At the heart of Place Vendôme, Boucheron continues to define what it means to be both timeless and daring.
Founded in 1858, the Maison has always been a pioneer, from its trailblazing founder Frédéric Boucheron to its current Creative Director Claire Choisne, whose Carte Blanche collections push the boundaries of high jewellery with conceptual brilliance and technical mastery. In this exclusive interview, CEO Hélène Poulit-Duquesne reflects on the brand’s enduring legacy and its commitment to innovation, as well as unveiling the poetic new 2025 high jewellery collection, Carte Blanche: Impermanence.
Following January’s “Untamed Nature” collection, which paid tribute to the Maison’s heritage, Impermanence is a deeply personal and philosophical exploration of nature’s fleeting beauty. Inspired by the Japanese art of ikebana and the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, the collection captures vanishing moments in precious form — from luminous compositions to fading silhouettes, echoing the life cycle of the natural world. With 28 pieces and over 18,000 hours of craftsmanship, it stands as a testament not only to Boucheron’s savoir-faire but to its ability to evoke emotion and provoke thought.
Here, Hélène Poulit-Duquesne shares her perspective on honoring the past while imagining the future — and why Impermanence may be the Maison’s most profound statement yet.
Congratulations on this year’s beautiful Carte Blanche collection – what can you tell us about this collection?
I must say that this year’s Carte Blanche High Jewellery collection, “Impermanence,” is the one that has moved me the most since I became CEO. For the first time at Boucheron, we are presenting not just High Jewellery, but true art objects – six botanical compositions that encapsulate 28 pieces, many of them multi-wear and transformable. “Impermanence” is Claire Choisne’s most personal tribute so far; it explores not only the beauty of nature, but also its fleeting quality, inviting us all to contemplate nature’s preciousness and our own role in protecting it.
Claire was profoundly inspired by two Japanese influences: Ikebana, the art of giving life to flowers, and the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and honors the passage of time. These influences run throughout the collection, which visually unfolds from white to black, evoking the gradual disappearance of light – an allegory for impermanence itself. Even the pieces’ names, counting down from Composition n°6 to Composition n°1, emphasize this sense of disappearance.
As with every Carte Blanche collection, “Impermanence” also represents innovation at all levels: in form, with art objects hiding multi-wear pieces; in technique, with ultra-high-resolution 3D-printing and a couture diamond setting invented especially for this collection; and in materials, from gold and precious stones to borosilicate glass, plant-based resin, titanium, ceramics, and even the exceptional Vantablack® – one of the darkest materials ever created, absorbing 99.965% of light. I am extremely proud of this poetic, innovative, and meaningful tribute to nature.
The innovation and craftsmanship in these pieces are truly exquisite – how do you balance this boundary-pushing spirit with the expectations of traditional jewellery connoisseurs?
It’s an easy answer because, at Boucheron, innovation and heritage have always been intertwined. Innovation has been in our DNA since the very beginning in 1858. For me, if we want to respect the past, we have the duty to continue to innovate and to remain in tune with our time. Honoring our heritage does not mean looking backwards or replicating the past – it means bringing our archives and savoir-faire into the present through a contemporary lens. For example, in our Histoire de Style collections, Claire Choisne reinterprets themes and designs from our Maison’s archives, rather than simply replicating them. With our Carte Blanche collections, I give her total freedom to push the boundaries of High Jewellery, experimenting with unexpected materials and new ways of wearing jewellery while always remaining true to the spirit of Boucheron.
I have found that clients today fall into two main categories: some are drawn to the investment value, craftsmanship, and timelessness of our heritage pieces, while others are collectors looking for emotional and creative pieces that push boundaries. Both are equally important to us, and by presenting two distinct High Jewellery collections a year, we can speak to each audience – those who cherish classic craftsmanship and those who seek bold, innovative statements.
Ultimately, we believe the true value of High Jewellery lies not only in the preciousness of its materials, but in the dreams, emotion, and know-how that bring each piece to life. Our constant dialogue between tradition and innovation is what sets Boucheron apart and keeps our story relevant for generations to come.
The textures, the movement of these pieces are so close to nature – how important is it to you as a brand to have this authenticity in the pieces you create?
