René Boivin founded the French firm of Boivin in Paris in 1890. After he died in 1917, his widow, Jeanne Boivin, took over. Jeanne was the first woman to run a jewelry house in France. To follow the theme of women empowerment, she hired three remarkable women: Suzanne Vuilereme, Juliette Moutarde and Germaine Boivin (Jeanne’s daughter), for their talents in jewelry design. The firm produced a wide range of geometric shaped brooch pieces during the 1920’s – 1940’s, but it was in the 30’s that Boivin made a name for herself with a unique design.
During this period, the Bouvin House released a total of four Starfish brooches, all using amethyst and ruby gemstones in a new and creative way. The first brooch designed by Juliette Moutard, was the most notable sale of them all, purchased by actress Claudette Colbert. Colbert tended to be conservative in style, but her recent Academy Award and her status as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood may have given her the confidence to buy something so out of the ordinary.
Measuring four inches across (the size of an outstretched palm) the brooch features dozens of hinges on the back that allow it to be fully articulated. Designed so that when you pick it up, the arms of the starfish drape in the hand of the holder in a life-like way that is unique to any other piece of its size. The starfish brooch collection still fascinates jewelry connoisseurs today because of their bold, sheer beauty and the fine workmanship by a female-run company that has not been replicated in modern pieces.
The Starfish brooch is now owned by the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA) and has been certified as the original piece created for Claudette Colbert in the 30s.