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Fréderic Boucheron (1830 – 1902) opened his first shop in 1858 at Palais Royal, the area in Paris where jewelers assembled. The firm's reputation for the quality of gemstones employed, and the originality of their design, propelled it into a well renown business. In 1893 the premises were moved to 26 Place Vendôme, its current headquarters. Boucheron was the first jeweler to move to this square, which has since become the world's epicenter of haute joaillerie.
Boucheron had become synonymous with luxury and taste. In addition to pieces in Neo-Egyptian, Far-Eastern, Renaissance, and 18th Century revival style, Frédéric Boucheron experimented with plique-à-jour enamel twenty years before it was made popular by Art Noveau. In the 1880s he was also among the first jewelers creating wrist watches for ladies, besides the more traditional production of clocks and pocket watches. Particular attention was paid to the chisel, which was a very important technique, since many products took sculptural forms. Rare techniques were also employed, such as niello, crafted hard stones, and guilloché enamel.
The firm's reputation for uncompromising attention to quality of gemstones and originality of design flourished during the Art Deco period, with fantastic works in enamel or black and white jewelry. Many stylized pieces or of exotic inspiration are a testament of its excellence.
Through the Art-Retro time (1930s-1950s) the Maison was unrelentless in its attention to the crafting of gold. It was virtuously executed in different techniques, always conferring a plastic sense to it. For example, it was crafted into the form of fabrics, pierced, or molded into figurative and geometric shapes.
Today the firm continues to produce the highest quality of jewels at the same address.