Dates of Operation 1937 – 1971

Marcel Boucher came to the U.S. from France in 1925. In France he was trained in the art of fine jewelry design and his first job in the U.S. was as a designer for Cartier. Boucher also designed for Mazer Bros. where he creatively applied his fine jewelry experience to costume jewelry designs. Boucher’s design aesthetic greatly influenced Mazer designs even after he left in 1937 to start his own business. Joanne Dubbs Ball in her book Costume Jewelry The Golden age of Design beautifully describes Boucher’s philosophy on costume jewelry design. She writes,

Every piece of jewelry with the Boucher name and number bears witness to Marcel Boucher’s versatility and splendid talents – and his belief that costume jewelry could be as beautiful and as carefully crafted as its much higher-priced counterparts regally showcased in the windows of exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry stones. Without question, he succeeded!

Ball, Joanne Dubbs. Costume Jewelers, The golden Age of Design. West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1990. P. 88

Marcel Boucher designed amazingly detailed and three-dimensional designs with graceful flowing lines suggesting movement. Sorted by motif, each of the following Boucher designs illustrate recognizable design and hardware traits associated with Boucher.  

Marcel Boucher died in 1965. He left his business to his second wife Sandra Boucher who was an experienced, talented designer. She continued the Boucher brand, seamlessly blended with her own aesthetic, until the business was sold in approximately 1971-1972 to Davon Industries. It was sold again in 1979 to D’Orlan. D’Orlan reissues Boucher designs from the original molds signed D’Orlan with inventory numbers.

Jewelry marked Boucher, regardless of the date of manufacture, is collectible. Some designs, especially the early 1940s designs, are rare and expensive, but overall, the designs are timeless, distinctive, well-made, and usually of an average-wearable size.

Birds

One of Boucher’s first collections was a line of exotic birds that provided a welcome change from the geometric precision of Art Deco designs. Boucher marketed his reputation. His was a brand known to consistently produce exquisite jewelry. Boucher jewelry was priced at the high end of the range along with Eisenberg and Trifari. The prices for Boucher designs rose with the reputation of the brand: $3 – $10 in the 30s, $7.50 – $20 in the 1940s, $25 – $45 in the 1950s.

The design of this piece was likely inspired by the “Collie’s Magpie Jay” featured in the Audubon books. [A copy of the Audubon drawing is shown on page 91 of the inspiring story of Takahashi Bird Pins by Julia C. Carroll and Carol Takahashi.]

The tonal blue enamel (different shades of the same blue color) add depth to the design.

Brand Trait: Boucher’s figural designs feature realistic poses with interesting, expressions.

Gold tone plating is used for the body of the goose and rhodium plating for the head and wings. Each feather is separated from the others. Some are slightly curved.

Brand Trait: Boucher designs show graceful lines and convey a sense of movement.

After 1945 Marcel Boucher added inventory numbers to his designs. He learned to number his designs in this way from working with fine jewelry houses. The numbers help to approximately date his designs.

American Costume Jewelry art & Industry, 1935 – 1950 by Carla Ginelli Brunialti & Roberto Brunialti, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA., 2008 provides dating information for Boucher inventory numbers.

The numbers from 2,300 – 2,350 date from 1945, the numbers from 2,351 – 2,450 date from 1946, the numbers from 2,450 – 2,550 date to 1947, the numbers from 2,550 to 2,750 date from 1948, the numbers from 2,750 to 3,000 date from 1949 and the numbers from 3,000 to 3,500 from 1950.

Brunialti, p. 42

Boucher produced after 1954 has a copyright symbol and designs produced after 1960 often included P for pin, B for bracelet, N for necklace and E for earrings.

1960 numbers through 7802 (PNBE)

1962 numbers through 8209 (PNBE)

1965 numbers through 9100 (PNBE)

When inventory number 9999 (PBNE) was reached the inventory numbers including (PNBE) started over.

The 2 1/2″ parrot on the left is a quintessential Boucher design. The sweeping stylized wings outlined by rhinestones, and the expressive face, are iconic Boucher design features. It is modern and classic at the same time. The plating is bright gold tone. The body of the bird is covered with high-quality ruby rhinestones.

Brand Traits: The lattice-work design of the red parrot’s wings is an innovative use of line. Note the use of open space in the lattice-work design. The use of open space in design elements is a trait of many Boucher designs.

The blue enameled bird on the right measures 2 ½” and features blue metallic enamel, gold tone plating, and crystal rhinestones. Note the expressive curve of the beak and the way the gold tone and enameled feathers simulate a cluster of blowing feathers.

Brand Trait: Boucher is known for his high-quality metallic enameling, especially in his early 1940s designs, but also in later designs.

