Brand history 1937 1971
Marcel Boucher was born in Paris in 1898. His mother worked as a seamstress, his father died at a fairly young age. As the only son of a widow, he was assigned to the French ambulance corps rather than the front line during World War I.
After the end of the war, Marcel Boucher worked for several years at the Cartier jewelry house in Paris, and he started from the very bottom he was an apprentice. In 1922, Marcel accepted an offer to be transferred to the New York office of Cartier as a designer.
After the Default of 1929, the demand for jewelry fell sharply and Cartier’s business suffered greatly. In general, this was a watershed moment for many jewelry companies. Some of them decide to release jewelry from cheaper materials Costume Jewelry. So, one can say, thanks to the crisis, the jewelry business flourished. Marcel found work with another jeweler and was fortunate enough to be relatively untouched by the Great Depression. He also did freelance work primarily in jewelry making.
Marcel Boucher after the war
In the 1930s, he collaborated with the Mazer company, for which he creates ceremonial buckles and masquerade decorations. Working with jewelry impressed him with a large number of possibilities. In 1937, Boucher founded his small company, Marcel Boucher and Cie Company NY.
During World War II, Boucher temporarily moved production to Mexico. The fact is that the metal that was used in the production of jewelry was necessary for military needs and the Boucher company used silver during this period, which was in abundance in Mexico.
After the war, Boucher began to make more feminine and elegant jewelry perfect for Christian Dior’s New Look outfits.
Boucher’s company became famous for its brooches depicting birds, flowers and insects. Many of the jewelery had a magnificent three-dimensional design, enamel and the highest quality crystals were also used. Jewelry from the Birds of Paradise and Ballet of Jewels lines, as well as jewelry made of silver labeled Parisianna, remain the most valuable and popular.
Sandra the new owner of the company
After his death in 1965, the company was taken over by his wife Sandra, who was also a designer.
In 1979, Boucher was sold to the Canadian company D’Orlan Industries of Toronto. Since then, the jewelry produced by the company has been labeled “d’Orlan”. “Marcel wanted the jewelery to be chic and fluid, with simple and light lines. “Chic, chic, chic” is what he always aspired to. He was very demanding to himself and to others and did not want to see anything but perfection! from the memoirs of his wife Sandra.
