Upon hearing the inspiration for Boucheron’s latest high jewellery collection – water – the first thought that sprang to mind was from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner from 1843: “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” But setting this poem aside for a second, it’s clear that Claire Choisne is on to something quite profound with her precious interpretation of life’s most vital resource. The collection is said to be an “ode to the memory of water”, a homage to the waters of Iceland, the powerful rush of waterfalls and the surge of waves. In fact, no instance of water has been forgotten in this creative and curated offering, which is bursting with Boucheron signatures, such as the minimal colour palette, use of innovative materials and, of course, its spirited multi-wear approach.
The differences between this collection and last year’s More is More High Jewellery collection are vast but excitingly so. To think that Boucheron can present a Pop Art-inspired cacophony of hair ties and precious hoodie drawstrings only to turn around and present something as inherently sophisticated (and showstopping) as Or Bleu is quite remarkable. However, they are both linked in so far as they transform jewellery into something more…almost like a new layer of clothing that breaks free of the typical neck, wrist, ear and finger boundaries. Let’s start with the Cascade necklace, inspired by the rush of a waterfall that traverses more than 148 centimetres in white gold and diamonds – the longest item ever made by Boucheron’s ateliers. As you might expect, Cascade can be metamorphosised into a shorter necklace and two detachable earrings. Another interesting aspect of this piece is that some areas are as fine as filaments despite its oversized proportions. Can you imagine the precision required to set 1,816 diamonds of varying sizes throughout this articulated necklace so that it flows like water down the body? Accordingly, it required more than 3,000 hours of craftsmanship!
Boucheron always finds its creative groove in necklaces (at least in our opinion), which is why the Ondes or ‘Waves’ necklace really stands out. This piece evokes the rippling movement of water, first captured in 3D software and then translated into wearable form through sculpted, polished and transparent rock crystal and 4,542 diamonds. The metal is so minimal here that the necklace sits like a second skin atop the decolletage, which is especially remarkable considering the natural contours of the collarbones and shoulders. All this had to be considered during the 5,000 hours of craftsmanship that Boucheron’s workforce dedicated to this creation. Two rings complete the suite, including one set with a 1.02 carat, E-colour, VVS2 round diamond and rock crystal and a second with rock crystal and diamonds, both requiring more than 300 hours of skilled making.
We have a fondness for the Eau d’Encre (Ink-Black Water) cuff bracelet, largely because of its interesting texture and subtle sci-fi aesthetic. It is inspired by Iceland’s black waters, which “expose the harsh side of nature,” according to the brand, which opted for volcanic obsidian as its material of choice. This deep black natural glass is sculpted to simulate waves, surrounded by blocks of pavé diamonds that jut like white cliffs on either side of a titanium and white gold gorge. The set is completed with a matching ring, set with a 2.01 carat, D-colour, VVS1 pear-shaped diamond. Two further cuff bracelets make up the Eau Forte or ‘Etching’ set, which is inspired by the moment that a wave swells one final time before breaking over black sand. The actual name ‘Eau Forte’ comes from the process used in crafting the relief on the bracelets themselves, which uses a chemical solution to etch a design into metal. First, a coat of acid-resistant wax is applied to the white gold plate of the bracelet, and then the wave design is etched into the wax. Then, the piece is submerged in an acid solution, dissolving the gold in places where it hasn’t been covered in wax. The longer it is immersed, the deeper the grooves will become. All this is accompanied by air-brushed white lacquer, digital laser-printed black lacquer, diamond paving, and a final layer of transparent varnish to seal the aesthetic for all eternity! Each bracelet required more than 900 hours of craftsmanship.
The cleverness continues with Sable Noir (Black Sand) – a tight collar necklace that juxtaposes white diamonds with crystallised black sand. Interestingly, this is not the first time the Maison has used sand in its collections; the first appearance was in 2015, when desert sand was encapsulated for a necklace. Now, though, we see black sand compacted using a 3D printing technique, infused with a polymer binder and precision sprayed in fine layers to create the desired shape. This technique is typically used in automotive and aeronautics, so it is great to see it being translated into jewellery. The completed Sable Noir suite includes a necklace, a pair of pendant earrings and a cuff bracelet, all of which rely on minimal metal to achieve the desired sand sculpture aesthetic. The necklace alone required some 620 hours of hand-making.
Écume or ‘Foam’ is where cocktail rings come into play. Inspired by the frothy seafoam on Iceland’s beaches, each ring is crafted in shades of black, white and grey, including one carved from a single piece of jet-black obsidian. Balance is a word that springs to mind in this set because of the composition of titanium and gold. The former is far lighter than the latter, which makes creating a comfortable and neatly weighted cocktail ring somewhat challenging. Overall, there are five pieces – an obsidian, diamond and titanium ring; a rock crystal, diamond and titanium ring; a white jade and diamond ring in white gold with a 5.08-carat pear-shaped diamond; a ring set with a 1.02-carat round diamond, alongside rock crystal and further diamonds in white gold, and finally a rock crystal and diamond ring in white gold, all requiring more than 800 hours of hard work to produce.
