THE HOUSE OF BOUCHERON REVEALS A UNIQUE HIGH-JEWELRY PIECE THANKS TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DESIGNER MARC NEWSON
Continuing its commitment to innovative and unexpected collaborations, Boucheron has once again decided to take the traditional world of High-Jewelry and reinterpret it in a modern and inventive way that stretches both conventional jewelry concepts and the imagination. Its partnership with the renowned designer Marc Newson has resulted in a unique piece that has taken jewelry into the unexpected realms of mathematics and fractal geometry.
Marc Newson is an award winning designer who has worked in a vast and varied number of disciplines that have seen him create everything from timepieces, shoes and cars to chairs and jet airplane interiors. Over the years Newson has become a household name for his cutting edge industrial design with many of his creations seen as defining pieces of modern living and collectable objects d'art. But at the start of his illustrious career Newson originally studied Jewelry at Sydney College of the Arts, a craft that, until this collaboration with Boucheron, he rarely put into practice.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
Newson’s admiration for Boucheron’s creative and innovative style of jewelry dates back to the early nineties when the designer first moved to Paris. So, when Newson had a chance meeting two years ago with Jean-Christophe Bédos, the CEO of Boucheron, the idea of a collaboration came naturally. The project would harness Newson’s distinctive style and channel it through Boucheron’s talented jewelry artisans, creating a new and intriguing challenge for Boucheron and give the designer a chance to revisit his first love.
“I wanted to propose something different, a 3D object but not necessarily in the same category as what Boucheron was used to,” says Newson who used the mathematical world of fractals that have fascinated him for more that 20 years as inspiration for this project. “They were surprised when I proposed a piece of jewelry. It is classic in some ways, but in terms of technique, it took an enormous amount of work to produce. It is a real tour de force.”
THE INSPIRATION
A fractal is a fragmented geometric shape that can be limitlessly subdivided into smaller and smaller parts, with each of these sections being a minuter version of the original whole. “It is simultaneously huge and microscopic and naturally occurring,” states Newson “and because metal and gemstones are also naturally occurring it seemed a perfect representation of fractal geometry”.
The final product of this collaboration is a one-of- a-kind piece inspired by the stunning Julia set Fractal, named after the scientist who discovered it, Gaston Julia. Fittingly Boucheron has baptized its intricate and striking creation the Julia necklace.
“I was astounded by Boucheron’s willingness from the start and was impressed by their response to how complicated it would be to make this necklace,” says Newson. “They wanted to rise to the challenge and respect the mathematical equation.”
THE CRAFTSMANSHIP
Over 1,500 hours were spent by Boucheron’s craftsmen to recreate the naturally occurring Julia Fractal in a High-Jewelry interpretation. Around two thousand paved stones were used to produce swirling whirlpools of diamonds and sapphires that encircle the neck in an undulating and voluminous necklace that moves with the body.
The choice to use the complex and time consuming technique of a three prong stone setting, that links one stone to the next by a shared tine, was made to keep the use of metal to a minimum. This gives the necklace the heightened feeling of a shimmering jeweled fractal floating freely in a heavenly void. The mounting system also made it possible to replicate perfectly the precise mathematical positioning and nuanced color shading that are fundamental elements of a Julia Fractal.
Weighing just 260 grams, the white gold necklace uses diamonds weighing from 0.84 to 2.50 carats at the heart of each of its sapphire whirlpools. The use of stones measuring only 1.7mm in diameter, significantly smaller than is the norm, added an extra level of complication to this unique piece. These smaller stones are a key element of this necklace that both honor its mathematical inspiration and the Boucheron craftsmen who brought Marc Newson’s idea to life.
“What surprised me the most was that the necklace is such a literal 3D representation of what I proposed in the beginning,” says Newson “ It actually surpasses what I originally proposed.”
ABOUT BOUCHERON :
A French family dynasty founded by Frederic Boucheron in 1858, the House has ceaselessly seduced the most discerning, drawing them in with the world’s most beautiful and precious creations. Over the decades four generations of the founding family have guarded the Boucheron legacy, a commitment that has continued under the Gucci Group within P.P.R., which bought the company in 2000 and celebrated the House’s 150th anniversary last year.
With a clientele of movie-stars writers, artists, maharajahs and magnates Boucheron has always appealed to those who are as famous and fabulous as its jewelry. Patrons of the company have included Royalty: Maharajah Sir Bhupindar Singh of Patiala, Riza Shah Pahlavi, Czar Alexander III, Queen Farida of Egypt, Queen Rania of Jordan. Affluent American families: The Astors, the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers. As well as legendary film stars: Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and more recently Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz, Katie Holmes, Julianne Moore and Anne Hathaway.
Boucheron takes much of its jewelry inspiration from the natural world with the serpent being a particular House favorite. Currently there over 45 Boucheron boutiques worldwide and an e-commerce site for jewelry connoisseurs wherever they may reside.
ABOUT MARC NEWSON :
One of Time Magazine's ‘Top 100 most influential people in the world’, Australian born designer Marc Newson's aesthetic vision and uncompromising originality has won him international acclaim.
His creations range from sculptural work, objects of all sorts, furniture, interiors, and timepieces to the transport industry, where he concentrates on aviation and aerospace design, but has also designed vehicles, including a concept car, bicycles, a concept jet and a sub-orbital aircraft. As Creative Director of Qantas Airways, Marc Newson oversees all the design development including aircraft interiors for their new A380 fleet.
The recipient of numerous design awards, solo exhibitions of his work have been held at major museums and galleries, including the Gagosian galleries in New York and London, galerie Kreo in Paris, the Groninger Museum, Groningen, Holland and the Design Museum London. His work is held in the permanent collections of museums throughout the world, including MOMA in New York, the V&A in London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Marc Newson holds Adjunct Professorships in Design at Sydney College of the Arts, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has been appointed Royal Designer for Industry in the United Kingdom.