Space Age Aerogel Takes Center Stage in Six-Figure Jewelry
Boucheron’s new necklace reads like something out of science fiction.
Boucheron’s Goutte de Ciel necklace.
Photographer: Benjamin Bouchet for Bloomberg Businessweek
The mark of an artist, some say, is the ability to conjure something from nothing. Aerogel, an ultralight material NASA uses to both capture stardust like a sponge and insulate its Mars rover, is as close to nothing as something can be. Described as “solid smoke,” the Space Age material is at the heart of Boucheron’s Goutte de Ciel, which translates as “taste of the sky.” Creative director Claire Choisne designed the one-of-a-kind necklace to accentuate the material’s delicate properties (it’s 98% air), protecting it in a clear, almost 2.5-inch rock-crystal pendant shaped like a teardrop.
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