Rhodia began in Lyon, France in 1932 when brothers Henri and Robert Vérilhac established Papeteries Vérilhac Frères, a stationery firm built on a family tradition of paper merchants. Two years later, they introduced the head-stapled Rhodia pad. Its design was precise and considered: strong head staples, cleanly perforated pages, a cover that folded neatly behind. It found its way onto the desks of writers, students and professionals across France and beyond.

The name comes from the Rhône River, which flows through Lyon. People of the region have long been known as Rhodanians. It has been the only name this pad has ever needed.

In 1997, Rhodia joined the Clairefontaine group, one of Europe's most respected paper manufacturers. The partnership brought together Clairefontaine's expertise in producing exceptional paper with Rhodia's well-established stationery designs, strengthening both the product and the connection to French papermaking that had always been at the brand's core.

Rhodia paper is sourced from sustainably managed forests and produced using vegetable-based inks diluted with water rather than alcohol, complying with European REACH directives. The products are acid-free, pH neutral and bonded with vegetable glue, making them vegan friendly throughout. Quality and responsibility are not in tension here. They have always been part of the same standard.