The New Maharani Necklace. Image courtesy of Boucheron
French jeweler Boucheron is tapping historic roots for its new collection of high jewelry.
Histoire de Style, New Maharajahs is a collection inspired by the Maharaja of Patiala’s special commission at the house in 1928. The collection includes 14 pieces across 5 sets and symbolizes historical elegance while maintaining brand style.
“Boucheron definitely did not disappoint with their new collection that offers several options to successfully wear and pair high-end statement jewelry,” said Jamie Hobbs, founder/CEO of The Savvy PR Chick.
Histoire de Style
Boucheron is looking back at history, recalling the meeting on August 2, 1928, when the Maharaja of Patiala met with Frédéric Boucheron at the Place Vendôme.
During the meeting, Mr. Boucheron took the Indian royal into the safes where he crafted 149 designs for him, using gemstones including diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
The New Maharajah necklace. Image courtesy of Boucheron
Claire Choisne, artistic director of Boucheron, honors this historical event with the brand's latest jewelry collection.
Designers ensured items in the collection channel the ancestral spirit of India, including the lotus flower, turban ornaments or wedding bracelets, as well as traditional techniques such as glyptics, the art of engraving stones.
Sets in the collection include the New Maharajah which features a necklace and set of earrings, with the necklace hosting nine Colombian emeralds for a total of 40 carats. Boucheron also replaced the original emeralds at the ends of the necklace from 1928 with diamonds.
The Maharani Set includes three necklaces, the New Maharani which is a choker, the New Maharani Cristal Necklace which was inspired by traditional long Indian necklaces and the New Maharani Nacre Necklace which is made of pearls and diamonds.
Boucheron is honoring its own legacy with the new collection and campaign
There is also a New Padma Ring set, with the first ring displaying a rock crystal dome, shaped with the glyptics technique, and the second having been sculpted into rock crystal.
The collection also features New Churiyan Bracelets, which are traditionally given to women when they get married as they are considered protective talismans.
High jewelry honoring heritage
Several brands have tapped into their own histories to introduce new collections and vice versa — using collections to honor their heritage.
Last year, French fashion label Chanel offered some high praise for its iconic N°5 fragrance with a new thoughtfully-inspired line.
In celebrating 100 years of the fragrance, Chanel released the N°5 high jewelry collection, with each piece inspired by a different aspect of the iconic perfume. In a film series, the label illustrated the meticulous thought process and craftsmanship behind the new collection (see story).
In July 2021, French fashion label Louis Vuitton honored the 200th anniversary of its founder’s birthday with a cinematic new effort and high jewelry collection.
A short film followed brand ambassador and actress Alicia Vikander as she embarked on a journey through a forest and large estate. As she fashioned the commemorative Bravery high jewelry collection, Ms. Vikander’s journey in the film is reminiscent of that of the label’s founder (see story).
With its new collection, Boucheron is celebrating history by adding a contemporary spin, giving consumers myriad options to express themselves.
“Not only are they giving consumers diverse options, but their beautifully crafted pieces are sure to make any person or wardrobe stand out--in the best way possible,” Ms. Hobbs said.