From Snake to Flower: Boucheron Unveils Serpent Bohème Vintage Collection

Every great jewelry house has its own snake motif—and each aims to transform it into something as distinct from a snake as possible. Boucheron is no exception: the house features the Serpent snake, which first appeared in a sketch from 1968.  Its characteristic motif includes the drop-shaped “head” of the snake and gold beads, designed to convey the rough texture of snake skin, surrounding it. This drop-shaped element — crafted in different stones, materials and techniques –– has consistently appeared in their collections since Claire Choisne assumed the role of Creative Director at the Parisian maison. This time she discovered something truly special in the extensive Boucheron archives, which became the starting point for an entirely new collection.

The piece in question is a sautoir necklace from 1974 featuring a flower pendant. It is composed of an emblematic drop motif repeated in a circular pattern and adorned with cabochon-cut onyx and coral. Despite the presence of drop-shaped elements and gold beads, there was no direct resemblance to a snake. Instead, the elements were arranged into a large central flower. This design captured Claire Choisne’s attention, as its bold aesthetic perfectly aligns with the era of hippies and "flower children," matching her own vision and preference for large, striking jewelry pieces. This is how Serpent Bohème Vintage was born.

Claire Choisne modernized and transformed this historical image, making it uniquely her own. Instead of colored stones, she used brilliant-cut diamonds, and rather than drop shapes, she opted for pear-shaped motifs. She retained the yellow gold, capturing the essence of the 70s and hippie chic. All the lines were streamlined, and she transformed the flower itself into high-impact, oversized pieces that can be worn in various ways. The final result is fifteen spectacular and dramatic designs that highlight the snakeskin-like texture of the gold, a defining feature of the collection.

The most striking pieces here are undoubtedly the rings and sautoir necklaces. The most eye-catching is the two-finger ring, paved with diamonds and set in yellow gold. That said, all the rings in this collection perfectly align with the aesthetics of the Serpent Bohème: an elongated shape, pavé-set with diamonds, a beading pattern, and sculpted gold.

This fine jewelry collection includes three sautoir necklaces, one of which is a monochrome high jewelry version in fully diamond-paved white gold. The other two are the exact same dimensions as the original 1974 necklace and are convertible into four pieces: a shorter necklace, a brooch created from the detachable central motif, and a pair of bracelets that can also join together to form a choker. This high level of transformability is very typical of Claire Choisne’s creative strategy.

A special mention goes to the cuff bracelet with the same central flower as in the necklace. Its gold surface is brushed to preserve and emphasize the vintage flair of the 1970s.

Courtesy: Boucheron

Text: Elena Stafyeva