Boucheron rethinks a royal brooch for high jewellery rich in regal references

The creative director of Boucheron, Claire Choisne, has long delighted jewellery lovers with her thoughtful redrawing of the parameters of high jewellery. Whether embracing unexpected materials, surprising placements or offbeat design, her high jewellery stands out for the sheer delight she clearly takes in the process of its creation.

Now, Choisne is looking into the impact the jewellery house has had on others. The new collection, ‘Histoire de Style, Like a Queen’, nods specifically to Boucheron’s royal fans. Choisne takes inspiration from the aquamarine and diamond double-clip Boucheron brooch that Princess Elizabeth – later Queen Elizabeth II – received for her 18th birthday in 1944, imbuing this historical significance with a contemporary cool.

Boucheron ‘Histoire de Style, Like a Queen’ collection

‘Three years ago, when I started looking for inspirations for this collection in the Boucheron archives, I couldn’t get my mind off that art deco double-clip brooch,’ Choisne says. ‘The severity and geometry of the art deco design, tempered by the softness and light blue hue of the aquamarines, always fascinated me. I was touched by the sentimental value of this double clip, which Queen Elizabeth II wore at pivotal moments in her reign.’

Its architectural aesthetic is here rethought in 18 new pieces of jewellery. Deep blue Ceylon sapphires, Zambian emeralds and blue, yellow and pink sapphires are framed with diamonds for jewellery that can be worn in multiple ways.

‘Being able to wear a piece in a number of ways, as well as the use of colour, were central to our work on this collection, so that both men and women may wear these pieces,’ Choisne adds. ‘We wanted these 18 variations to reflect the ease with which the original was worn, since the two clips may be attached in various ways, on their own or together. We also wanted this collection to convey the elegance distinctive of this art deco piece.'

‘On certain jewellery sets, we broke down the original geometry of the design. On others, we took the opposite approach: we compacted the art deco design. And elsewhere, we brought in another dimension by playing on the colours of the gemstones.’ 

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