About Boivin

The House of Boivin was founded in 1890 in Paris by René Boivin whose marriage to Jeanne Poiret, sister of the famous couturier Paul Poiret, quickly turned it into one of the fashion’s elite brands. When René died young in 1917, his wife Jeanne took over the design direction of the firm. She famously hired only female designers, including her daughter Germaine Boivin, Juliette Moutard and Suzanne Belperron, who conceived many of the firm’s most iconic designs. Unstable economics in the period of the ‘30s and ‘40s encouraged creativity and innovation in the use of new materials like ebony and sandalwood in addition to yellow gold and semi-precious stones like citrines, topaz, and rock crystal. Today, jewels by Boivin remain as fashionable as they were at the moment of their creation and are considered highly collectible, fetching high prices at auction.

About Retro

The jewelry period dating from 1935 to 1950, often referred to as Retro, was set against the backdrop of economic depression and World War II. As women entered the workforce and the clothing moved to a more subdued and simple place, jewelry stepped into fill the fashion void. Retro jewelry was all about bigger, bolder, and brighter. Taking cues from the fantasy and glamour of Hollywood, jewelry was created on a larger scale than it had been for decades. With platinum reserved for the war effort, gold resurged in popularity, and different colors of gold were created in shades of rose and green. With the limited supply of diamonds and precious gemstones, jewelers looked to citrine, amethyst, topaz, and aquamarine to bring color and character to a piece. Bold cocktail rings with large rectangular cut gemstones, oversized gold bracelets with links and buckles, and whimsical charm bracelets were the signature pieces of the period. Common motifs included birds, flower baskets, dancers, bows and shells.

About Vintage Jewelry

As curators of 3 centuries of design, we look at jewelry with a discerning eye to find the most inspired, exquisitely crafted pieces. We are proud to share the world’s most renowned vintage jewelry from the greatest design periods the world has ever known.