63THEONE BloombergPursuits August 10, 2020
Boucheron’s pendant necklace
sounds like science fiction
Photograph by Benjamin BouchetRARE AIR
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.
THE COMPETITION
- Instead of the
lightest material
known to man, try
osmium, one of
Earth’s heaviest
naturally occurring
substances. It’s
the source of the
glittering crystal face
of Ulysse Nardin’s
Tourbillon Free
Wheel timepiece,
which clocks in at
€102,000 ($120,800). - If it’s a truly
extraterrestrial
bauble you’re after,
David Yurman’s $775
dog tag necklace is
made from a slice of
the 4 billion-year-old
Gibeon meteorite
and patterned with
crisscrossing lines of
iron and nickel. - Made-to-order
titanium rings by
Mach3Ti were
createdfrompartsof
mission-flown
Air Force SR-71
Blackbirds, long-
range, high-altitude
reconnaissance
aircraft that were
capable of speeds
of more than
2,100 mph. Prices
start at $999.THE CASE
The centerpiece of
Boucheron’s latest
collection is not only
a lump of near-
air;thenecklace
is enhancedby
6,162diamonds
totaling108.17carats.
The aerogel
pendant can be
removed and worn
in other, less blingy
configurations.
A simple silk cord
is included, and a
bracelet version is
available separately.
However it’s
showcased, the
substance captures
and reflects an
ethereal spectrum
of light: It can look
white, blue, and
sometimes almost
invisible. €590,000
($696,000);
us.boucheron.com