Boucheron’s Creative Director, Claire Choisne, updates the Flèche collection with eight new original designs.
The arrow was featured in Boucheron’s earliest designs in 1860, and it ranks among the maison’s most emblematic motifs. Its symbolism varies, ranging from a messenger of love, piercing hearts or evoking a mighty warrior. Today’s Flèche collection encapsulates the vital energy of those who live life fearlessly, celebrating their individuality.
Its aesthetics have changed over the years: on some, the feathers mimic the peacock’s colourful patterns, while others appear to have caught on foliage along the way. It has also drawn on various artistic movements, such as modern Orientalism, with arrows adorned with Egyptian motifs and in 1920, it became more stylised, embracing the codes of Art Deco and incorporating materials like jade. No matter the design language, one thing remained constant: the technical virtuosity of Boucheron’s artisans.
Marrying inventiveness with the finest jewellery savoir-faire, the maison continues to reinvent this timeless symbol. The new creations are inspired by the item’s balance of power and finesse. The arrow remains steadfast in its aim and now accommodates itself to the wearer: it can coil around a f inger or a wrist, glide smoothly around a neck or be worn over the heart as a brooch. This collection comprises eight genderless, monochrome diamond pieces with a resolutely contemporary feel.
In a nod to Boucheron’s historic archives, the arrow appears in its purest form as a brooch: one very dainty, the other an XXL design that juxtaposes round and baguette-cut diamonds. Next, there are two rings: the first encircles one f inger in round diamonds, and the second is more sculptural, sitting across three fingers embracing the delicacy of feathers (rendered in round diamonds) with the rigour of a ridge formed of baguette-cut stones. The collection also includes a supple necklace and bracelet duo – both designed to slip on and wear without a clasp – along with a pendant and a pair of hoop earrings, all set with round diamonds.
The virtuosity of Boucheron’s artisans is visibly showcased in the delicate crafting of the metal, the meticulous setting of the diamonds and the precision of every line. Each piece has been worked in an almost sculptural way to express and magnify the arrow’s dynamic motion, transforming a simple line into a manifesto of modernity.