Upcycled premium leathers

Nune is committed to recycling and utilizing as much high-quality leather as possible from surplus stock and end-of-collection surpluses in the luxury sector. Leather is collected as offcuts or whole hides from leather goods manufacturers, partner companies, French, Italian, and Spanish tanneries, and recycling centers.

A rich palette of varied colors to personalize your jewelry

From matte and satin leathers to shiny, glittery, or iridescent leathers, not forgetting fancy leathers imitating crocodile, zebra, leopard, snake, or even marine leathers, there's something for everyone. Each woman can find her perfect color for a unique piece of jewelry!

Discover our range of colored leathers 🎨
colorful luxury leathers , glittery leathers , and marine leathers

They shine, they sparkle with a thousand sequins, they are irresistible!

Of rare finesse, these precious scaled salmon leathers are the fruit of the traditional know-how of a French tannery and an eco-responsible approach: valorizing existing resources, fish skins from the food industry, in an upcycling approach, to transform them into high-quality marine leathers.

Widely used in the manufacture of shoes, clothing, and fashion accessories, leather is renowned for its beauty and strength. There are an incredible number of textures, patterns, and colors for this material. Leather is now also very popular in jewelry such as necklaces and earrings . To create their products, costume jewelry designers often use recycled leather from shoemakers, tanneries, and luxury leather goods stores. Would you like to know more about leather and its characteristics? We invite you to discover different types of leather and some possible finishes.

LEATHER: WHAT IS IT?

Genuine leather is a noble, rot-proof, and transformed material that comes from the skin of an animal. Leather has many origins: it can come from a bovine like calf or cow, but it can also come from an exotic species like python or crocodile. To obtain leather, the raw hide must be dried and preserved in salt to eliminate the water present in the tissues. This hide must then undergo river work, which allows it to be cleaned by removing the hair and subcutaneous fatty layers to facilitate tanning.

TANNING AND COATING

Tanning involves making the hide more supple and stronger through the application of various products. Several tanning processes are possible for making leather.

Mineral tanning involves working the hide with mineral tannins to obtain a more or less supple leather. Vegetable tanning uses natural tannins to obtain vegetable leather, which is generally harder and more difficult to work with than mineral leather.

The tanned skin, prepared in industry or in a traditional tanning company, then undergoes various mechanical and chemical treatments in order to ultimately obtain the finished product.

After tanning, the leather is cured. Curing involves several complex operations of transformation of the material with the use of tools and materials specific to the tannery. Sometimes practiced during this stage, splitting allows to separate the two layers of the tanned skin: the flower , which corresponds to the surface of the epidermis on which the hairs are normally found; the crust , which corresponds to the lower layer, often called flesh, although it is the dermis and not the flesh of the animal.

Other operations are possible, such as adding a dye for color or specific products to modify the suppleness of the leather. It is also during this stage that the desired thickness of the leather is obtained and evened out, thanks to the skiving technique. This operation allows for a thin or thick product depending on the product's use. The latter is then dried before proceeding with the finishing touches.

THE FINISHING

Finishing is the final step in the product's manufacturing process, which gives it its appearance and light or dark color. Tanned and cured hides are sorted according to their quality level. Here are some common examples you can find among the many available finishes:

• Full-grain: Refers to a product that does not undergo any processing after tanning. It is presented grain-side down and has the natural, authentic appearance of leather. However, it requires specific care and must be waxed to maintain its lasting beauty. Full-grain leather can have different finishes:
• Aniline leather finish, also known as dipped leather, is a beautiful, high-end finish. The surface and natural grain of the leather are preserved thanks to a film of oil containing aniline.
• Semi-aniline finishing is similar to aniline finishing. The main difference between the two is the use of pigments in semi-aniline finishing. This provides additional protection for the surface of the product.
• Pigmented finishing uses a large amount of pigment to mask any small defects found on the surface of the leather. Nappa leather is an example of a smooth, full-grain pigmented leather with a very fine finish.
• Corrected grain: refers to a product that has been superficially sanded to remove some defects. The surface can be smooth or have a grained finish. The resulting product is less attractive than a full-grain material but easier to maintain.
• Split leather: obtained by splitting the lower layer of the skin. It can be treated with pigments to make it more resistant.
• Grained, satin, printed, marked or engraved leather: product to which a grain, effect or artificial pattern is applied. A coating may be applied beforehand to create a print. Many effects are possible: imitation fabric, fish scales, snakeskin, etc.
• Shearling: The animal's hair has been preserved to create a product ideal for warm clothing. Lambskin is often used to achieve this finish.
• Suede leather: the product is turned inside out to leave the velvety inner part visible.
• Boiled leather: the hide is cooked in boiling water to produce a very hard product.
• Aged leather: the product is worked to obtain a surface with a worn and cracked appearance, like leather that is aging.
• Oiled leather: product soaked in oil to improve its resistance and flexibility.
• Nubuck: grain sanded to obtain a smooth, soft and velvety appearance, very pleasant to the touch.

ANIMAL AND THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEATHER

Here is a list of the main types of leather and their characteristics.

• Cowhide leather refers to products made from the hides of cattle such as cows or bison. Cowhide, buffalo, and calfskin are among the most common types of cowhide. Cowhide is a very durable leather. Some calfskin leathers, such as Ruga, are renowned for their shine and fine grain.
• Horse leather or cordovan is a rare and special product, mainly used in the shoemaking industry.
• Sheepskin is made from sheep skins: sheep, goat, and lamb. These are robust and particularly durable materials. Lambskin is a delicate leather with a shiny and silky appearance.
• Marine leather is a term used to group together different types of fish leather, such as salmon or trout. These leathers have the advantage of having beautiful natural scale-like patterns.
• Exotic leathers are numerous and come from different animal species around the world: snake leather, python leather, ostrich leather, lizard leather, and crocodile leather. Galuchat leather is a shark leather with a beautiful pearly appearance. Peccary leather is a material derived from the skin of a species of wild pig living in South America.
• Alternative leathers are eco-friendly leathers made from plant fibers. Many varieties are used: soy, cork, mushrooms, etc. Leather made from pineapple fibers is an example of an alternative product that can be described as eco-friendly leather.

LEATHERS USED AT NUNE

At Nune, we are committed to using recycled leathers to make our jewelry. These leathers, recovered from the luxury sector, are part of an eco-responsible approach that is dear to us. These materials are cut and assembled in our workshop to create jewelry in multiple shapes and colors . Our selection of leather goods includes a wide selection of earrings and necklaces to personalize according to your desires and preferences. The Nune team is at your disposal for any advice on our products.