In possibly its most daring undertaking yet, Boucheron has created an enduring homage to the fleeting beauty of nature. Meet the creative mind behind this audacious endeavour:
In an industry where “pushing the boundaries of design” has become somewhat of a cliché, a trailblazer like Claire Choisne, creative director of Boucheron, comes along and reminds us that there are still true innovators out there.
Last year, as I perused the grand pieces of Boucheron’s new 62-piece Hiver Impérial high jewellery collection, it was a ring that was perhaps the best example of Choisne’s virtuosity. The idea was to create a snowball that “can shine like the sun,” she told me.
To that end, a round rock crystal was hollowed out and filled with 1,700 minuscule diamonds. Special tools were developed to carve out the crystal through a microscopic hole until the dome was a mere 1.3mm thick. Then Choisne and her team used a special technique to inject more than 30 carats of melee diamonds into the dome, creating the illusion that the rock crystal had disappeared. It was a work of genius.
As Choisne modestly acknowledged achieving what she described as a “near-impossible task,” I learned she had already set herself an even bigger challenge. “To be honest, I’m not sure I will succeed,” she told me last year. “It freaks me out thinking about the work yet that lies ahead.”
Fast-forward one year and, voila, Choisne, has outdone herself. The Nature Triomphante high jewellery collection, which involved three years of research and development, was unveiled in July during Haute Couture Week in Paris.
Among its many majestic stunners are the Fleur Graphique necklace, set with an exquisite 5.65-carat Colombian cushion-cut emerald, and the Nuage de Fleurs necklace in pink gold, mother-of-pearl and pavé diamonds set with a 42.96-carat cushion-cut pink tourmaline. But, again, it is a delicate ring—actually, a set of nine—that deserves special attention.