Boghossian's own unique adventure is a journey from East to West, an exploration of beauty and enchantment in their most daring, mesmerising forms. Along this road, like so many gems studded across a glittering chain, a collection of fine buildings sparkle: the Palaces.

 

Like a jewel itself, a palace distills the essence of fantasy and beauty. These are special places, unique to their eras and situations. Palaces represent what is most precious about a culture or historical period. Within these hallowed walls, the finest examples of art and craftsmanship are allowed to bloom, endowed with a freedom and means rarely seen in other contexts.

 

Boghossian’s Palace Voyages collection maps a unique route through time and space, beginning at Beijing’s Qianlong Palace and travelling across continents to end at Brighton Pavilion. Fourteen distinct palaces provide the inspiration for so many equally unique pieces, inspired as much by the architectural and historical details of a location as by its story and atmosphere.

 

Join us as we unveil a treasure trove of exquisite pieces, where the past meets the present in a symphony of elegance and grace.

 

 

Also known as the 'Palace of Tranquil Longevity', Qianlong Palace was destined to be the retirement retreat of the Qianlong Emperor, who launched its construction in 1771. The emperor was never to

 

spend a night in the fnished palace, as he never fully retired from active rule, but the building itself – a part of Beijing’s Forbidden City – was perfectly preserved through future generations, ensuring that this fne example of 18th Century design uniting classical Chinese traditions with Western influences remained intact.

The marquetry work in the palace – and particularly in the Juanqinzhai or Retirement Lodge – is said to be among the fnest in the world, inspiring the elegant lines of creations in a mix of diamonds, white jade and green jadeite. These exquisite pieces reference the sense of classical form intended by the 'aesthete' Qianlong Emperor, as well as the importance of asymmetry and empty space in traditional Chinese art.

 

The jadeite links of the Tranquil Magnolia necklace reflect the contrasting geometric forms evident in the bamboo marquetry, while the central flower is inspired by the classical Chinese motif of the flowering branch. Carved from mother-of-pearl, it appears to float within the pendant, giving a three-dimensional, contemporary feel. Glittering with an oval diamond and held by a string of natural pearls and white jade beads, the set evokes a union of Oriental and Western influences.

 

The Bamboo Blossom cuff is a more literal and formal interpretation of the marquetry work, in shiny green and matte white jade, creating an optical pattern which reflects the exquisite feel of the original palace room, with its contrast between the dark wood lattices and silk panels. Diamonds are worked in an almost lifelike manner to create the intricate flowers set against the geometric jadeite frames.

Taman Sari, the 'garden of flowers', was built in the late 18th Century as a series of buildings and pavilions on the site of a bathing spring by the Yogyakarta Sultans. Unique of its kind,

this building centred around a series of pools designed for ritual bathing, decorated with statues and carvings representing the local nature and wildlife. Certain pools and buildings were said to be connected only by hidden, underwater tunnels to ensure private access for the Sultan and his men. Though many of the elements have been destroyed, there remains a sense of peace and tranquillity about Taman Sari.

 

Like precious drops of water on the skin, the Flowing Droplets set evokes the unique shade of the sacred pools through the use of diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines – the highly distinctive colour of the Paraibas was an obvious choice to reflect the subtle glow of the water. Cut in both cabochon and pear shapes, interspersed with marquise diamonds, they echo the fluid motion of drops across the body, a visual effect emphasized by a mesh setting, allowing the jewels to sit closer to the skin and shift softly with movements.

 

The Floral Cascade ensemble is inspired by the lotus shapes on the fountains at the centre of each pool. Tassels of flowing baguette diamonds and emeralds represent the movement of the water, held by heart-shaped emeralds arranged in a flower motif, suggesting the scent emerging from a perfumed garden. The gentle motion of the stones creates a shimmering feel, giving a sense of magic, like the ethereal fantasy of the ancient palace garden and its fragrances.

 

 

Constructed in 1782, Bangkok’s Grand Palace was conceived as the residence of the Kings of Siam, now known as Thailand. The vast complex is still in use today for several annual ceremonies, seen also by countless visitors keen to witness the striking architecture and detailed craftsmanship of the different spaces, including the spectacular temple of the Emerald Buddha. Roofed with traditional glass and gold leaf tiles, the Grand Palace has a unique grandeur and sparkle.

 

SHIMMERING RAYS

The Shimmering Rays ensemble captures the intensity of the palace’s visual glow with yellow and white diamonds to reflect the spectacular glitter. Worked in a series of angles and repeating lines, they replicate the soaring effect of the monumental columns, using an invisible setting to create pure lines and bring a further sense of wonder. The central pendant is a contemporary interpretation of the mythological Naga heads – ferce, stylised dragons – which appear throughout the architecture.

