Bridal bijoux from Boucheron

For newly engaged couples planning the day they'll remember for the rest of their lives, every choice, from the flower arrangements to the font on the place cards, can seem momentous. Now add to that the challenge of picking out a wedding band that will symbolize your love for eternity, and you've got a pretty tall order. Which is more becoming, yellow gold, white or chocolate? Why not a combination with diamonds thrown in for good measure? High-end jewelry maker Boucheron offers all that and more, and while you're selecting your special-day sparkle, don't be surprised if your eyes catch the glint of some other remarkable pieces from this historic maison.

As the very first jeweler to set up shop at Place Vendome in Paris in 1858, the location that would later become the place to be for French jewelers, Boucheron has a rich tradition of quality and creativity. The aesthetic sensibilities of the founder's son, Louis Boucheron, were so revered that even the Maharaja of Patiala in India trusted him to set the stones of his treasury into jewelry. The company has also enjoyed this reputation among the European aristocracy through the ages, including with Russian Czar Alexander III and his ill-fated son Nicholas II, and the queen mother in England, who was a loyal customer.

"You're buying a brand," said Marina Vradiy, store manager at the Boucheron boutique in Prague, who said that even the American incarnation of royalty, the Hollywood elite, are especially fond of Boucheron. "Stars like Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek can be seen on the red carpet wearing our pieces. Boucheron is for people who want to have a piece of history."

In a discreet boutique next to the Four Seasons hotel that opened not long ago, Vradiy showed The Prague Post some of the brand's most exclusive pieces.

The Quatre line of rings is popular as wedding bands, engagement rings or simply an elegant accessory. The rings combine bands of multiple variations of yellow gold, white gold, diamonds and Boucheron's signature chocolate gold and rose gold, as well as a special ceramic. The chocolate gold is made by a special process unique to Boucheron jewelry.

"It's a status symbol. If somebody sees chocolate gold, everybody knows you're wearing Boucheron," said Vradiy. "People like it because it's elegant but sporty, and you can wear it with anything - with a black dress or jeans or ethnic jewelry."

Those who like the wedding bands can later choose from necklaces and other accessories with the same motif to match.

For engagement rings, there is a wide selection of delicate pieces, that, as Vradiy explained, are all inspired by a feminine aesthetic, and are even named after women, especially the stars of the silver screen. One of Vradiy's favorite rings is named after the glamorous Ava Gardner, one of Hollywood's leading ladies in the 1940s who was a trendsetter with jewelry and often cited as the first who made it fashionable to wear diamonds before breakfast. The Ava line includes several different designs that are delicate and feminine. The Ava Pivoine Solitaire is especially charming with a flower-shaped pattern from white gold and diamonds.

Another of her favorites is called Eternelle Grace, named after Grace Kelly. This engagement ring is custom made with 0.5 carat diamond and a platinum band that is also paved with smaller diamonds.

If you're in need of a little flash at the wedding reception, the Boucheron collections have a vast array of unique rings, necklaces, earrings and other accessories. They are especially known as being one of the first jewelers to do animal pieces, making everything from swans to serpents, which Vradiy says are some of their most popular items, along with the cat, which has become a symbol of the brand.

"It's again a design that is inspired by women, like serpents, it represents temptation. Cats are seductive and wise like the women who wear the rings."

Emily Thompson can be reached at
ethompson@praguepost.com