Jean-Valentin Morel (1794-1860) was born in Paris to Valentin Morel, a lapidary craftsman, and his mother came from a family of silversmiths. Morel learned the craft of lapidary cutting from his father and then apprenticed and worked for the jeweler Adrien-Maximilien Vachette, famous for his gold boxes for Louis XVI and Napoleon. In 1818, Morel opened his own business and registered his trademark on August 2, 1827.

Between 1834 and 1840, Morel worked for the jeweler Jean-Baptiste Fossin, and in 1842, he signed a contract with the silversmith and goldsmith Henri Duponchel, establishing a shop called “Morel & Cie” on Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin in Paris. The company, which employed up to 80 people, enjoyed great success and quickly gained an international reputation. The enterprise produced decorative vases, jewelry sets, and silverware based on designs by Jules Peyrat and Constant Cévin. The quality of the firm’s products was recognized with a gold medal at the French Industrial Exhibition of 1844.

Over time, disagreements arose between the partners, leading to the dissolution of the partnership. Duponchel filed a lawsuit in 1848, prohibiting Morel from working in Paris.

The Revolution of 1848 led to a significant decline in the company, which at that time was known as House of Fossin. To attract foreign clients, it was decided to relocate the business to London. Jean-Valentin Morel was appointed managing director. In London, Jean-Valentin Morel became Queen Victoria’s personal jeweler. At the first World’s Fair in 1851, the company was awarded one of the most prestigious prizes.

Morel returned to France in 1852 and opened a new workshop in Sèvres. He continued working, but began to experience financial difficulties that would plague him until his death in 1860. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1855, he received the Grand Medal for his gold jewelry. There, he exhibited his famous bloodstone bowl, commissioned by the French patron, the Duc de Luynes.