Boucheron Vintage Art Nouveau Era Demi Parure Suite

Visually stunning, sensual, and mysterious, a serpent is a wonderfully rich and alluring subject matter that has been depicted in jewelry throughout the ages. This Boucheron Vintage Art Nouveau Demi Parure Suite has all the allure and more, comprised of four unique pieces—a bangle bracelet, twin brooches, and a pair of ear clips. The suite is made in France in 1930 at the height of the Art Deco period and all pieces are Signed Boucheron London from France. The curvilinear pieces have a yin and yang or push and pull that creates dynamic tension between contrasting materials. Crafted in 18K yellow gold and platinum, each jewel features rich red calibré rubies set against round and single-cut diamonds. The look is definitely Nouveau, and can be interpreted as an abstract depiction of serpents entwined.

Since ancient times, the serpent has been a popular motif in jewelry, and it is easy to understand why. Not only is it a powerful symbol of protection, fertility, creativity, and eternal life, the serpent’s physicality with its lithe curving form and sleek cold scales lends itself quite well to metalwork and jewels. The sinuous design of this demi parure suite is reminiscent of the flowing style of Art Nouveau, active between 1890 and 1910 during the Belle Époque period. In this suite, we see the dynamism inspired by the natural world that was typical of the movement as manifested in stylized lines of exotic creatures. However, the way the stones are “invisibly set” brings the design back to the geometric sleekness of the Art Deco period.

The bracelet is the showstopper piece of the suite, illustrating the opposing forces and contrasting materials in the yin-yang configuration of two serpents, their curving almond-shaped heads flawlessly fitting together like puzzle pieces. The bangle bracelet is crafted largely in 18K yellow gold and features 65 calibré rubies mounted in 18K yellow gold and 42 round and single-cut pavé diamonds mounted in a platinum. Wide yet tapering planes of yellow gold curve, bend, and swirl around the snakes in what looks like a single piece of metal emanating from the bangle. The artistry and technical facility are exquisite.

Twin brooches feature single ruby serpents comprised of 117 calibré rubies, accented by a wide curve of 18K yellow gold and further accented by a single bright line of 50 round diamonds. The serpents are curled in mirror image symmetry, their abstracted heads each punctuated by gold tongues. The clip-back earrings mirror the forms and materials of the brooches except with serpent heads pointed slightly downwards and set with 60 calibré rubies and 26 round diamonds.

The “invisible setting” was a major technical innovation of the Art Deco Period where custom geometric-cut gemstones could be tightly set against one another without the use of prongs to create a jewel-centric look of stark elegance. Similar to calibré-cut gemstones which were custom cut into special shapes to fit into a specific area, “invisibly set” gemstones also started with the lapidary, or the process of engraving, cutting, and polishing stones. It is one of the most complex methods of setting stones, in which straight-edged cuts such as square, emerald or baguette were specifically and precisely cut with grooved girdles, so they fit snugly beside one another in a thin, supportive wire framework The metal used to secure or set the gem is hidden beneath it. Within the mosaic-like structure of stones there is a final keystone that snaps it all together securely.

In 1893, Frédéric Boucheron was the first of the great contemporary jewelers to open a boutique on Place Vendôme. The Maison moved there from its original home at the Palais-Royal where it was founded in 1858. Frédéric Boucheron entered the world of jewelry by becoming an apprentice jeweler at the age of 14. Four years after founding his jewelry Maison, Frédéric Boucheron had the names of his craftsmen engraved on a marble plaque at the entrance to his stand at the Exposition Universelle of 1867. This was the first time that a jeweler paid tribute to his talented artisans. Like the Serpent Bohème Diamond designs that came nearly 40 years later in 1968, these pieces reflect an assertive, modern femininity and its aesthetic reveals the full expertise of the Maison Boucheron craftsmen. Included with the suite is the original Boucheron box.

Bangle bracelet: 65 calibre rubies; 42 round & single cut diamonds. Two brooch clips: 117 calibre rubies; 50 round diamonds. Earclips: 60 calibre rubies; 26 round diamonds. Overall weight is approx. 99.31 grams; made in 18k yellow gold and platinum. All pieces Signed "Boucheron London from France" accompanied with an original Boucheron box. Circa 1930-1939.

SKU :S1010
Category :SET
Metal :18KYG

Other

18K Yellow Gold

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