Authenticity is absolutely fundamental to Boucheron – it’s at the heart of everything we do, especially when it comes to our relationship with nature. Since the time of Frédéric Boucheron, our Maison has never sought to simply idealize nature. Instead, we have always celebrated it in its truest, most authentic state.
For us, capturing the textures, the movement, and even the imperfections found in nature is a way of paying tribute to its beauty and complexity. This quest for hyper-realism is possible only through faithful reproduction of details: for example, the leaf of the iris looks as if it’s glistening with morning dew, thanks to the delicate sparkle emitted by two lines of grain-set diamonds and two dewdrops of rock crystal. These meticulous touches bring the pieces to life and create a true emotional resonance with those who wear them.
To achieve this, we put all the savoir-faire and innovative techniques of High Jewellery at the service of realism. Staying true to nature and to ourselves is not just a creative choice, but a philosophy for the Maison. It’s about looking at the world with humility, seeing beauty in what is often overlooked, and offering our clients pieces that are both extraordinary and profoundly authentic.
Many of the pieces can be worn in different ways – why has it been important to incorporate this versatility into Boucheron’s designs in recent years?
At Boucheron, versatility is not just a feature – it is a philosophy that is deeply rooted in our DNA. Our approach is fundamentally people-centric rather than product-centric: we believe jewellery should adapt to the wearer, and not the other way around. This is why it has always been important for us to create multi-wear pieces that allow everyone the freedom to express their personality and mood in their own way. Both Claire Choisne and I pay particular attention to wearability and comfort; we even test all our prototypes ourselves to ensure that every piece not only looks beautiful but truly feels good to wear. We see versatility as a way to bring High Jewellery into everyday life, breaking with the notion that such precious objects should remain locked away in a safe. I remember one of our clients who wore a brooch as shoe jewellery – such creativity inspires us and perfectly embodies the Boucheron spirit.
As a CEO, how do you support this experimental approach, that your creative director has with this collection, and how do you work together?
The creative partnership between Claire Choisne and I is quite unique, as we are the only female CEO and Creative Director duo on Place Vendôme. Our collaboration is built on absolute trust and a shared vision to honor the pioneering spirit of Frédéric Boucheron by constantly pushing the boundaries of High Jewellery. As CEO, my role is to provide Claire with the freedom and the resources she needs to fully express her creativity, especially for the Carte Blanche collections. I believe that true innovation can only flourish when there is trust and empowerment, so I support her in taking bold risks and exploring new territories. Sometimes, I even encourage her to push her ideas even further! We are a genuinely complementary duo: I am a creative businessperson, and Claire is a business-minded creative. We work hand in hand on everything from product development to storytelling, and our dreams and ambitions for Boucheron are perfectly aligned: to create emotional High Jewellery, free from conventions, meant to be worn and enjoyed in everyday life, not kept locked away.
What are some of the highlights for you in this high jewellery collection?
It is truly impossible for me to choose just one highlight from this collection, as you really can’t understand the concept – nature’s disappearance – without seeing all the pieces together, with light gradually fading away across the ensemble. All of the pieces are incredibly innovative and creative in their own way, yet they come together as a very cohesive statement. I still have one highlight to mention; the caterpillar, with its bristle-like brush hairs, looks incredibly lifelike.
Working with these innovative materials is truly unique – as a brand, how do you decide on the right path in terms of your craftsmanship and the materials you want to move forward and experiment with?
Our approach to craftsmanship and materials is always guided by creativity and emotion, rather than by convention or the intrinsic value of what we use. Each collection starts with an idea – from there, Claire and her studio consider which materials and savoir-faire will best evoke the emotion we want to convey. It is never innovation for the sake of innovation, but about selecting whatever serves the creative vision and brings the dream to life. This is what has led us to experiment with unexpected materials over the years, such as aerogel, rattan, wood, pebbles, ceramics, titanium, Cofalit and even Vantablack. We are always challenging the notion of what is considered “precious” in High jewellery. Our craftsmen then work closely alongside Claire to push the boundaries of their savoir-faire and invent new techniques if necessary – sometimes even collaborating with experts from other fields. The most important thing for us is that the choice of material or technique serves to create a piece that is meaningful, innovative, and emotionally resonant.
