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In 1928, Boucheron was commissioned the largest special order in the history of Place Vendôme. In 2022, Creative Director Claire Choisne pays homage to this treasure by creating the “New Maharajahs” Collection, writing a new page of Boucheron’s History of Style.
once upon a time, the maharajah of patiala…
On August 2nd, 1928, Place Vendôme was buzzing with the arrival of Bhupindar Sing. The Maharajah of Patiala had come to Paris with forty of his servants. Thirty-five suites had been booked at the Ritz to welcome the Party. The Maharajah was a colossus – he was about 6 ft 7 – and he was famous for his immoderate taste for jewels. No one knew which jeweler he would go to. On that summer day, escorted by Sikh guards carrying iron safes, Bhupindar Singh crossed the square and pushed the door of Boucheron. There, he was welcomed by Louis, son of Frédéric Boucheron. In those safes, Louis counted diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls by thousands. For these gems, Louis then imagined 149 designs: emerald and diamond collars, multiple-strand pearl necklaces, belts covered in precious stones… To this day, these parures created by Boucheron have remained unforgettable.
new maharajahs
"This commission by the Maharajah of Patiala seemed like a fairytale, it is the stuff of dreams, " says Claire Choisne. In our archives, we have kept the 149 original designs from which I got my inspiration for this collection. I wanted to transpose these designs into the 21st century, and to reinvent them for today’s Maharanis and Maharajahs. For these women and these men who want to express their personality and their own style."
For these New Maharajahs, the creative studio has highlighted designs referring to elements which symbolize ancestral India, such as the lotus flower, turban ornaments or wedding bracelets, but also for traditional techniques such as glyptics – which is the art of engraving stones. To give life to her creative and contemporary vision, Claire Choisne has made the radical choice of purity through white and transparency, effects of scale that she has naturally transposed both on men and on women.
Platinum, diamonds, emeralds, rock crystal.
"This is the only colorful parure of the collection. It tells the story of the Maharajah of Patiala’s commission, but without the weight of History" explains Claire Choisne.
Nine Colombian emeralds, for a total of 40 carats, compose the central motif, which can also be worn as a brooch. Once transformed, the necklace becomes a collar, lined with baguette-cut emeralds, fitting every movement of the body. So as to lighten up this necklace without altering its beauty, Boucheron has replaced the green gems placed at its ends in 1928 by diamonds. These diamonds are covered by rock crystal, which amplifies their brightness and emphasizes their flow.
New Maharajah necklace set with 9 cushion-cut emeralds from Columbia totaling 38.74 carats, paved with diamonds, rock crystal and emeralds, on platinum. Necklace in the tradition of multi-wear.
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New Maharajah earrings set with 58 emeralds totaling 35.93 carats, paved with diamonds, on platinum.
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Inspired by another necklace from the 1928 commission, Claire Choisne has worked on effects of scale to imagine this pair of platinum and emerald hoops: Their shape is identical to that of the Maharajah's necklace, which the design studio has now reduced to the scale of the ear. Mounted as a sun-shape, these rods set with diamonds end with 58 drops of hypnotic-green emeralds.
White gold, diamonds, rock crystal.
"These three necklaces have been designed to be worn together. This monochrome piece in rock crystal, diamonds and mother-of-pearl translates opulence into transparency and delicacy."
Claire Choisne, Creative Director
New Maharani necklace
New Maharani Crystal necklace
New Maharani Nacre necklace
White gold, diamonds, rock crystal
A celebration of the lotus motif, this monochrome choker plays with the downstrokes and the upstrokes of white gold to draw a diamond lace on the skin, a 4,08ct cushion diamond shining at its center. “We have chiseled the proportions of this piece from its empty parts and have associated diamonds to it, to give even more lightness to the final result” says Claire Choisne. This convertible necklace stands out by its elegance, which is as remarkable as a ribbon version or as a choker.
New Maharani necklace set with a cushion-cut diamond of 4.08 carats, paved with diamonds and rock crystal, on white gold. Necklace in the tradition of multi-wear.
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New Maharani necklace set with a cushion-cut diamond of 4.08 carats, paved with diamonds and rock crystal, on white gold. Necklace in the tradition of multi-wear.
