Boucheron’s single biggest commission in its 164-year history was ordered in 1928—and it was for a man. The Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Bhupinder Singh, presented the maison with thousands of gems and asked for 149 pieces. Indian princes were voracious for jewelry, and they made no distinction between options for men and women. Today’s leading patrons are royalty, too: princes of pop culture. And they also don’t care much for traditional gender norms.
BOUCHERON
NEW SARPECH HAIR ORNAMENT AND BROOCH, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE (THE VAULT), 212-753-4000
Pearls have become the accessory du
jour for pop stars like Harry Styles (above)
and Justin Bieber (left).
MIKIMOTO AKOYA CULTURED PEARL 22.5-INCH NECKLACE ($4,700),
MIKIMOTOAMERICA.COM
Boucheron revisited the Maharaja of Patiala’s 1928 commission for its new collection of jewels.
Louis Vuitton, Mikimoto, and Boucheron have recently gone gender-neutral, joining unisex brands like Uniform Object. UNIFORM OBJECT SPUR HOOPS ($4,000), SHOPETCJEWELRY.COM
LOUIS VUITTON BRAVERY COLLECTION
COCKTAIL RING, LOUISVUITTON.COM