Hallowed Heritage

From a small boutique in Napoleonic Paris to an international brand beloved by royalty and stars alike,  Boucheron’s history reads like a European fairy tale, writes Melissa Twigg.

- Melissa Twigg

BY 1858, frédéric boucheron had already made a name for himself in the salons of Paris for his ability to design exquisite pieces of jewellery for the most glamorous women in French society. Unusually for a jeweller of that era, he decided to open a store under the gabled arches of the Palais Royale to show off his wares. His small, apothecary-like shop was soon packed with well-heeled visitors who would travel specially to the French capital to admire his work with gold, rubies and peridots.

Over time, Boucheron became known as the jeweller who could recreate the wonders of nature in metal form. As his career progressed, he borrowed with increasing frequency from the natural world, creating bracelets shaped like curled snakes, rings fashioned to resemble monkeys, and delicate pendants that recreated the smooth contours of a single leaf.