Contact usWhite gold, diamonds, rock crystal, pearls, mother-of-pearl.
This sparkling necklace that features a white gold cord paved with diamonds is inspired by traditional Indian necklaces. It can be transformed into a choker with tassels and a short necklace. This piece uses the traditional technique known as glyptics applied to rock crystal, a technique that consists of carving a design on the stone. Indians believed they saw petrified water inside the rock crystal.
New Maharani Crystal necklace set with 5 cushion-cut diamonds totaling 7.35 carats, paved with diamonds and rock crystal, on white gold. Necklace in the tradition of multi-wear.
Contact usWhite gold, diamonds, rock crystal, pearls, mother-of-pearl.
A 5.178 Japanese pearl-cascade springs from this majestic necklace. This flow is cadenced by melon-cut rock crystal beads, shining from the inside thanks to their diamond paving. The lotus flower, chiseled in mother of pearl, is the central motif of this multiwear jewel which offers seven different looks.
The necklace keeps the elegance of its movement whether it is worn in its long or in its short form, or even as a choker. As are the two pearl bracelets, that can be extracted from the full piece. The long main motif, made of pearls, diamonds and mother of pearl, can be worn as a brooch, on a man’s suit for example.
New Maharani Mother-of-Pearl necklace set with one pear shape diamond totaling 0.71 carats, paved with diamonds, rock crystal and mother-of-pearl, with cultured pearls, on white gold. Necklace in the tradition of multi-wear.
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The New Maharani Mother-of-Pearl is also the name of a matching ring. Featuring a variable shape, this white gold ring adorned with a mother-of-pearl lotus motif and diamonds can be worn with just its center stone, a marquise diamond solitaire.
Contact usWhite gold, diamonds, rock crystal, mother of pearl, pearls, cacholong.
A symbol of purity in India, “Padma” means “Lotus”. Boucheron gives this sacred flower a contemporary dimension through this exclusive ear jewel.
Like a reversed miniature necklace, this piece is to be laid on the ear. It shines its gold and pearl beams, ending with diamond and mother of pearl drops, engraved as a tribute to glyptics.
New Padma asymmetrical earrings set with 2 pear-cut diamonds totaling 1.20 carats, paved with diamonds and mother-of-pearl, with cultured pearls, on white gold.
Contact usTwo rings of radiant purity complete this set. The first one displays a rock crystal dome, showing a lotus flower in transparency, shaped with the glyptics technique. This rock crystal dome is mounted on a spotless cacholong ring. It is a reference to Boucheron’s iconic Parfum ring.
The second ring, in the shape of a pear, is sculpted in rock crystal. Paved with round and baguette diamonds, it holds a pear-shaped diamond at its center.
New Padma ring set with one pear shape diamond totaling 2.01 carats, paved with diamonds and rock crystal, on white gold.
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New Padma ring set with one pear shape diamond totaling 2.01 carats, paved with diamonds and rock crystal, on white gold.
Contact usWhite gold, diamonds, pearls, mother of pearl.
Worn by women when they get married, these “Churiyan” bracelets are considered tokens of protection. Boucheron has revisited these traditional ornaments by forging them in white gold set with diamonds, mother of pearl and pearls. Thanks to these different gems, these bangles offer a subtle palette of shades and textures, changing according to the way they are placed on the wrist.
Always inspired by the history of Boucheron, Claire Choisne has designed a mother of pearl bobbin to store these 10 bracelets when not worn, in line with the art pieces created by Boucheron.
White gold, diamonds.
This turban ornament, called a Sarpech, has become a hair jewel or a brooch, through Claire Choisne’s eyes. It is a contemporary interpretation of the aigrettes that Maharajahs proudly sported at the beginning of the last century. Set with diamonds, the curls of this piece are highlighted by the presence of rose-cut diamonds.
Known to be the most important in the history of Place Vendôme, this special order is recounted with passion by historian Vincent Meylan: "On this August morning in 1928, the Maharajah was surrounded by warriors, who were just as imposing as him and carried iron chests. Louis Boucheron, who welcomed them in his boutique at 26 Place Vendôme, discovered an extraordinary treasure inside these chests...". ".
