Of all the high jewellery collections that are released annually, Claire Choisne’s Carte Blanche collection for Boucheron always leave me with the most anticipation. I remember attending one such Carte Blanche presentation in 2022 in Paris and was blown away by her creativity and imaginativeness in making use of not only precious stones, but also unexpected materials—natural or otherwise—to create truly stunning pieces that push the boundaries of haute joaillerie.
“Carte blanche” means literally blank paper, and essentially translates to being given a blank cheque; complete freedom—and that’s what makes Choisne’s July high jewellery launches some of the most dazzling year after year. There are no restraints on what she can conjure up. “I like exploring the limits of high jewellery. Until I find them, I keep exploring,” she told GRAZIA Singapore earlier this year.
This year, she drew inspiration from the majestic waters of Iceland, calling the collection “Or Bleu” or “Blue Gold”, and the 26-piece-strong collection reflects the element in design, form and function. “In the rush of a waterfall, she saw a diamond necklace. In the surge of waves, shoulder jewellery. In the heart of a glacier, a rock crystal bracelet seemingly sculpted by the passage of water,” the house lyrically wrote in its accompanying press release.
This translates into several creative wins for Boucheron: there is a truly magnificent trailing necklace of diamonds clocking in at 148cm, inspired by a delicate waterfall; the use of the eau-forte jewellery-making technique brought forth a realistically “painted” vision of waves breaking on the surf on a pair of bracelets; and black sand—reminiscent of those found on Icelandic beaches—were compacted and paired with flashing diamonds in a bold necklace.
See our favourite pieces from Boucheron’s Bleu Or high jewellery collection below.
Cascade high jewellery necklace in white gold with diamonds
Vague high jewellery asymmetrical earrings in white gold with diamonds
Eau Vivre high jewellery shoulder brooches in palladium-plated aluminium with diamonds
Ondes high jewellery necklace set in white gold with rock crystal and diamonds
Sable Noir high jewellery necklace in white gold with black sand and diamonds
From left: Eau Forte high jewellery bracelet in white gold with diamonds and decorated with black ink; Eau Forte high jewellery bracelet in white gold with black sand and diamonds
Iceberg high jewellery necklace set in white gold with rock crystal and diamonds
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