In 1897, Boucheron was one of the first French jewelry houses to open a store in Moscow on Kuznetsky Most. This happened a little over 120 years ago. And to this day, he again and again opens his new masterpieces dedicated to snow-covered Russia. In 2017, the Maison Boucheron presented a new collection of jewelery art, Hiver Imperial, inspired by the vast expanses of the northern country.

In jewelry creations, sparkling snowflakes, a pearl cascade of snow falls, northern animals, in fur coats sparkling with diamond frost, domes of temples and snow-capped roofs of houses, shimmering with diamonds, pearls, sapphires, aquamarines and other precious stones are frozen. And all this beauty is created against the background of the snow-white Russian winter.





LUMIERE DE NUIT - a jewelry poem that recreates the splendor of snow-white landscapes.

FEMMES BOREALES - and this chapter glorifies the beauty of northern women, "... with beautiful strength in movements, with gait, with the gaze of queens ..."
stones.

L ANNEAU D OR - a chapter devoted to the architecture of the princely cities of Russia with picturesque roofs, temple domes with diamond pavé, ice floes, shining mother-of-pearl and rock crystal, moonstone, pierced by the bright glow of the moon of the northern night.




Among all this splendor, a prominent place in the collection is occupied by a pearl necklace-collar BAIKAL... The necklace is dedicated to the majestic Lake Baikal. It resembles the adornments of medieval noble Russian noblewomen. This magnificent piece of jewelry is crafted in white gold, adorned with a 78.33 carat Santa Maria large aquamarine, shimmering moonstones, pearls, diamonds and aquamarines.



If you take a closer look at the jewelry in this collection, you can understand how strong a source of inspiration Russian winter turned out to be. And how the beauty of these jewelry is in tune with the words of Russian poets:



This year marks 160 years since Frédéric Boucheron, the son of a cloth merchant, opened his jewelry boutique in the Galeries de Valois under the arches of the Palais Royal. In 1858, an amazingly beautiful history began.



Since then, the Maison Boucheron has perfected its craftsmanship with precious stones and precious metals, and above all with gold. The intricate patterns of filigree work appear in dazzling splendor.

In 1867, the jewelry house took part in the World Exhibition for the first time and was awarded a gold medal. But that was only the beginning of a long line of awards that the House has received over its long history. At the World's Fair in 1878, conquering with its craftsmanship and originality, the Maison Boucheron received the Grand Prix award.

The founder of the House, Frédéric Boucheron, was repeatedly awarded for innovative designs, for a unique jewelry collection, for outstanding jewelry recognized by the greats of this world. For forty years, the clients of the jewelry house were almost all members of the Romanov dynasty, who highly appreciated the jewelry of the French jewelry house.



The honorary award went to a necklace with a huge 159-carat sapphire in the center, created for a wealthy American client, Marie Louise McKay. In 1930, the Shah of Iran asked Louis Boucheron to assess his imperial treasury. This work took several months, but the cost of the jewelry remained a mystery.

Louis Boucheron and his descendants were entrusted with becoming the official guardians of Iranian treasures in Tehran. In 1928, the maharaja turned to the jewelry house, he was accompanied by servants with six chests of precious stones, among which there were more than 7000 diamonds and about one and a half thousand emeralds. They were designed for jewelry making. The Maison Boucheron fulfilled the order - about 150 unique sets were produced.



In 1887, a jewelry auction was organized at the Louvre, at which precious stones of the French crown were exhibited. Frederic Boucheron was one of the few who purchased 31 diamonds, including the famous Mazarin diamonds. He also acquired a magnificent gem Empress Eugenie for a fabulous sum.

When everyone found out about its acquisition, naturally I wanted to know for whom this stone was intended. It turned out that Boucheron bought it for himself. He adorned the ring with this unique diamond, which he presented to his wife as a symbol of unquenchable love. From that moment on, the most ardent lovers began to purchase engagement rings in the House of Boucheron.



At a time when the first boutique of Frederic Boucheron was still under the arches of the Palais Royal, a sundial was installed here, by which Frederic determined the exact time. On the base of the clock was the inscription: “Horas non numero nisi serenas” (“I count only happy hours”).

Frederic Boucheron made this phrase his motto. And for almost 160 years, the Maison Boucheron has always counted only happy hours, striving for noble lines, ideal proportions and majestic forms. And also, following the traditions and rules of Frederic Boucheron himself, the masters of the Jewelry House firmly learned that jewelry and precious stones should emphasize irresistible feminine beauty.