ADAM'S Fine Jewellery & Ladies Watches 2nd December 2025

TUESDAY 2 ND DECEMBER 2025 . STARTING AT 4PM 58 In 1930s Paris, the Art Deco façade of 26 Place Vendôme looked out over a square that had become synonymous with luxury. Frédéric Boucheron first opened a shop in the Palais Royal in 1858, then made the bold move to re- locate to the sunniest corner of the square in 1893, transforming the Hôtel de Nocé into his family’s sa - lon. By 1930 this townhouse was recognised as a historic monument, a boutique that felt more like an elegant home than a shop, with secret stairs above the showroom leading to private salons hidden treasures and exquisite decor. During those years, Place Vendôme had become a jewelled microcosm. Boucheron’s early presence encouraged other Parisian maisons to follow, be - coming a place where royalty and Hollywood elites mingled with aristocrats under the square’s arcades. Their private salons welcomed Russian grand dukes, Middle Eastern sheikhs, Far Eastern princesses, who would entrust the maison with private commissions and often with their own family heirlooms to be reset in modern designs. Among these foreign patrons, the Indian Maharajas’ presence stood out for both their taste and the scale of their commissions. Their visits to Paris were cere- monial. The most legendary commission arrived on 2 Au - gust 1928 when Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Pa - tiala, crossed the square from the Ritz escorted by Sikh guards and six iron safes. Inside were 7,571 di - amonds and 1,432 emeralds, as well as sapphires, rubies and pearls of the highest quality. Now head of the Maison, Frédéric’s son Louis and his craftsmen were instructed to create an entire suite of jewels. In just six months, they produced 149 pieces, blend - ing lotus motifs and flowing collars with softened Art Deco geometry, remaining to this day the big - gest and most important commission ever carried out by Boucheron. Such extraordinary patronage elevated the Maison’s stature far beyond Paris, and Louis subsequently was invited by the Shah of Iran