Diamonds are a Princess’ Best Friend... by Devanshi Mody
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Place Vendôme is the French spirit incarnate. Nurtured by influences of the grand monarchical eighteenth century, Place Vendôme became a place of culture teeming with history, a place where a new world was born. This was the world of luxury- a new term that was to transform the Right Bank into a place of light, permanently graced by springtime.
As the American magazine Flair eloquently expressed: “April touches the Place Vendôme.” At the centre of Place Vendome is the splendid monument erected in honour of the Napoleanian armies. The vaste expanse is studded with the greatest names in jewellery: Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels (VCA), Chaumet, Cartier, international brand names like the Swiss Chopard and Piaget or the Italian Bulgari... The string of precious names is but interrupted by the Ritz and JP Morgan. Place Vendôme is a conglomeration of the world’s most glamorous jewellers.
Stylistic Evolution
Traditional French jewellery houses like Chaumet, Boucheron, VCA each has a fascinating history. Their creations are linked, since the time of Napolean, with the history of French Haute Joaillerie. Via their stylistic evolution and clients, they trace back to the highest level the history of Parisian taste. The Houses are an integral element in the unfolding history of luxury.
The legendary Chaumet saga began in 1780 and interweaves with the History of France. Over two centuries the House has passed through nine generations of jewellers, starting with Nitot. The young jeweller held down the Consul Napolean’s obstreperous horse once. The Emperor Napolean never forgot the favour and appointed Nitot Crown Jeweller. Finally, 200 years later, Joseph Chaumet gave the House its definitive name.
Napolean’s taste for jewellery was politically inclined : he wanted France to once again become the centre of luxury creations and fashion as it was before the revolution of 1789.Chaumet was responsible in 1802 for the Emperor’s consular sword studded with France’s most beautiful diamond, the famous Régent, to be found today at the Louvre. The “diadem” specialists, Chaumet also made the jewels depicted in J.L. David’s “The Corronation” and the extraordinary jewels of the Empresses Josephine and Marie Louise.
Crowning Glories
The spectacular XVIII century “hôtel particulier” at 12 Place Vendôme, Chaumet’s flagship boutique since 1907, was designed by Bélanger, treasurer of the Marine under Louis XVI, for le Seigneur de Saint-James. He had an unlimited budget and a carte blanche: “Do as you please, as long as it is expensive!” Thus, Chaumet enjoys the legacy of a grand reception room. This is where Chopin (guest of the Countess Potocka) died after having composed the last mazurka opus 68 no. 4 and it has been classed a historic monument since 1927.
The hundred year old Chaumet Museum in the same building takes us through the History of France from the XVIII century to our days via the sketches of some 150 diadems. The museum contains 350 sketches, 36,000 photos, 100,000 designs and all the command books for over two centuries. We see also a portrait of Empress Marie-Louise in Chaumet jewels. The archives are sensational with two centuries of creation and contain the names of Marcel Proust, Gustave Eiffel, Sacha Guitry …
Chaumet has participated in several international exhibitions, most recently Chaumet Paris, deux siècles de créations at the Musée Carnavalet in 1998 or yet Crowning glories, two centuries of tiaras at the Museum of Fine Art de Boston, in 2000.
Mix of Cultures
Boucheron was founded in 1858 and moved to 26 Place Vendôme in 1893. It was one of the first modern jewellers to install itself there, five years before the opening of the Ritz. Boucheron too occupies an “hôtel particulier,” the former residence of the Countess of Castiglione, the famous Second Empire beauty whose name has been indissociable from that of the jeweller.
The jewellery Boucheron created for the Maharajah of Patiala in 1928 definitively established its international reputation. 7571 white diamonds, 14 grey pearls, 2 lots of rubies and especially 1432 emeralds: the 6 personal caskets that the Maharajah of Patiala brought to Boucheron were estimated to be worth 2 million francs. The jewels were so breathtakingly beautiful that even Place Vendôme was awestruck.
The jewellery executed for the Maharajah was inspired by a glorious mix of cultures between the oriental respect of tradition and the Art Deco euphoria. Today, Boucheron’s exotic Jaipur collection marks the marvellous influence of India in the history of Boucheron, paying homage to the mysterious beauty of Hindu Goddesses.
Jewellery for Sovereigns
In 1930, the Shah of Iran asked Boucheron to estimate the Tresory of the Kingdom of Persia. Faithful to its princely clientele, Boucheron makes jewellery for sovereigns including several princesses of Wales, Queen Elizabeth and the late Queen Mother often photographed with her Boucheron tiara, which has belonged to the Royal family since 1921.
Van Cleef & Arpels, the third of the Triumvirate of traditional French jewellers, was founded in 1906 after the marriage between Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. The House has occupied Place Vendôme since 1906. It is at Van Cleef & Arpels that King Edward VIII bought Wallis Simpson’s birthday present and Prince Rainier of Monaco got his engagement present for Grace Kelly. He subsequently appointed the House official purveyor to the Principality of Monaco.
