Boucheron: Like a Queen
Princess Elizabeth was given a Boucheron aquamarine and diamond double clip brooch for her eighteenth birthday in 1944. The brooch was designed by Boucheron. Throughout her reign, she would always keep this cherished pattern prominent in her wardrobe. In the year 2020, the Creative Director of Boucheron, Claire Choisne, made the decision to draw creativity from this one-of-a-kind piece in order to produce a High Jewellery line that would reinterpret the well-known Art Deco design through the use of eighteen different modern designs. Historia de Style, Like a Queen is named after and inspired by a fashion legend whose sense of style has stood the test of time.
“Three years ago, when I start looking for inspirations for this collection in the Boucheron archives, I couldn’t get my mind off that Art Deco double clip brooch, explains Claire Choisne. 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 also touched by the sentimental value of this double clip, which Queen Elizabeth II wore at pivotal moments in her reign.”
On July 31, 1937, Prince George, Duchy of Kent, who later became King George VI, purchased this piece of jewellery at the Boucheron boutique in London. Since then, it has been a treasured possession of the British royal family. Seven years later, on the occasion of Princess Elizabeth’s eighteenth birthday, her family presented it to her. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, wore it on a number of occasions throughout her reign, the most notable of which included her Diamond Jubilee on June 5, 2012; on May 8, 2020, for the 75th anniversary of the speech by George VI announcing the end of World War II; and on the 70th anniversary of her coronation on February 6, 2022. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, wore it on a number of occasions throughout her reign, the most notable of which included her Diamond Jubilee.
An exercise in creativity
As a result of being influenced by the unique look that Queen Elizabeth has, designer Claire Choisne decided that the best course of action would be to work with this particular design and bring it up to date in a collection that transcends all genres. “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. We wanted these eighteen 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.”
Thus, each piece of this “Histoire de Style” line reflects the unique spirit of the two cerulean clips. “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.”
A cherry ruby necklace, a pink tourmaline brooch, an azure aquamarine cuff bracelet, and earrings adorned with lush emeralds... Histoire de Style: Like a Queen stands out with its monochromatic plays on joyful, intense colours, inspired by the spirit of the bright outfits that Queen Elizabeth was famously known to wear. Histoire de Style: Like a Queen goes beyond its primary purpose, which was to create a whole High Jewellery collection based on the inspiration of a single item, and provides a glimpse of the true creativity that went into the design of the collection. This is accomplished in the manner of a story that is recounted via eighteen chapters.
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