Whenever Boucheron drops a new Carte Blanche — the Maison’s annual wild, innovative and free-ranging high jewellery collection — there’s always a collective intake of breath in the jewellery world. This time around, the collection named Or Bleu, a ‘blue gold’ love letter to water in all its states and forms, was no different and the standout pieces were, by far, the imaginative and unexpected brooches. The necktie-style Flots brooch, inspired by the rippling rush of cascading water, is a waterfall of dripping diamonds full of movement and life. But it was the Eau Vivre shoulder brooches that really caught our attention — in sculpted aluminium and diamond that seemingly crash across the upper back — as well as the icicle- like Givre parure of head jewel, earring, shoulder brooch and ring in Akoya pearl, diamond, mother of pearl and white gold, that comes together to truly spectacular effect.
These stunning creations are part of a wider trend toward brooches, both in high and fine jewellery, that’s borne from an ever-increasing desire to find more creative and versatile ways of wearing it. As brooches spent a number of decades in the wilderness, associated with granny-style conservative dressing and strait-laced royal occasions, there are entire generations of women who never learned the subtle art of adorning an ensemble with a touch of jewelled sparkle. Indeed, we are so used to jewellery being placed directly on our skin, an altogether more intimate interaction than using a pin or a magnet to secure it on our top layer of clothing, that the how, when and why of wearing a brooch may pull a blank. However, generations before us understood the language of brooches very well — and every jewellery Maison worth its salt is calling for a return to its elegance and creativity.
Tiffany & Co.’s current focus on the iconic Bird on a Rock is a prime example of a shift towards brooches taking centre stage, and while the New York jeweller may have expanded the Bird’s original form into necklaces, earrings and watches, there’s still plenty of its classic style to be seen on the red carpet — especially adorning the lapels of gentlemen wearers, another sign that the brooch is well and truly back.
“You either love them or you don’t,” says Cora Sheibani, founder of her eponymous London-based jewellery brand, who reveals that the first jewel she ever designed was a brooch — putting her firmly in the ‘love’ category. “My most famous brooch series is the cloud brooches, and my last collection, Facets & Forms, features a great jabot brooch [a brooch that comes apart into two parts] that looks as good on a man as on a woman.”
So what are the secrets to making brooches make sense? While Boucheron’s epic creations certainly need special thought and attention to styling — the Maison creates its own one-off fashion pieces to ensure the jewels are shown to their full effect in their arresting campaign photography — getting started down the route to brooch mastery needn’t be too complicated.
“They just need to be pinned somewhere, and this is easier than people think. One can use a patch of fabric to add extra stability,” says Cora. “I feel like wearing a brooch shows people you have a sense of style and confidence. If you only have very small brooches, they can be worn clustered or lined up. They are ever so versatile, and can be worn on a belt, hat, lapel or bodice.”
Of particular note this season are Chanel’s badges of honour, with a wide variety of brooches present in the new Haute Joaillerie Sport collection. Recalling a whole host of the Maison’s classic symbols, from stars to the unmistakeable ‘No5’, it’s perhaps the lion — symbolic of Mademoiselle Chanel’s Leo star sign — that’s most impactful. Reminiscent of protective amulets from ancient times, they’re diamond-studded statements of fierceness.
Turn to Asprey and Chopard for sweet, traditional takes on the floral theme, with Asprey’s jadeite composition full of light and movement, and Chopard’s Lily of the Valley brooch — from its fairytale- themed Contes de Fées Red Carpet Collection — a hyper-realistic representation perfectly suited to a blouse or floaty scarf. Of course, with tartan and tweed still high on the fashion radar, Celtic-themed pins such as Cora Sheibani’s Moth brooch add a delicately on-trend touch to a kilt or jacket, while the candy tones of Kia Schwan’s Colorhythms Disc pin are ideal for making the most of the spring season.
From ancient clothes fastening, to symbol of power, to the sophisticated style statement of today, the brooch has been on a journey through the ages. So is it time for you to reclaim this underused jewellery item? Whether on skirts, scarves, bags or baker-boy caps, we’ll be looking to pin down any jewellery moment that we can.