 

These mythical creatures also inspire the Golden Dragon set, with polished gold evoking the shining roof of the palace. The inspiration comes from the pedestals of the mighty columns, their Naga form snaking through diamonds worked in both kite, trapezoid and square shapes – the bracelet itself is conceived as a base from which the arm can rise elegantly.

 

 

Jaipur’s City Palace was built in the late 1720s and early 1730s to house the ruling Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II’s family.

 

Its intricate complex of buildings and gardens brings together Mughal and Rajput styles. The inner courtyard is famous for its four gates dedicated to four Hindu gods and goddesses and representing the four seasons. The lines and colours of these sets are directly inspired by two of these gates. The city of Jaipur itself has a unique link with the Maison, since Albert Boghossian spent time here as a young man at the start of his career, discovering the intricacies of precious gems and the Art of Inlay.

 

Referencing the palace’s Ganesh gate, devoted to the season of spring, the Verdant Waves jewels echo the architectural splendour of the building, as well as the symbolic feel of a gate as a place of passage between two worlds – East and West, the traditional and the contemporary. Yellow diamonds and different shades of green tourmalines are set in a curve to mirror the structure of the gate, while the stones were given a slight domed profle for a textured, more dramatic effect.

 

The Winter Roses ensemble draws its inspiration from the Rose Gate, a tribute to the Goddess Devi and the winter season. Carved rubellite flowers are set atop translucent sea- green prasiolites, using the innovative Kissing technique, while shimmering pendants of yellow diamonds are held beneath. These cuff and earrings unite classical Indian style with contemporary savoir-faire.

Known as the 'City of Palaces', Mysore is best known for its most recent and imposing residence, also known as the Amba Villas Palace, commissioned in the late 19th Century by the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and designed by British

architect Henry Irwin. The ceremonial Durbar Hall, whose majestic arches and pillars are reflected in the sets, was added in the 1930s. The selection of precious stones reflects the colours of this ornate residence, with elements of the interior architecture appearing as details.

 

Crafted in tone-on-tone turquoise, blue topaz and hand-cut diamond baguettes, the Durbar Blue pieces echo the shapes of the arches and moulding in the great hall, a dramatic design that frames the face just as the spectacular arches frame their own décor, creating a sense of repetition and infnity. Sculpted lapis lazuli suggests the form and shade of the hall’s imposing pillars. The striking ring is jointed to follow the movements of the fnger.

 

Aquamarines, yellow diamonds, turquoise, chrysoprase and red spinel come together for the Amba Arches ensemble in an architectural homage to the palace’s columns and their characteristic colour scheme. The pieces also display the influence of antique Indian jewellery and craftsmanship – the ring in particular reflects the traditional use of a counterweight at the base.

 

The legendary palace of Persepolis rose in the Zagros mountains of modern-day Iran in the 6th Century BC. This royal complex was uniquely spectacular both for its location and scale, intended as a

ceremonial location as well as a residence. Even today, the ruins bear witness to the imposing nature of the remaining raised platforms and staircases. The bricks used in the construction of the frescoes and gates were glazed with blue and yellow to represent sacred scenes and creatures, colours remaining intrinsically linked with Mesopotamian archaeology, in an era where pigments were a sign of great wealth.

 

The Babylon Gate necklace is a statement piece featuring bold shapes and a use of symmetry to give a stately feel, in a contemporary interpretation of the visual legacy of Persepolis. Carved lapis lazuli, turquoise, and coral – the same stones as used in antiquity – echo the contrasting shades of blue and orange from the architecture, worked with techniques of hard stone inlay like those used in the craftsmanship of the period. Triangular and marquise shaped diamonds bring a further element of sparkle and grandeur.

 

The Lapis Lotus ensemble features a stylized interpretation of the flower carried by the fgures on the many reliefs of Persepolis. The lotus itself represents rebirth and eternal existence in Mesopotamian mythology – its bloom is worked here in marquise diamonds, turquoise, lapis lazuli and spessartite garnet.

In the heart of Tehran, the Golestan Palace was commenced in the 16th Century: known as the 'Palace of the Rose Garden', it is a perfect example of traditional Kadjar architecture. As Tehran was designated the

new capital, later elements were added to the original structure throughout the late 19th Century, including the celebrated Hall of Mirrors, which took four years to complete, and the smaller yet equally ornate Hall of Diamonds.

 

The Mirror Maze set uses carving methods and bright stones – rubies, emeralds, turquoise, pink and blue sapphires, and diamonds – to imitate the highly detailed architecture of the room and its colourful stained-glass panels. Three yellow diamonds form the centre of a geometric design which highlights the exceptional optical properties of the gems, using a powerful sense of symmetry in a literal interpretation of the palace’s architecture.