This issue of a&e talks about legacy and icons – Boucheron holds a unique place as the first jeweller on Place Vendôme. How does that legacy shape the way you lead the brand today?
Boucheron’s legacy as the very first of the contemporary jewelers to open a boutique on Place Vendôme in 1893 is something I hold with immense pride and a great sense of responsibility. Frédéric Boucheron’s decision to move to Place Vendôme was visionary – he was a true pioneer, willing to break from tradition and light the way for others. That spirit of audacity, innovation, and excellence is at the very core of our Maison, and it shapes everything we do today. For me, honoring our legacy means two things. First, I have the duty to respect and protect the rich heritage that has made Boucheron what it is – our exceptional savoir-faire, our commitment to excellence, and our family spirit. But just as important, I also believe that respecting that legacy means continuing to push boundaries and be in tune with our time, just as Frédéric Boucheron did in his day.
For us, heritage and innovation are not opposing forces; in fact, I believe that to truly honor our past, we have the duty to keep moving forward and reinventing ourselves, just as Frédéric Boucheron did.
Boucheron has many incredible icons in its portfolio – what, for you, makes a piece of jewellery truly iconic?
Icons are fascinating to me, because there is no real recipe to forge them. You can’t create an icon: it’s the clients who decide. It’s impossible to predict if a new creation will become iconic until it is introduced. A truly iconic piece of jewelry manages to transcend time, boundaries, and trends. It resonates deeply with people because it expresses something universal while remaining utterly distinctive. The piece becomes a symbol, not just of the Maison, but of the wearer’s personality and story. Quatre is a perfect example of this at Boucheron. It started as a single ring and became a complete collection thanks to its bold, urban, and genderless design and its endless potential for reinvention. The design is strong enough to be instantly recognizable, but flexible enough to be continually reinterpreted in new materials, sizes, and wearability, without ever losing its essence.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your role today?
The biggest challenge I face in my role today is preserving Boucheron’s unique identity and culture as we continue to grow and expand globally. My responsibility has always been to do this while maintaining our ‘start-up spirit’ and agility, even as our Maison becomes more international. As we grow, it becomes even more crucial to ensure that our core values – empathy, kindness, authenticity, and collective intelligence – remain alive and shared with every new team member around the world. Another major challenge is ensuring we have “the right people at the right place,” because, as I’ve learned, you simply can’t do everything yourself. Delegation and empowerment are essential as the company scales.
As you continue to lead the Maison’s success, what is the vision for the brand?
For Boucheron, my vision is crystal clear: to respect Frédéric Boucheron’s original vision and legacy, while continuing to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Boucheron must remain the most stylish and cutting-edge French High Jewellery Maison – this is both our heritage and our mission. I want Boucheron to “light the way” for our industry, continually inspiring people with authentic emotion, bold creativity, and a deep respect for our craft and our legacy. That is my vision for the Maison, not just for today, but for the next decades to come.
What is something you would still like to achieve?
As I look to the future, my ambition is to continue building on what we have achieved at Boucheron over the past decade, while always remaining true to our DNA. My goal is to keep telling the same story, defending the same strategy, and positioning, and to share our unique vision with new audiences and in new markets. I would like to deepen our presence internationally, especially in the United States, following our strong development in Asia. Another aspiration is to further place sustainability at the heart of our Maison. Ultimately, what I would most like to achieve is for more people to feel not just like clients, but truly part of the Boucheron universe – a community where authenticity, creativity, and emotional connection are at the center of everything we do.
What else is in the pipeline for Boucheron this year?
Looking towards the end of the year, we still have many exciting projects in the pipeline. We will soon unveil new jewellery creations that pay homage to a beloved archival design. We are also accelerating our international expansion: we will open our very first flagship boutique in China, in Shanghai’s iconic Xintiandi district, this November. This boutique will be a true intercultural bridge between France and China, and a statement of our long-term commitment to the region. We will also be showcasing our Impermanence collection around the world, building on the success of the launch in Paris. All these initiatives are part of our mission to keep Boucheron at the forefront of creativity, style, and emotion – both in Place Vendôme and everywhere around the globe.
