A reminder of the splendour of the Golden Age

This necklace and earrings in our opinion conjures perfectly the glamour and elegance of fin de siècle Paris, imagined through a creation of one of the most important and influential Maisons of the day. Favoured by high echelons of European aristocracy as well as by the discerning American monied elite, Boucheron was at the height of its power at the turn of the 20th century, the peak of the Golden Age.

The design of this impressive set of jewels is still rooted in the 19th century with its opulent volutes and scroll motifs, as is its setting which is in the traditional laminate of gold and silver. The pearls are well matched, of generous size, with good colour and lustre. The GIA letter accompanying GIA Pearl Identification Reports 5201878177 and 2205878172 states that, “…the creation of this remarkable suite almost certainly required a great deal of effort and commendable perseverance.”

An imposing tiara, originally created by Boucheron in 1896, was transformed by the firm into this necklace and matching earrings in 1902. The necklace was subsequently extended on both sides of the clasp and the earring fittings were changed to their present form.

The Boucheron certificate of authenticity which accompanies the jewels (DP003-2020-CEGID JAS 00013) shows an image of the original tiara as well as the jewels in their present form.

The design of these jewels reminds us of the spectacular tiaras created by Boucheron for Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough in 1896, (showing in the third image below) and Mary Leiter, Viscountess Curzon in 1898 (showing in the fifth image below).