In 1967, VCA was commissioned to design a crown and set of jewels, some of the House’s most celebrated creations, for the coronation of the Empress of Iran. The precious stones were confined within the fabulous Tehran Treasure Hall. Thus, Pierre Arpels was obliged to make no less than 24 trips to finalise the details of its composition. The relationship with royalty enabled numerous acquisitions. That is how the House came to possess the diadems of Empress Josephine, Marie of Serbia (whose diadem belonged to the Romanov family) and Empress Marie-Louise.
Priceless Pieces
These traditional jewellers have established their reputation by working exclusively with the highest quality of stones and by pioneering impeccable craftsmanship, extraordinary attention to detail lavished on the designing, moulding, inserting of stones, polishing of the jewellery. For example, Boucheron’s Mata Hari necklace composed of 446 round diamonds and 21 rose cut diamonds, set in platinum required about 850 hours of work… Haute Joaillerie consists of unique pieces that cannot be replicated as the identical stones cannot be found again nor the same craftsmanship reproduced. The pieces are priceless.
Stones are sought out on the other side of the world and inspiration is drawn from further still (Egypt, India, China, Japan). For example, Cartier’s Tank Chinoise watch is a unique and stunning metaphor for the Chinese temple, whose perfect symmetry of two horizontal bars form the square opening of the dial symbolizing a door opening into the interior. Chaumet’s “Soleil Levant” broach ‘s sun motif refers to the influence of Japonese art.
If history established the reputation of these houses, that they have always kept up with the “l’air du temps” or contemporary culture ensures their survival. The jewellers have drawn inspiration from Russian ballet, Cubism, Art Deco, African or pop art, fashion. In the last case, rrecious metal has come to imitate lace, tulle, nets, knots, drops, tassles. VCA’s celebrated Ludo Hexagone ribbon-like bracelet is a homage to haute couture. The delicate hexagonal motifs suggest the weave of fine fabric.
Art Deco
At the height of the Art Deco era, VCA took its cue from the radiator grills of elegant limousines as model for its watches. Cartier’s Santos Demoiselle watch is named after the famous featherweight aircraft designed to embody lightness by Santos-Dumont inspiring Cartier to design a seductive, new, streamlined timepiece.
Jewels tango with dance in Claude Arpels’ ballet Jewels. The world of VCA is contained in three scenes. The first one represents youthful France. Its colour is the emerald green of springtime. The second scene represents the energy of New York. Its colour is ruby red. The third scene honours the memory of Old Europe and Imperial Russia. It expresses a romantic ideal with the snow white of diamonds.
Nature too inspires, especially with VCA or in Chaumet’s new “Frisson” collection. The latter evokes the ephemeral instant, at dawn when Nature metamorphoses into precious jewellery. An unique alchemy of light, brilliance, lines, curves or structures expressed via the diamond’s different facets. The “icy” reflection of the Baguette, the “sparkling” reflection of the Brillant cut and Princess cut, the « shimmering » reflection of the Brut cut, the “watery” reflection of the Rose cut.
The Natural Motif
Boucheron was, however, the precursor of the natural motif (serpents, butterflies, birds, dragonflies etc typical of Art Nouveau). Today, their jewellery captures also the grotesque aspects of Nature. Sparkling plants and animals twisting tortuously round a finger, wrist, neck. Cartier too has gone “Savage” with its Panther collection.
Boucheron is renowned as much for its audacity and spirit of adventure as for its sumptuous collections. No wonder it was chez Boucheron that La Belle Otéro, the famous dancer and demimondaine commissioned a custom-made corset covered in precious stones.
“To hell with discretion and sobriety,” proclaims Boucheron’s new collection “Beauté Dangereuse.” As for the collection “Not Bourgeois,” it is inspired by countesses and courtesans: the pieces of jewellery evoke an “impudent sexuality, equivocal sensuality” and are meant for those who can carry them off with the “aplomb of a duchess or sang-froid of a cabaret dancer.”
A classic example is a little naked figurine transformed into an erotic pendant: the figurine is suspended from a grape and rocks on a white opal as if the artist’s model was the phantasmagoria apparition of an absinthe drinker. Boucheron claims to be a jeweller who “plays with danger and sexuality” with provocative jewellery that betrays “dangerous liaisons- and an aristocratic heritage.”
Glamour and Luxury
From a cultural point of view, the French obsession with royalty and aristocracy (never mind the French Revolution) is nowhere more obvious than in the marketing strategy employed by the jewellers at Place Vendôme. Taking precedence over celebrities who are their clients (Liz Taylor, Sophia Loren, Ornella Muti, Catherine Deneuve, Sophie Marceau) or Sacha Guitry who chose engagement rings for all his fiancés at Chaumet and even offered one a 111 carat emerald is the long list of royals and aristocrats whom the jewellers have served or continue to serve. Glamour and luxury are the prerogative of royals and aristocrats. Celebrities and bourgeois millionaires come second.
Boucheron has thus boldly launched its “Not Bourgeois” Collection. Far from offending it, it ironically targets the bourgeoisie which has always tried to imitate the aristocracy. And the classic way to do so is to buy oneself priceless jewels at Place Vendôme. Especially if the collection flaunts that it is “Not Bourgeois!”
Ah yes, Place Vendôme is the place to buy the priceless illusion that one is a princess.
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