For over six generations, the Swiss jewellery house Boghossian has been creating exquisite jewellery. Their 150 years of craftsmanship are deeply rooted in the traditions of the Silk Road, the ancient trade routes that connected the East and West.
Regine Ngan, Boghossian’s managing director for Asia, finds the brand’s rich history captivating. She has been with the house for nearly a decade, driving its growth in the region. “I didn’t expect to remain so passionate about this field after 20 years,” Ngan jokes. She recalls the moment she first saw a Boghossian stone and felt compelled to join the industry. “It’s what I love,” she says.
When asked which piece she would choose to keep for herself, Ngan picked the Crimson Flame ring. This ring features a pigeon’s blood Burmese ruby that the Boghossian family discovered in 2000. This ruby remains the most valuable per carat ever sold.
In gemmology, “pigeon’s blood” describes top-quality rubies with a rich, vivid red color. Only stones that meet strict criteria for color, hue, and vibrancy receive this designation. The Crimson Flame ruby is set in a white-gold ring surrounded by cushion-cut diamonds. Christie’s Hong Kong sold this ring in 2015 for an astonishing US$18 million.
Ngan had the chance to handle the stone when it was displayed in Boghossian’s Hong Kong boutique in Landmark, Central. “Every morning, I would take it out and just look at it,” she recalls, her eyes sparkling. “I would just appreciate how my eyes could travel through the color.”
Boghossian’s creations are the work of CEO Albert Boghossian and creative director Edmond Chin. The Bamboo Blossom cuff, part of the new Palace Voyages collection, took a year to perfect. This piece showcases the blend of Eastern artistic motifs and Western lapidary innovation. Diamonds are meticulously inlaid in white jade to form the magnolia flower accents, which float between the green jadeite lattices. The bracelet evokes the library room in the Qianlong Palace during spring.
“It’s like architecture in jewellery,” Ngan says of the piece. “I think this is really our approach. We’re building something.”
When asked about Boghossian’s approach to trends in high jewellery, Ngan explained that the brand focuses on creating new trends rather than following existing ones. The family-run firm prides itself on blending high jewellery with art. Their creative process starts with the gemstones, not with a design sketch or blueprint.
“It’s a journey,” Ngan says, comparing the creation of a Boghossian piece to a relay race. Each step, from discovering a stone to cutting and setting it, adds value to the piece. “The Boghossian family travels around the world to find the right stone,” she adds. “For example, they find a ruby. They then study the ruby: its shape, size, brilliance, color…” Only then do they design a piece that suits the gem.
“That’s how it all starts,” Ngan explains. “They always want more. They’re always asking, ‘How can we elevate this stone to a stage where it feels right?’ There are many factors to consider: how it sits on the hand, the neck, how it feels for the wearer.”
Boghossian’s dynamic creative process and innovative designs have earned them a loyal clientele of high-profile clients.