91 I WANTED TO


ADDRESS A SOCIETAL MESSAGE, USING BLACK AND WHITE TO ILLUSTRATE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NATURE


This final composition is named No. 1:


the climax of a countdown, the light that’s gradually faded throughout the collection finally extinguished. ‘I wanted to address a societal message, using black and white to illustrate the disappearance of nature,’ says Choisne. That meant using borosilicate glass, drawn out to just 2mm thick for the translucent Composition No. 6; a plant- based resin never before used in high jewel- lery for matte-white No. 5; along with alu- minium, titanium and ceramic in varying shades of grey and black. More humble ma- terials include the hair-like paintbrush fi- bres which adorn the articulated caterpillar, a creature that Choisne describes as ‘my most cherished piece’. Just as impressive as the material innova-


tions are the skills of Boucheron’s craſtspeo- ple. The 3D-printed resin thistles of Compo- sition No. 5 presented a challenge: how to set diamonds within a structure that con- tains no metal? The solution was to sew more than 800 bezel-set diamonds inside the plant’s alveoli: a feat that accounted for a huge chunk of the 2,880 hours it took to handcraſt the bouquet. Elsewhere, 700 rose- cut diamonds are set into the petals of two cyclamen flowers, creating a stained-glass play of light. A real magnolia branch was 3D scanned and recreated in aluminium. Frédéric Boucheron, who championed a naturalistic approach to design, would surely approve. Worn as jewellery, the scale and detail of these pieces make an artistic statement that’s far removed from wealth-flaunting bling. They’re at their most poetic and thought-provoking, though, when displayed as ikebana, inviting the admirer to pause and reflect on Choisne’s vision: to crystallise a fragile, fleeting instant for eternity.


From above: Composition No. 2 features a magnolia stick insect brooch; Composition No. 4 is a caterpillar brooch crafted in white gold set with diamonds and black spinels; poppy and sweetpea feature in 


BOUCHERON


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