Boucheron: the Secret Archives

Description

Frederic Boucheron opened his first jeweller's shop in Paris in 1858. Unlike his rivals, many of Boucheron's early clients were not society ladies, but women of the demi-monde. His skill with precious stones, magnificent jewellery creations and his absolute discretion about his clients soon made him a favourite with courtesans and princes alike, and created a business that remains strong to this day. For nearly 150 years the records of all sales transactions had remained hidden and all but forgotten in the Boucheron safe. Vincent Meylan has carefully researched this unique source of documents: registers and correspondence, drawings and photographs, to tell the fabulous story of the founder of this famous and respected Parisian jeweller as well as the tales of passion, crime and intrigue of his famous and infamous clients: La Paiva, Tsar Nicholas II, the Duke of Windsor, King Farouk, the Maharaja of Patiah, the Vanderbilts and the Rothschilds, Sarah Bernhard, Rita Hayworth, Edith Piaf... Courtesans, royals, multimillionaires, Hollywood stars, all had a passion for precious stones, and their fabulous orders created the Boucheron legend, which is told here alongside original design sketches, black and white archive images and sumptuous colour photographs of the exquisite Boucheron creations, including the Queen Mother's tiara and the Tsarina Alexandra's pearl and diamond coronet. AUTHOR: Vincent Meylan is responsible for the 'history and royalty' pages in Point de Vue. He is also a specialist in precious stones and in 'haute joaillerie'. He is the author of several biographies and of Queens' Jewels (Assouline, 2005). SELLING POINTS: . Includes excerpts from the Boucheron 'Book of Stones' - an archive of every precious stone that has ever passed through the Boucheron safe, including the famous Donnersmarck, Wittelsbach blue and Polar Star diamonds. Each stone has a detailed description as well as a sketch and any history regarding its ownership. There is also a section dedicated to design sketches from throughout Boucheron's history. ILLUSTRATIONS 200 colour 100 b/w *

Vincent Meylan is responsible for the 'history and royalty' pages in Point de Vue. He is also a specialist in precious stones and in 'haute joaillerie'. He is the author of several biographies and of Queens' Jewels (Assouline, 2005).

The documentation paired with the quality of the jewelry makes this volume a real treat for students, gemologists, appraisers, and any jewelry professional who seeks to understand the Art Deco style that Belperron exemplified so masterfully. Gems and Gemology