A RARE DIAMOND 'FEUILLE D'ÉRABLE' BROOCH, BY RENÉ...
A RARE DIAMOND 'FEUILLE D'ÉRABLE' BROOCH, BY RENÉ BOIVIN, CIRCA 1940
Modelled as a stylised maple leaf, set throughout with old cushion, brilliant and single-cut diamonds, mounted in 18K gold and platinum, diamonds approximately 6.00cts total, French assay marks, length 5.6cm
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Françoise Cailles, confirming that this brooch is by René Boivin, design by Juliette Moutard, circa 1940. Certificate dated June 20th 2017
At the turn of the 19th century, women were only beginning to enter the workplace. The tragedy of World War I meant that the work of many returning veterans was diverted to the reconstruction of war-ravaged areas. In turn, women began to take up roles in jobs which were heretofore inaccessible. The world of jewellery design was one of the many areas in which they excelled. Maison Boivin, became known as a hugely successful female owned and led business. The sole jewellery firm of its stature to be run by women in the first half of the twentieth century, the collective of female jewellers at Maison Boivin designed a significant portion of the century’s rare and avant-garde jewellery.
Whilst other women working in jewellery at the time found success as collaborators, no other female jeweller of the era succeeded in directing a large reputable firm in the manner of Jeanne Boivin. Although it had never been her ambition to become a jeweller, she found herself picking up the tricks of the trade whilst working alongside her husband, René Boivin. A brilliant young Parisian with dreams of becoming a doctor, René chose instead to join the family jewellery business. The young René and Jeanne set up their home directly across the street from their workshop. From the beginning, Jeanne played a large part in the running of the firm, from managing the accounts to overseeing the of hiring new staff and keeping the business ticking over. Following her husbands untimely death in 1917, Jeanne was forced to head up the firm both financially and creatively, becoming the only woman in Paris to do so. When she took control of the business, Jeanne faced a France in ruins, still recovering from the catastrophic effects of the War and clients were few and far between. Determined to keep the business afloat, Jeanne accepted orders from other jewellery houses, allowing her time to develop a strategy which would provide her the means to create her own pieces. Over time, her own talents as a creative began to shine through, and she not only continued the work of her brilliant husband, but surpassed his success in many respects, commanding a workshop of some twenty artisans for over forty years.
Although she could not draw herself, Jeanne Boivin had a keen eye for talent and an innate gift for conveying ideas clearly, both to her artisans and clients. Acknowledging the need for more help in her rapidly-expanding business, Madame Boivin hired and collaborated intensely with two young women designers whom she hired and mentored. One young woman in particular, by the name of Juliette Moutard, would serve as the creative genius behind so many of the magnificent pieces created by Maison Boivin over almost four decades. Born in the suburbs of Paris, Juliette Moutard was a highly educated and gifted young woman. She received degrees from two Parisian art schools and launched her career as a jeweller at the renowned watchmakers Verger Frères, where she worked for a decade conceiving and manufacturing jewellery designs for retail firms including Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Moutard and Maison Boivin began their partnership in 1933. Juliette soon flourished under the direction of Madame Boivin, who allowed the talented young jeweller to apply her original ideas to the bold, colourful Boivin style. The talents of the two women complemented each other perfectly. Seeing her talent as an artist, Boivin singled our Juliette to draw for her and her daughter Germaine, who had recently joined the firm to assist her mother. An integral part of the design process, Juliette’s drawings were key to the execution of pieces from all three women. The firms reliance on her talent as a draughtswoman sometimes make it difficult to distinguish who was responsible for the original concept of a particular jewel as together, Jeanne Boivin, her daughter, and Juliette Moutard, formed a single, united, creative driving force.
Independently brilliant, but working smoothly together, these three women led the business in a manner which was as unorthodox as the jewels which they produced. Clients rarely received estimates of cost or an idea of when the piece might be completed, but this became widely accepted amongst Parisian circles as coming in tow with the commissioning of a Boivin jewel. The Maison Boivin only consented to use customer gemstones or ideas when the client in question was too important to decline. Such requests included those of the Duchess of Windsor and Millicent Rogers, both of whom were attracted to bold creations created by the Maison. So confident was Madame Boivin that all jewellery in her workshop would be recognisable, that she declared the creations of Maison Boivin were so distinctive that they did not need an engraved house signature, stating “my style is my signature”. Many clients actually came to favour Maison Boivin’s unusual way of operating, as they were in no doubt that the outcome would be a piece which was entirely unique. Very few designs were repeated and, when they were, they invariably featured variations.
As a designer for the Maison, Juliette Moutard took a similar approach with her own work and flourished under the directorship of Madame Boivin, whose encouragement and confidence in the young designer allowed her the space to develop her own jewellery creations. Like her mentor, Moutard never followed trends and disdained those who made pieces solely in line with the fashions of the day. Rather, she chose to create jewellery which stood out for its individuality and timeless quality. She favoured sensual and feminine lines over the more geometric forms of Art Deco pieces which were so apparent in the inter-war period. One of Juliette Moutard’s first truly stand out jewels was a magnificent starfish brooch created in 1936/7 for Claudette Colbert (the most highly paid actress in the world at the time), which now resides at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The brooch is characteristic of Moutard’s attention to detail and preference for the fluidity of form found in nature. Moutard continued to work at Maison Boivin for the entirety of her working life, even after Madame Boivin retired in 1954. Moutard herself retired in 1970, yet remained close to the workings of the firm up until her death in 1990. Long after her passing, she is remembered at Maison Boivin as a core part of an exceptional women-owned and run collective which dedicated itself the creation of artistic jewellery.
