Why Boucheron’s Cape de Lumière was the ultimate challenge for jewellers

When a cape is priced at HK$5.53 million, it’s worth a second (and maybe third or fourth) look. Boucheron’s Cape de Lumière – Cape of Light – is a work of art, and worth its hefty price tag due to the fact that the piece is not stitched from fabric, but rather, is made of gold and diamonds.

Claire Choisne, the brand’s creative director, says that the cape was “one of the most challenging developments” of the 26 Vendôme collection, likening the production process to haute couture fashion. “The idea was to create a piece that would be a jewel and a garment,” she says. “It’s a whole new challenge, a way of reinventing the work of the jeweller by creating the jewellery of tomorrow.”

The claim is hardly an exaggeration. The template for the cape involves 70 hours of work, while the time for crafting the many exquisite details ultimately totals 925 hours. The piece is so named for its shimmering effect when worn, produced by the peacock feather motif, which radiates across the design, and by the many different textures of gold used throughout – matte surfaces paired with twisted chains resembling the ribbed Gros Grain pattern – not to mention all the inset diamonds.

The final product consists of 850 round diamonds totalling 5.26cts, with an 81.62ct citrine stone holding the cape together at the centre. Now that would be the kind of weight we would like to have on our shoulders.