Boucheron has officially launched its new High Jewellery collection, “A History of Style, Art Déco”.

As with all High Jewellery collections introduced by the Maison each January, Creative Director Claire Choisne found inspiration in Boucheron’s historic pieces, this year. They offer timeless creations, as a signature style.

This year, Choisne delved into Maison Boucheron’s abundant Art deco archives. She extracted the spirit, the line, the radical simplicity of a time when the Parisienne asserted her femininity by wearing masculine clothes, plunging necklines, high-waisted pants, long necklaces and short hair. A time of extravagance, where style was all about attitude.

As a perfect echo to modern-day women and men, Choisne has chosen to magnify the couture spirit and the antagonisms of the Roaring Twenties, focusing on feminine and masculine, the opulence of pure lines, the contrast of black and white enhanced by a touch of colour. Boucheron’s jewellery making savoir-faire applied to Art Deco flapper necklaces and ribbon bracelets result in utterly contemporary multi-wear pieces.

More than a high jewellery collection for women and for men, "A History of Style, Art Déco" is a declaration of freedom and style.

CRAVATE ÉMERAUDE: A piece of jewellery just like a tie. A couture echo to those flapper years, when women asserted their style through details gleaned from the masculine wardrobe. On a white gold necklace as soft and delicate as a silk tie lies a detachable brooch, on which onyx and black lacquer draw subtle perspectives highlighting an 8.02-carat emerald. The contrast between materials and colours is enhanced by the numerous ways this jewel can be worn: as a tie, a necklace, a pendant or even, after detaching its emerald heart, as a collar jewel or a brooch on a masculine look.

RUBAN DIAMANTS: More than a jewel, this white gold ribbon set with baguette and round diamonds is the ideal genderless accessory. With its chevron pattern, iconic of Art Déco, this graphic line can equally be a belt worn by a man with a tuxedo, a headband or a choker worn by a woman or even two genderless bracelets. The options for wearing this jewel in most contemporary ways are endless and left to the imagination.

NOEUD DIAMANTS: If bow-ties have essentially served as baroque ornaments in the history of High Jewellery, here is a pure bow-tie, enhanced by the black and white contrast. Claire Choisne’s creative eye made it a white gold and black lacquer brooch paved with diamonds, that can be pinned on a black dress or in the hair. It is also the bow-tie to a masculine suit. It is lastly a ring, faithful to Boucheron’s multi-wear tradition: either a 1.50-carat solitaire, with its black edge, or a couture bow-tie ring.

LISERÉ DIAMANTS: This black edge expresses all the power of a simple black line: it only needs to border a 5.27-carat pear-shaped diamond drop to draw a radically modern piece. Just like a braid would highlight a garment, this piece is a Boucheron signature on a High Jewellery classic.

PLASTRON ÉMERAUDES: A necklace as an armour? This proud plastron was inspired by the necklaces Boucheron created for the Maharajah of Patiala, and is set with 220 emerald beads for a total of 1071.97 carat. It borrows its opulence from that time when men wore High Jewellery as a sign of power and glory. It is pure strength allied to the softness of emeralds that Claire Choisne offers to women. In the tradition of Boucheron’s multi-wear, this spectacular necklace can transform into a choker and a bracelet, and its design is available as a graphic ring and two different pairs of earrings.

BOUTON ÉMERAUDE: A white gold and platinum ring paved with diamonds and set with a 7.43-carat cushion-cut Muzo emerald, like a button on a finger. This ring is discreetly extravagant with its soft curve, the purity of the lines and the black, white and green colours dear to Claire Choisne. It is the finishing touch to a look, just like the perfect button on a garment.

LAVALLIÈRE DIAMANTS: A necklace like a cravat. Pure and opulent lines dictating style like a fashion detail would dictate a whole look. This diamond, onyx, black lacquer and white gold piece remembers the mythical flapper who would borrow fashion items from the masculine wardrobe and assert new femininity. Here is a cravat, depicted in a frozen movement, as a necklace quilted with diamonds and trimmed with three braids of large black lacquer rings. Claire Choisne offers to play with this piece that can be worn in three different ways, by women or by men, with or without the cravat piece. As a necklace, a choker, a collar pin accompanied by matching earrings and an onyx, diamonds and black lacquer on white gold ring.