comprising of an elongated cabochon of red coral (corallium rubrum), centred by a band of black enamel flanked either side by a row of brilliant cut diamonds, terminating on either end with polished black onyx and diamond points.
French assay mark for platinum
Signed: Boucheron, Paris
6.5cm in length
1.9cm in depth
Illustrated
Pg 92 of ‘Boucheron: Four Generations of a World Renowned Jeweler’ by Gilles Néret, Rizzoli (New York, 1988).
No.104 (pg 108) of ‘From Function to Fantasy, The Brooch: From 1200 BCE to the Contemporary (London, 2025).
In 1901, a year before his death, Frédéric Boucheron brought his son Louis (1874-1959) into the business, as well as his closest associates including his nephew George Radius. As part of its programme of expansion, Louis opened a branch of the firm in London in 1903, first in Piccadilly and then relocating to 180 New Bond Street; meanwhile an office was opened in New York. The noted designer Lucien Hirtz (1864-1928), who learnt enamelling while employed by Lucien Falize, had joined Frédéric Boucheron in 1893; his talent for adapting to changing styles was demonstrated at the 1925 Exposition, where his dramatic geometric works incorporating materials such as lapis lazuli, jade, coral and onyx were a tribute to his flair as a colourist. The firm’s contribution to the Exposition was highly praised, but Louis Boucheron’s role as a jury member made it ineligible for any awards.
This brooch reflect the use of the bold, contrasting palette that dominated the decorative arts and jewellery of the period.