Mastery of Design: An Enamel, Pearl and Diamond Bracelet, 1875

Bracelet
Enamel, Pearls and Diamonds
French, 1875
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today’s sparkly thing is a bracelet of translucent and plique-à-jour enamel in gold openwork, set with pearls and rose-cut diamonds.


It is the work of the renowned Parisian jeweler Frédéric Boucheron (1830-1902) and one of his team of fine designers and craftsmen--Charles Riffault. Riffault revived the technique of translucent or un-backed cloisonne enameling. Boucheron had exclusive rights to Riffault’s process and the firm who exhibited the technique at the International Exhiibtions of1867 and 1878.