The Iceberg necklace and matching pendant earrings have real presence, not least because of their impressive size and scale. Both are inspired by Iceland’s ‘diamond beach’ and rely upon the combination of transparent, translucent and sparkling materials working in harmony. Here, rock crystal is frosted to evoke the rough surface of icebergs washed up on the beach, with some crystal chunks embedded with diamonds or set atop diamonds to add to the dynamism. Another thing to note is the articulation between each element of this necklace; although the metal joins are small and unobtrusive, they provide a lovely, comfortable flexibility that makes this piece more wearable. Both the necklace and earrings required more than 2,400 hours of skilled work. We can also imagine the Vague (Wave) asymmetrical earring appearing on the red carpet, whether it is worn as an earring or in its alternative form as a brooch. The piece echoes a tiara from Boucheron’s archives, dated 1910, inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and is set with 851 round diamonds totalling 20 carats in 18k white gold. Here, we find another 650 hours of craftsmanship, so it is safe to say the Boucheron atelier has been busy with Or Bleu!
The Flots (Swell) diamond necktie and brooch has a subtle Art Deco flavour, although it is technically inspired by a comb from the Boucheron archives dating to 1901. Diamonds are suspended on separate, free-hanging threads to mimic cascading water, and, as a result, they move with every step the wearer takes. The Maison’s gem-setters mounted the diamonds in a ‘copeaux’ setting that leaves the metal around the stones virtually imperceptible. You may have noted by now that Boucheron has prioritised ‘hidden’ metal throughout this collection, which is also apparent in the Ciel de Glace cuff bracelet and ring. Both are composed of carved rock crystal, diamonds and blue sapphires in white gold, requiring more than 1,000 hours of craftsmanship. Think of these as a manifestation of the elemental force of the wind inside Iceland’s caves, whipping up frost and ice into three-dimensional forms. The blocks of rock crystal used here are totally devoid of inclusions but have been carved with undulating textures in homage to Iceland’s frozen caves.
Before we move on to our personal showstoppers of the entire collection, let’s talk aquamarines! The Cristaux necklace is set with a 5.06-carat, E-colour, VVS kite-shaped diamond, 24 aquamarines and rock crystal, alongside further diamonds in white gold. Incredibly, this piece can be covered in a ring, with the resulting mechanism contributing to the 2,350 hours of craftsmanship required. Elsewhere, the Banquise or ‘Ice Floe’ earrings use veined marble, known as ‘grand antique marble’, to present a subtle interplay of dark and light hues. Matching Banquise rings follow this theme but add a 2.01-carat, E-colour, VVS1 pear-shaped diamond and a 5.08-carat D-colour, internally flawless diamond, with the latter set in white jade.
Finally, here are our two favourite pieces from the entire Or Bleu collection. Firstly, there’s the Eau Vivre (White Water) diamond-set shoulder brooches that evoke water surging over rough terrain. These jewels are vividly realistic, benefiting from aluminium, palladium and diamonds, combined across 980 hours of workmanship. To stay on the body, these perfectly symmetrical brooches – sculpted from a single rectangular block of aluminium and bathed in palladium - are attached with a powerful magnetic system to allow for lightweight freedom of movement.
And, lastly, there’s Givre or ‘Frost’, which takes the form of five pieces that flow together in one almost unbroken chain of diamonds, Akoya pearls and white gold. What’s most impressive about this suite is its ambition… of course, pieces can be worn singularly, but it is the idea of one person wearing all five in unison that is so exciting! The brand explains: “Claire Choisne created ‘Givre’, a new kind of jewellery set that recreates a cascade of stalactites dripping down the body. A hair jewel, an earring, a shoulder jewel and a ring succeed one another in a melting flow dictated by gravity.” Here, again, metal takes a backseat to highlight the precious elements of pearl, mother of pearl and diamonds, with the total number of pearls just above 690. Within this quintet, the ring is built with a ball-bearing bearing mechanism that keeps its elements always hanging vertically downwards, like ice melting – a clever touch, don’t you think? In total, some 2,610 hours were required to make Claire Choisne’s vision for Givre a reality.
This collection continues Boucheron’s stellar streak of exceptional high jewellery and its innovative use of materials like sand, aluminium, titanium, and rock crystal. Who knows where Claire Choisne will take us next in her ongoing high jewellery odyssey? We can’t wait to find out.