Author’s Note: The Boucher red rhinestone parrot design has been reissued by D’Orlan. The reissue is signed D’Orlan with inventory number 5215.

This iconic Boucher bird pin was made in several variations by simply changing the rhinestone colors. This example features the most popular colors for this design: purple, green, and blue cabochons with red and crystal accent stones. The ruby rhinestones, set in lines, define the movement of the feathers. The larger, more muted cabochon stones add depth to the body of the bird. The plating is textured, bright gold tone.

Brand Trait: With the exception of some large stones, most of the stones in Boucher designs are pasted-in, often in open-backed settings. The designs frequently combine smooth cabochon stones with faceted stones.

Brand Trait: Boucher jewelry often features contrasting emerald and sapphire colors. Boucher also favored ruby rhinestones, turquoise cabochons, coral cabochons and crystal accent stones. He frequently used baguette stones to decorate the “lines” in his designs.

The Boucher peacock set is a favorite with collectors. The enameling is exquisitely done. Many brands made peacock designs, but few as beautiful as this Boucher set.

Mechanical/Moveable Designs

Boucher is known for designing mechanical/moveable jewelry that was both innovative in their engineering but also artistic in design. One of the most famous Boucher mechanical pieces is an enameled clip advertised in 1940 as Punchinello (not shown). It is an enameled figural with a chain. When the chain is pulled the arms and legs move up and down. It is design patent number 119649 and a rare and expensive piece.

Marcel Boucher combined his knowledge of the jewelry manufacturing processes with his love for whimsical designs. One of his favorite motifs were his day/night pins that converted from a conservative daytime look to a sparkling nighttime look.

The color of the stones in this 1960s era Boucher mechanical are called Light Siam. They are a bright, almost red/orange color. The rhodium plated stone settings are square rather than round.

Brand Trait: Tiny touches of quality, like the stone settings above, and the dual plating colors is a mark of quality – a definite brand trait of Boucher designs.

Two more examples of Boucher day-to-night designs.

Brand Trait: The shape and movement of the petals in Boucher day-night-designs is a design trait for Boucher mechanical florals.

Tremblers

Many makers, including Marcel Boucher, designed jewelry using tiny springs so that some aspect of the design gently moves or trembles.

Note: Marcel Boucher designs are sometimes reproduced, so it is important to look for authentic Boucher signatures. The Scottie dog pin shown here is also found signed Park Lane.

Earring Design

The over-the-ear earring shown below, called “Earrite” in a 1950 Boucher ad, does not have a clip mechanism. The decorative elements are on a flexible wire that goes behind the ear and hooks onto the top of the ear. When worn, only the decorative top and decorative bottom show.

Note the curving lines in the design and how the dangling elements add movement to the design.

Graceful Action Figures

Boucher designed many figural pins showing graceful, humans in motion. The skill of Marcel Boucher to bring life to his work is evident in this ice skater pin. Every line and curve of this design promotes the illusion of movement. The raised arm and the face are one curved line. The sterling metal is vermeil except for the skirt and skate that remain silver. The close view shows the amazing detail of the skate. From the back, the high-quality construction is evident in the reinforcing bar added to protect the pointed toe. This piece was made in separate pieces that were seamlessly assembled without screws.

Brand Trait: Details in facial expressions on costume jewelry designs is difficult to achieve. Boucher solved this problem by creating figural dancers in motion. The movement is the focus of the design, not the face.

Ballet Dancer Pins

The two pins shown here were featured in a 1949 Ballet of Jewels advertisement. The ballerina was part of the Carnival group. She features gold and silver tone metal, a ruby rhinestone in her hair and rhinestones along the hem of her skirt. The Danseur (male dancer) pin is from the Sleeping Beauty group and features black enameled hair and a ruby rhinestone.

Dancers were a favorite motif of Boucher. To the “eye” these are authentic representations of ballet dancers. The arms are bent and sculpted so that each dancer has elbows, hands, and pointed toes. Notice the tilt of the heads. The ballerina is gracefully looking down so that her ruby head piece shows. The male dancer’s chin is tilted up as if he is coming out of a spin.

Spanish Dancer Pin

Floral Designs

The most sought-after Boucher floral designs date to the 1940s. These are rare and expensive today often selling in the thousands of dollars. The following gallery of Boucher florals are more affordable and lovely to own and wear today.

The long-stemmed Boucher floral on the left features a collar of pavé rhinestones found on many Boucher designs. Boucher designed at least five versions of the cyclamen flowers beginning in the 1940s. This example is lightly decorated with crystal rhinestones but features Boucher’s typical flowing lines.