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A RARE DIAMOND 'FEUILLE D'ÉRABLE' BROOCH, BY RENÉ BOIVIN, CIRCA 1940
Modelled as a stylised maple leaf, set throughout with old cushion, brilliant and single-cut diamonds, mounted in 18K gold and platinum, diamonds approximately 6.00cts total, French assay marks, length 5.6cm
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Françoise Cailles, confirming that this brooch is by René Boivin, design by Juliette Moutard, circa 1940. Certificate dated June 20th 2017
At the turn of the 19th century, women were only beginning to enter the workplace. The tragedy of World War I meant that the work of many returning veterans was diverted to the reconstruction of war-ravaged areas. In turn, women began to take up roles in jobs which were heretofore inaccessible. The world of jewellery design was one of the many areas in which they excelled. Maison Boivin, became known as a hugely successful female owned and led business. The sole jewellery firm of its stature to be run by women in the first half of the twentieth century, the collective of female jewellers at Maison Boivin designed a significant portion of the century’s rare and avant-garde jewellery.
Whilst other women working in jewellery at the time found success as collaborators, no other female jeweller of the era succeeded in directing a large reputable firm in the manner of Jeanne Boivin. Although it had never been her ambition to become a jeweller, she found herself picking up the tricks of the trade whilst working alongside her husband, René Boivin. A brilliant young Parisian with dreams of becoming a doctor, René chose instead to join the family jewellery business. The young René and Jeanne set up their home directly across the street from their workshop. From the beginning, Jeanne played a large part in the running of the firm, from managing the accounts to overseeing the of hiring new staff and keeping the business ticking over. Following her husbands untimely death in 1917, Jeanne was forced to head up the firm both financially and creatively, becoming the only woman in Paris to do so. When she took control of the business, Jeanne faced a France in ruins, still recovering from the catastrophic effects of the War and clients were few and far between. Determined to keep the business afloat, Jeanne accepted orders from other jewellery houses, allowing her time to develop a strategy which would provide her the means to create her own pieces. Over time, her own talents as a creative began to shine through, and she not only continued the work of her brilliant husband, but surpassed his success in many respects, commanding a workshop of some twenty artisans for over forty years.
Although she could not draw herself, Jeanne Boivin had a keen eye for talent and an innate gift for conveying ideas clearly, both to her artisans and clients. Acknowledging the need for more help in her rapidly-expanding business, Madame Boivin hired and collaborated intensely with two young women designers whom she hired and mentored. One young woman in particular, by the name of Juliette Moutard, would serve as the creative genius behind so many of the magnificent pieces created by Maison Boivin over almost four decades. Born in the suburbs of Paris, Juliette Moutard was a highly educated and gifted young woman. She received degrees from two Parisian art schools and launched her career as a jeweller at the renowned watchmakers Verger Frères, where she worked for a decade conceiving and manufacturing jewellery designs for retail firms including Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Moutard and Maison Boivin began their partnership in 1933. Juliette soon flourished under the direction of Madame Boivin, who allowed the talented young jeweller to apply her original ideas to the bold, colourful Boivin style. The talents of the two women complemented each other perfectly. Seeing her talent as an artist, Boivin singled our Juliette to draw for her and her daughter Germaine, who had recently joined the firm to assist her mother. An integral part of the design process, Juliette’s drawings were key to the execution of pieces from all three women. The firms reliance on her talent as a draughtswoman sometimes make it difficult to distinguish who was responsible for the original concept of a particular jewel as together, Jeanne Boivin, her daughter, and Juliette Moutard, formed a single, united, creative driving force.
Independently brilliant, but working smoothly together, these three women led the business in a manner which was as unorthodox as the jewels which they produced. Clients rarely received estimates of cost or an idea of when the piece might be completed, but this became widely accepted amongst Parisian circles as coming in tow with the commissioning of a Boivin jewel. The Maison Boivin only consented to use customer gemstones or ideas when the client in question was too important to decline. Such requests included those of the Duchess of Windsor and Millicent Rogers, both of whom were attracted to bold creations created by the Maison. So confident was Madame Boivin that all jewellery in her workshop would be recognisable, that she declared the creations of Maison Boivin were so distinctive that they did not need an engraved house signature, stating “my style is my signature”. Many clients actually came to favour Maison Boivin’s unusual way of operating, as they were in no doubt that the outcome would be a piece which was entirely unique. Very few designs were repeated and, when they were, they invariably featured variations.
As a designer for the Maison, Juliette Moutard took a similar approach with her own work and flourished under the directorship of Madame Boivin, whose encouragement and confidence in the young designer allowed her the space to develop her own jewellery creations. Like her mentor, Moutard never followed trends and disdained those who made pieces solely in line with the fashions of the day. Rather, she chose to create jewellery which stood out for its individuality and timeless quality. She favoured sensual and feminine lines over the more geometric forms of Art Deco pieces which were so apparent in the inter-war period. One of Juliette Moutard’s first truly stand out jewels was a magnificent starfish brooch created in 1936/7 for Claudette Colbert (the most highly paid actress in the world at the time), which now resides at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The brooch is characteristic of Moutard’s attention to detail and preference for the fluidity of form found in nature. Moutard continued to work at Maison Boivin for the entirety of her working life, even after Madame Boivin retired in 1954. Moutard herself retired in 1970, yet remained close to the workings of the firm up until her death in 1990. Long after her passing, she is remembered at Maison Boivin as a core part of an exceptional women-owned and run collective which dedicated itself the creation of artistic jewellery.
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