, Alphonse Augis, took over the business in 1896 and changed the name of the company to A. Augis. In 1907, he created the Love Medal, influenced by L’éternelle chanson of the French poet and playwright, Rosemonde Gérard. It would become one of the most famous pieces of jewelry in France. In 1928, Franch Augis took over the company. In 1960, Augis had the largest advertising budget in the French jewelry sector. In 1970, the company was transferred to Guy Augis. Guy Augis sought to modernize the company and stylized the “A” to make a range of jewelry. The first of the line was sent to Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing, the wife of the French President Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing. In 1996, Guy Augis renovated his shops and used the lion of Lyon and the founding date 1830 to create an icon for the company. In 2012, Augis became part of Arthus-Bertrand and A.Augis became a trademark of the Arthus-Bertrand company.