 

The great craftsmanship of the monument itself is reflected in the technique used to create the White Hall pieces. Rock crystal is carved from behind, using a technique similar to that of the intricate glasswork of the palace details. The use of different cuts of rock crystal, diamonds and mother-of-pearl create a play on transparency and whiteness, reflecting and refracting light in the same way as the strapwork intertwining across the ceilings of the Golestan palace.

 

The great city of Amarna was erected under the reign of pharaoh Akhenaton, in the 14th Century BC. Remains from the North Palace, constructed for his wife Nefertiti, show to what extent the stylistic shift of Ancient Egyptian arts was apparent during this period, with a clear move towards a more informal style and a sense of freedom. Fragments from the paintings of the so-called 'Green Room' of the Amarna palace show an interpretation of the traditional papyrus motif, in a more abstract, geometric shape.

 

Crafted in jadeite, emerald and diamond, the Queen’s Papyrus set echoes the particular shape of the frond, the green tones referencing both Amarna’s 'Green Room' itself and the long history of emeralds in jewellery, used even in Ancient Egypt, as far back as 1500BC. The pairing of sparkling emerald with matte green jadeite creates a sense of the unexpected which reflects the creative shift of the Amarna period, as does the contrast between the sharp cut of the papyrus heads and the more rounded feel of the base.

 

The Nile Flowers ensemble features meticulously cut blue sapphires and diamonds to evoke an abstract papyrus shape, linking back to this same sense of creative audacity, highly evident in the art of the Amarna period and its stylized frescoes.

 

 

The Bahia palace in Marrakesh was commissioned in the late 19th Century by Si Moussa, the Grand Vizir of Sultan Moulay Hassan I. Its impressive scope across eight hectares was conceived to showcase the fnest Moroccan traditions of craftsmanship, especially in its highly ornate muqarnas or painted cedarwood ceilings. The intricate design of these details, as well as their masterful use of colour, form the direct inspiration for pieces which reflect the geometry and rich palette of the muqarnas (painted wooden carvings).

 

The Wheel of Colour is a mesmerizing homage to the complexity of Bahia’s ceilings. Equally beautiful from the back, the generous pendant is a remarkable assemblage of mother-of-pearl in a unique cream tone, inlaid with pink and purple sapphires, tsavorites, demantoid garnets, lapis lazuli, turquoise, Paraiba tourmalines, and yellow and white diamonds.

 

The rich red of rubellite is the unusual centrepiece choice for the Mosaic Haven set, inspired by the wooden fretwork of the courtyards. The bracelet and earrings also display highly complex techniques of latticework, playing with the idea of contrasting colours in the scheme used at the palace itself – the two layers feature green jadeite, pink opal and turquoise, superimposed with purple sapphires, yellow diamonds and spessartite garnets.

 

 

Perhaps the most celebrated example of Islamic art and architecture in the world, the Alhambra palace stands on the Sabika hill above the Spanish city of Granada, bearing witness to the Arab presence in Europe between the 8th and 15th Centuries. The Alhambra (meaning red fort or palace) was built in the 13th Century, though a pre-existing fort may have already stood on the same location. The splendour of the site was such that it survived the Reconquista and remains a much-visited monument to this day. The beauty and intricacy of its décor are especially evident in the muqarnas, representing the seven levels of heaven.

 

Boghossian’s ateliers developed a unique technique to create the settings for the white and yellow diamonds of the Seven Realms necklace, reflecting the astonishing intricacy of the original wooden ceiling in the Hall of the Ambassadors. The ceiling design is said to represent the seven heavens through which a soul must pass in order to reach the eighth level, paradise. On the necklace, the diamonds of varying shapes appear to float, mounted on the necklace with a single claw in an abstract interpretation of the different geometric patterns present inside the hall.

 

The Midnight Blue set offers a more conceptual interpretation, with the dark blue of the tanzanite symbolizing the somber skies behind the illuminated building of the Alhambra as seen from the opposing Albaicin hill, as if suspended in the nocturnal clouds. The carved pink opal at the centre of the necklace suggests this image of the palace’s intricate muqarnas floating in the air, ready to 'dissolve'against the mysterious, nocturnal backdrop.

 

Initially, the Amber Room was conceived in 1701 for the Schloss Charlottenburg, before being installed in the Berlin City Palace. Visiting the palace ffteen years later, Russia’s Tzar Peter the Great was so taken with the beauty of the room that Kaiser Friedrich-Wilhelm I decided to donate it to his ally, and it was rebuilt within the Catherine Palace near Saint Petersburg, using more than fve tonnes of amber. The original Amber Room vanished after World War II and a renovated version was completed in 2003. The unusual history and materials of this space have inspired two contrasting interpretations spanning the more traditional and contemporary visions of amber jewellery.

