Hypnotic Hues

A vintage diamond brooch once owned by Queen Elizabeth II inspires a modern, gender-neutral high jewellery collection by French maison Boucheron.

- SHAN LEE

What comes to mind when you think about the British crown jewels? Magnificent, but ostentatious. Ceremonial, but uncomfortable. Priceless, but antiquated - and understandably so, for most of the pieces had been commissioned and crafted between the late 19th century and early 20th century. Now, what if we told you that one of the British royal family's most trusted jewellers for decades has found a way to put a modern spin on a vintage high-jewellery brooch once owned and adored by Queen Elizabeth II? This fascinating idea is the linchpin of one of this year's most audacious new collections, and the jeweller in question is none other than Boucheron.

Between 1921 and 1968, the French maison had been granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment by Buckingham Palace, allowing it to advertise this privileged status on the windows of its London boutiques on Piccadilly and New Bond Street. While Elizabeth II had never personally ordered a Boucheron creation, many members of the British royal family were regular customers. Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, was especially fond of Boucheron jewels. His name appears 75 times in the maison's sales registers principally for women's jewellery, including a number of clips and brooches.