The pin features smooth rhodium and gold tone plating. It was constructed in two pieces riveted together. The pavé stones in the bottom layer graduate in color from dark to light topaz. Placing stones in this way is time-consuming and expensive.

Some of Boucher’s designs are artistic interpretations of nature. For example the attractive designs below are floral motifs without a direct connection to a known flower or tree.

Under the Sea

Egyptian

The plastic body was made in two pieces that fit perfectly into a special “winged” frame.

Egyptian designs often include vector images. Vector images are lines and shapes based on mathematical formulas. Interestingly, vector graphics are important in modern drawing programs. Since they are based on mathematics, computer software can resize vector designs without distorting the image.

Insects/Critters

Even the tiniest of critters is treated with respect in Boucher designs. Each has a separate personality, each features quality details, and each is whimsical in its nature.

Pleated Metal Designs

One of the most distinctive and versatile collections designed by Boucher are the “pleated” metal, round pin and earring sets. The base for the design is a round shape with “pleated” metal. The inspiration for this design is unknown but there is a 1949 Boucher design patent for a similar pin. It is design patent 155682 issued in 1949. A vintage advertisement called this style of jewelry “engine turned jewelry”. Some collectors describe this design as a “fan” shape because it resembles decorative paddle or hand fans.

Boucher decorated the basic shape in many, many different ways. Sometimes the circle is open in the middle, sometimes one of the edges is folded.

Most of the “pleated” metal designs do not have an inventory number. However, inventory numbers have been found on the decorative elements. Some of these numbers date to the early 1950s.

Brand Trait: Boucher designs often include interesting metal work including “pleated” designs, designs with feather-like metal shapes, open lattice-work metal work, metal with interesting textures, and metal used to contain channel set stones.

Sets

Boucher often created more than one earring style that coordinates with other pieces in a group.

Brand Trait: Boucher sets routinely decorated curved elements with channel set crystal, ruby or sapphire rhinestones that graduate in size.

The curved elements in this set are decorated with invisibly set ruby rhinestones. Invisibly set stones are stones set next to each other without any visible means of support, so they appear to be a solid surface of stones. This set was also available in sapphire and emerald.

This Boucher necklace is a fully symmetrical design comprised of textured feather-like links, decorated with baroque pearls, and tiny clear rhinestones. The links graduate in size with the largest links in the middle.

Brand Trait: Many of Boucher’s necklaces are link designs that extend all or most of the way around the neck. His articulated necklaces are comfortable to wear and lay flat.

This attractive set is timeless in its design and quality manufacturing. It is a fully articulated, symmetrical design, that extends all of the way around the neck.

Brand Trait: The figure-eight or infinity symbol style extender shown below is a Boucher design found on many of his necklaces.

The triple strand Boucher bead necklace shown below illustrates the attention to quality and detail associated with Boucher. The necklace closing is beautiful with or without the extender.

The faux turquoise high-domed cabochon stones in the following set hold the highest visual weight. They are egg-shaped and seem to be emerging from the white enameled background.

The following set is a study in contrasting textures.

This set dates to after 1965. The smooth pearls decorate the three-dimensional stack of textured nugget-style beads. It is an articulated link design. The clasp is decorated with the same textured, gold tone finish.

As beautiful today as it was in 1949, the abstract floral design below illustrates Boucher’s skill at creating and interesting, well-balanced asymmetrical design.

The design of this set is a masterpiece in the creative use of open-space and curving lines to create an interesting, abstract floral. The design features both rhodium and gold-plated metal. The metal design of the comma-shaped earrings differs slightly from the metal design on the pin. Both date to 1949 and are likely part of the same design group.

Alternative Boucher Marks

During the war years, some Boucher sterling designs were made in Mexico. These designs are marked Mexico, Sterling, and Parisina.

The matador pin is a well-known Boucher design; however, the mark is unreadable.

Marboux

Boucher is known to use the Marboux mark for lower end jewelry, often with plastic elements. However, some Marboux pieces exhibit the same quality in manufacture and design as the high-end Boucher designs. All three of the pins below are signed Marboux but are representative of Boucher’s design aesthetic and quality manufacturing.

Summary

Marcel Boucher or his second wife Sandra Boucher, are responsible for the Boucher brand designs. For this reason, Boucher jewelry designs are consistently distinctive, high-quality, and exhibit many identifiable brand traits. Innovation was in design and manufacturing is prominent in Boucher jewelry over the decades. The Boucher brand cared about the comfort of their customers. The brand cared about the quality of the product. They advertised, but their reputation for excellence was their biggest marketing asset. They cared about their reputation. All of these elements are key to the enduring success of Boucher jewelry in the collectible marketplace.