René Boivin Sapphire “Feuille” Brooch

In the 1930s, the creative women at the House of René Boivin returned to naturalistic themes—like this blue sapphire "Feuille," or "Leaf," brooch—as many mainstream jewelers were looking elsewhere for inspiration. Madame Jeanne Boivin brought back armfuls of leaves from her long walks in the forest, and encouraged designer Juliette Moutard to introduce them into her designs. Typical of Moutard's eye for color, the sapphires subtly shift in hue and tone, ranging from pale violet and indigo to cornflower blue. She selected and positioned them to reflect the variegations of a natural creation. This enticing, finely-articulated soft blue sapphire leaf drapes softly from a structure of gold veins, easy to wear on a gown or jacket.