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Episode 10: This Episode Is Haunted Diana Singer shared the stories of two “cursed” diamonds on this month’s podcast, which was inexplicably riddled with technical issues.
CollectionsJul 22, 2021
Boucheron’s New High Jewelry Collection Is a Sci-Fi Fantasy
“Holographique” combines technical innovation with expert design.
The pièce de resistance of Boucheron’s new “Holographique” high jewelry collection is this collar with a 20.21-carat octagonal yellow Ceylon sapphire, holographic rock crystal, diamond pavè, and white gold. The holographic effect is achieved by spraying the rock crystal with precious metal microparticles at a high temperature.
Paris—Boucheron admits its latest collection isn’t very typical of Place Vendôme high jewelry, prioritizing innovation over traditional glamour.
However, innovation, the famed maison argues, is the Boucheron way, embodying the values of founder Frédéric Boucheron.
“Holographique” is nothing if not original, an ode to light’s shifting hues as refracted through different materials and surfaces.
Creative director Claire Choisne digs into the root of the word holograph, citing its Greek origin, with holos meaning “whole” and graphein meaning “written,” interpreted as everything written or “to represent everything.”
Boucheron’s high jewelry meditation on light’s reflective, transforming properties begins with opals. This multifunctional opal necklace depicts a beta fish and features plique-à-jour enamel on the fins to create a transparent effect.
The “Opalescence” set comprises a necklace (left) that converts into a brooch (center) and an earring (right). The “Opalescence” necklace is set with a 71.69-carat white Ethiopian opal cabochon and a 46.91-carat white Ethiopian opal pear-shaped cabochon in pink gold with enamel and diamonds. Including the opal beads, the entire opal carat weight is 1,518.78 carats.
Here, the set is worn as a brooch and single earring.
The “Ondes” set, meaning “waves.”
The “Ondes” necklace features opals and diamonds set in white gold. The forward-facing hoops showcase a total 16.14 carats of opals, plus mother-of-pearl and diamonds in white gold.
Boucheron cited rainbows, artist Olafur Eliasson’s works that center on light and color, and architect Luis Barragan as touch points for Choisne’s journey into holograms, or three-dimensional images created by light, and their expansive colors.
Interpreting this as jewelry led Choisne to incorporate lots of opals into the “Holographique” collection, the gemstone that arguably incorporates the widest variety of color into individual specimens.
Ethiopian opals were the star of the elaborate “Opalescence” set, comprising a multi-strand beaded opal necklace with a clasp depicting an ethereal beta fish. The piece converts into a brooch and a single earring that wraps around the ear.
Playing on the water theme, a more staid but no less spectacular opal and diamond necklace and hoop earrings set referenced the shimmer of light on water and was fittingly called “Ondes,” or “waves.”
The “Illusion” rings
From left to right: Ring set with 10.38-carat pear-shaped cabochon Australian opal, rubies, pink, orange, yellow and blue sapphires, red garnets, tsavorites, and diamonds in white gold; ring set with 30.98-carat oval-shaped cabochon black Australian opal, sapphires, Paraiba tourmalines, tsavorites, and emeralds in white gold; and ring set with 50.95-carat pear-shaped cabochon white Ethiopian opal, blue, yellow and pink sapphires, tsavorites, orange and green garnets, emeralds, blue tourmalines, and diamonds in white gold.
Three impressive “Illusion” cocktail rings showcase grand Australian and Ethiopian opal center stones and incorporate a variety of colored gemstones on the shanks to reflect their many-varied hues like a gem-laden reflection.
Creating a collection that spans nine sets and 25 individual one-of-a-kind pieces, Choisne wasn’t satisfied to stop her musings on color and light with stones that play with the two naturally. Instead, the Boucheron workshop embarked on entirely new techniques to create a hologram effect of its own.
Several jewels feature ceramic and rock crystal sprayed at high temperatures with precious metals, resulting in a unique holographic effect that couldn’t be pre-planned—and that will likely change over time.
Boucheron noted its team had to forfeit a certain measure of control over the jewels’ end result, as they appear distinctly different depending on the viewing angle and amount of available light.
“Chromatique” brooch featuring 25.01-carat cushion-cut green Mozambican tourmaline with holographic ceramic and diamonds set in titanium and white gold
The brooch shown to scale
From left to right: Ring with 2.83-carat cushion-cut aquamarine, holographic ceramic, and diamonds set in titanium and white gold; and ring with 12.73-carat cushion-cut pink tourmaline, holographic ceramic, and diamonds set in titanium and white gold
The “Chromatique” rings
These holographic coatings bring new life to spectacular floral rings and a brooch, dubbed the “Chromatique” set, breathing new life into the nature motif beloved by the jewelry house.
Peonies and pansies were scanned to form a realistic tribute to their floral inspirations, then molded into white ceramic before being sprayed at high temperature with precious metal microparticles.
The resulting sheen creates a complimentary interplay of color with the rings’ aquamarine and tourmaline center stones.
The “Faisceaux” brooch and bracelet set
This brooch up close reveals the jewel’s many layers: holographic-coated rock crystal atop a layer of diamonds, all set in pink gold.
The “Faisceaux” bracelet
The “Halo” necklace in holographic-coated rock crystal with diamonds in white gold
“Halo” bracelet and ring
The collection transitions from realistic to science fiction-worthy with the incorporation of rock crystal.
While ceramic provides an opaque, porcelain-like backdrop for the holographic coating, rock crystal further diverts the light.
Boucheron played up the futuristic aura with graphic shapes and angles.
The “Faisceaux” brooch and bracelet set sees diamonds covered with a layer of rock crystal treated with the holographic coating, providing a dizzying array of light dimensions and sparkle.
The “Halo” set interprets a classic torque-style necklace and bracelet with Boucheron’s unique holographic fabrication, offering some of the most classic styles of the bunch that are still utterly novel for high jewelry.
“Laser” necklace set with 23 pear-shaped aquamarines totaling 130.01 carats, with holographic ceramic set in white gold
“Laser” ring with 11.88-carat pear-cut aquamarine and holographic ceramic set in white gold with diamond pavè
The “Laser” set also includes a pair of earrings (pictured here as a single earring).
“Prisme” ring with holographic rock crystal and diamonds in white gold
The “Prisme” bracelet and earrings in holographic rock crystal with diamonds, set in white gold
Choisne played with repeating angles in the three final “Holographique” sets.
A continuation of Boucheron’s “Serpent Bohème” pear-shape motif collection, the “Laser” set saw the jewelry house seek out the perfect stones to accentuate the holographic layer as applied to ceramic, rather than designing the jewel around the stones, as is custom for the house.
Boucheron found what it was looking for in aquamarine, which deftly complements the rainbow-esque holographic hues.
The “Prisme” set sees the holographic rock crystal starring as the main material in a bracelet, earrings, and ring. Notches cut into the crystal’s pavilion provided even greater light reflection that differs from every vantage point.
Finally, the full brilliance of Choisne’s holographic coating technique is on display in the “Holographique” set, which sees undulating crystal spheres outlined with diamonds in a necklace, bracelet, and ring.
The “Holographique” collar with 20.21-carat octagonal yellow Ceylon sapphire, holographic rock crystal, diamond pavè, and white gold
Another view of the “Holographique” necklace
The set also includes a bracelet with 14.93-carat cushion-cut pink tourmaline.
The ring features a 4.61-carat oval blue tourmaline.
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