Boucheron

Boucheron's redesigned jewellery boxes in aluminium / Source: Boucheron

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4 MINUTE READ

Jessica Harman

WHAT WE SAY:

Steeped in history and prestige, luxury brand Boucheron has taken the market by surprise with its complete redesign of the classic jewellery box - all in the name of circularity. Using just two materials, the box turns the traditional fine jewellery experience on its head, removing hinges, fastenings, and the clamshell opening that's so evocative of romantic narratives.

KEY FACTS:

Over the space of two years, French heritage jewellery brand Boucheron redesigned its collection of jewellery boxes, reducing the number of materials needed from 11 to just two.
A core part of the brand’s ‘Precious for the Future’ sustainable development strategy, the collection of seven boxes is made from Aluminium and responsibly sourced Wool felt certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). Thanks to a lack of glue and stitching, the boxes can be easily deconstructed and the materials disposed of.
The new design forgoes the conventional hinge opening in favour of a lid that simply sits over the base and can be lifted directly off. The previous design's hinge featured seven different materials which couldn’t be separated for repurposing.
Each piece of jewellery is sold with an accompanying green pouch made from 65% recycled Cotton, which doubles as a gift pack and can be reused as a travel pouch.
The new boxes are twice as light as the previous designs due to the use of aluminium, a material that's not only lightweight but durable and infinitely recyclable too.
Boucheron designed the boxes as keepsakes, taking inspiration from a 1980s beauty kit for the sculpted, emerald-cut lid that reflects the shape of the Place Vendôme from the sky - a nod to the brand’s origins.

Boucheron's new jewellery boxes come in seven shapes and sizes / Source: Boucheron

The jewellery boxes no longer feature the classic clamshell opening / Source: Boucheron

DIVE DEEPER:

As was true for Boucheron’s original case, jewellery boxes are traditionally made from multiple materials fused together in a complex design. The result is a box that can’t be easily repurposed or recycled, and will end up in landfill unless it's cherished for generations to come.
The global jewellery market is expected to reach USD 330 billion by 2026, while Google searches for upcycled, recycled, repurposed, and reworked jewellery increased by 117% in 2021 alone. Meeting consumers' expectations for brands to be more thoughtful about their material use is crucial to retaining market share.
Boucheron’s choice of aluminium is unusual for the fine jewellery industry, more often found in aeronautics and interiors. Its use facilitates a lightweight design that’s durable over long periods of time, and the metal is one of the most recycled materials on earth without any loss of quality.
According to data from the International Aluminium Institute, out of the 1.5 billion tonnes of aluminium ever produced, almost 75% is still in use today.
When purchasing an item in a Boucheron store, customers are advised to separate the aluminium from the felt for sorting at the box's end-of-life.
Boucheron’s redesign is part of the brand’s overarching circular strategy, which includes pledges to reduce its environmental footprint by 40% by 2025 - from a baseline measured in 2015 - and to reduce the footprint of its packaging by 50% by the same year. A dedicated team was formed to focus solely on the packaging redesign for two years.

"The conventional clamshell system was reimagined ... to eliminate the use of non-recyclable metal parts, which were deemed too polluting."

Hélène Poulit-Duquesne – CEO, Boucheron – via LinkedIn

Key Design Considerations:

Adapt to stay relevant

Boucheron realised its packaging design was quickly becoming obsolete in light of changing consumer attitudes, so it acted swiftly and thoroughly to address a design choice stuck in the past. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean it can't be changed.

Give your story depth

While Boucheron is open about its redesign process and material decisions, it offers no information about the supply chain of its packaging or the methods used to produce it. These surface-level insights leave many questions unanswered and reduce customer trust. When announcing a sustainable initiative to the world, don't skimp on the story.

Prioritise end-of-life messaging

Boucheron only advises those customers who buy in-store of how to dispose of the jewellery box responsibly. But considering jewellery is often passed down through generations, these instructions may be lost to history. How can these details be incorporated into the design itself in order to stand the test of time? Delicate and considered engraving is one way to go.