Tapping on the well of inspiration that is the raw, alluring waters of Iceland, Boucheron’s latest Carte Blanche collection delivers a liquid gold union of haute joaillerie savoir faire and natural landscapes.
Boucheron’s Carte Blanche collection is, by far, one of the most eagerly-anticipated high jewellery releases each year, and with good reason. A heritage as rich and storied as the Place Vendôme maison’s often weighs heavy, and is usually visibly discernible. With Carte Blanche, however, Creative Director Claire Choisne is granted complete, unrestrained creative liberty — as its name in English, “blank cheque”, suggests — to create dazzling pieces inspired by just about anything within the realm of her imagination.
In the hands of a visionary like Choisne, such a blank canvas confers an element of irresistible unpredictability. For instance, last year’s collection — conceptualised during the lockdowns of 2020 — was Choisne’s optimistic take on what joy and fun would look like as haute joaillerie. In stark contrast, this year’s iteration, titled Or Bleu — “Blue Gold” in English — taps on the well of inspiration that is the alluring waters of Iceland.
Choisne captures the raw power and beauty of the Icelandic waters perfectly in the 26-strong collection, with each piece a painstakingly detailed, naturalistic recreation of the Nordic waterscape in various states. It is difficult to pick out the highlights of the collection — the level of detail and craftsmanship across the board is truly mesmerising — but after considerable debate, here are our favourite pieces within the collection.
Cascade
Capturing the flow of a coursing waterfall is the ethereal “Cascade”, which — measuring in at 148 centimetres — is the longest ever white gold and diamond piece made in Boucheron’s ateliers.
Replicating a waterfall’s raw sense of unpredictability, the necklace also has two detachable segments that transform into earrings for a matching, flowy look.
Eau D’Encre
The mystical, magical nature of Iceland’s inky-black water is recreated in haute joaillerie form in “Eau D’Encre”.
A piece that could well be straight out of a Harry Potter film, dark, choppy Icelandic waves are sculpted into obsidian, and juxtaposed against snow-set, pear shaped diamonds in a magical finish we can’t take our eyes off.
Eau Forte
By far the piece that captures Boucheron’s master craftsmanship and technical expertise, “Eau Forte” is crafted from its traditional, namesake technique. In a display of precision, a chemical solution is used to etch designs into the metal, before acid-resistant wax is applied, which the wave design is in turn etched into.
Following that, the the piece is submerged in acid, dissolving the gold in places where it is not covered by the wax. This is contrasted with the layering and laser printing of white and black lacquer on the other side of the bracelet for contrast. Both processes necessitate precision to within the nearest millimetre — leaving an essentially non-existent margin for error in the process.
Iceberg
It only makes sense that Choisne derived the inspiration for “Iceberg” from the famous Diamond Beach landmark.
Replicating the light play of iceberg fragments stranded on a beach of black sand, diamonds embedded within sandblasted rock crystal mirror the mix of frosted and gleaming textures at play on said fragments.
Vague
A piece that combines Boucheron’s own history with art, “Vague” captures the powerful beauty of the Icelandic sea through reference to both its archives and Hokusai’s famous The Great Wave Off Kanagawa motif.
Showing that respect must still be shown to tradition even where creativity is not limited, the piece conveys its archival inspiration’s organic sense of visual poetry through traditional high jewellery savoir-faire.
Ciel de Glace
Iceland’s enchanting ice caves form the inspiration of this piece.
Captivating spaces where the elements of wind, water and time combine, this piece captures the magical, contrasting textures and light plays through union of white gold, pavé-set diamonds and sculpted rock crystal.
Givre
Oftentimes, the beauty found in liminal spaces is oft-overlooked, but — thankfully — that is not the case here. Inspired by water in its intermediate, liminal state, pearl, mother-of-pearl and diamonds play a central role in recreating the dripping effect of melting stalactites, manifest in a comprehensive look that comprises of a hair jewel, earring, shoulder jewel and ring.
As the natural feature is defined and shaped by gravity’s invisible hand, so too it is the central force that shapes the flowing structure of “Givre”.
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