The Sunlit Wonder ensemble is inspired by the idea of moving light flickering across the volutes of Amber Room. Manifold shapes of orangy and yellow diamonds, marquise and pear-shaped diamonds, suggest this multiplicity of shape and form, mounted on a supple mesh to suggest the flickering luminosity of amber in an abstract, contemporary representation with asymmetry as its point of reference.

 

Worked from antique amber beads with a very unique, rare, deep red tone, the Golden Ember ensemble is a more structured, literal translation of the Baroque style, updated by the use of an orange sapphire at its centre, with carved carnelian evoking the cartouches of the original Amber Room. The cuff in particular has a very bold, three-dimensional feel when worn on the wrist. Situated in the scenic landscape of Prussian Arcadia, just outside Berlin, Sanssouci was built by Frederick the Great in the 1740s as a countryside  escape,  where  the  king  and  his  courtiers  could  enjoy

music and nature without a care in the world, hence its name, signifying 'carefree' in French. In fact, all conversation in the palace was conducted in French. Built in the Rococo style with elements unique to Frederick’s wishes, the picturesque building sits at the top of a stylized park, surrounded by vineyards and woodland. The golden detailing of the Rococo frescoes, the omnipresence of nature and music provide the inspiration for a delicate yet frivolous design.

 

The Sanssouci music room and its Rococo flourishes are the initial inspiration for the Pianoforte Melody ensemble. Multiple carats of squared diamonds are worked into the necklace to give the impression of a folded fabric or cobweb, as if hanging from the gold structure like a trompe-l’œil. The intricate lines were engraved into the gold by highly specialized artisans to reflect the details of the ceiling in the music room, which continues to house a Silbermann fortepiano to this day.

 

The rich, matte gold of the Garden of the Sun pieces evoke the textural work of the Rococo era, as if the metal itself were folded fabric. Inspired by a starburst detail in the palace garden, the vibrant solar shape is scattered with tiny marquise diamonds to give accents of light, like individual starbursts. The overall effect is one of strength and unique personality.

 

 

Conceived by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel as a perfect neo-Classical gem in which to house the retinue of Louis XV, this 'petite' annex of Versailles was also Louis XVI’s gift to his new wife Marie-Antoinette, who enjoyed the simple lines and more remote situation offered by the Petit Trianon.

 

Fit for a queen, the Belvedere Beauty necklace is inspired by the deceptively simple frescoes of the palace and its garden pavilions, with coloured diamonds expressing the poetic fragility of nature. A 'ribbon' comprised of baguette- cut diamonds mirrors the graceful motion of a bow. A flower basket adorned with multicolored diamonds replicates an ornamental detail found in a small pavilion within the gardens of the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette would rehearse her music. Employing a signature of the Boghossian savoir- faire, the diamonds are inlaid within mother-of-pearl and arranged in layers using the innovative Kissing technique.

The exquisite femininity of the Classical Essence set refers to details from the furniture and panelling in the queen’s apartments. With its complex shape like delicately twisted scarf of latticed diamonds, the classical proportions of the ensemble echo the lines of the palace itself, whilst also giving a sense of femininity and of the 'informality' so desired by the queen in this personal haven. The necklace and earrings feature spectacular natural pearl drops, shimmering like dancing fgures.

 

 

Later to be crowned George IV, the then-Prince of Wales visited Brighton in the late 18th Century, advised by his physician to bathe in the sea. The original house was renovated several times, most notably by architect John Nash, who extended the Royal Pavilion and gave it its unique Indo-Saracenic domes, completed in 1823. The interior design

 

matched the ornate, oriental feel of the building, which was also used by King William IV. Queen Victoria disliked its central location in the highly fashionable resort and sold the building to the city of Brighton in 1850. It remains one of its most famous landmarks, with its unexpected, highly spectacular architecture and interiors.

 

FLICKERING CHANDELIER

The Flickering Chandelier set is inspired by the actual features of the opulent banqueting room, the contrast between the velvet drapes and the shimmering f xtures. The diamond baguette fringing on the necklace and the drops of the earrings and asymmetrical pendant, are all designed to move gently with the body, capturing the eye to give a sense of freedom and wonder. The sapphires, ranging in various tones of blue, aim to emulate the interplay of light and shadow dancing across the drapes as they gracefully shift.

 

 

 

 

GLEAMING FOLIAGE

Referencing the leaves at the centre of the famous chandeliers in the Pavilion’s banqueting room, the Gleaming Foliage ensemble also features mobile elements, with the spectacular oval diamond drops and their delicate fringes quivering with the movements of the wearer.