“quatre 5d memory”

There is nothing more precious than a memory. Nor anything more ephemeral. What would happen if we could capture these fleeting moments and preserve them forever? This year, Boucheron accomplished the feat of encapsulating the memory of water for billions of years within its jewelry icon. The Maison now unveils the “Quatre 5D Memory” ring, born of cutting-edge innovation serving a creative and artistic dream.

encapsulating the memory of water

If Claire Choisne had to choose only one memory of water to give to future generations, it would be the endless sound of the waves. The sound that was the lullaby of her childhood spent beside the Atlantic Ocean. As the vessel to hold this precious message, she chose the Quatre ring, which this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Maison collaborated with IRCAM (the French Institute for Acoustic/Music Research and Coordination) – Centre Pompidou to develop this unique score. Today, IRCAM – Centre Pompidou is one of the world’s largest public research centers dedicated to musical creation and scientific research.

a technological feat serving a creative work

How is it possible to encapsulate this audio work inside the Quatre ring? By using an optical storage process for digital data, known as “5D memory”. An ultrafast nanostructuring technique invented by Peter Kazansky, Professor at the University of Southampton and the Chief Science Officer of SPhotonix whose technology is now adopted by a High Jewelry Maison for the first time. This makes it possible to encode, for billions of years, immense quantities of information in a nanostructured glass, one composed of birefringent microscopic structures with features measuring just a few nanometers. Boucheron relied on an equally innovative technology , Glassomer®, to achieve this tour de force. The Quatre ring’s patterns have been sculpted into the material, with the exception of the line of diamonds, set in white gold. The audio work* developed by IRCAM – Centre Pompidou is located in the center of one of Boucheron’s motifs : Clou de Paris.

*About the Boucheron x IRCAM – Centre Pompidou collaboration
Sound design by IRCAM – Centre Pompidou
Sound design: Roque Rivas
Sound engineering: Oscar Ferran
Sound design artistic direction: Emmanuelle Zoll
Production coordination: Raphaël Bourdier.

the innovation capsules

Ever since the Maison was founded, Boucheron has stood out by its innovations. Claire Choisne, the Maison’s Creative Director, is following in the footsteps of Frédéric Boucheron by introducing new materials into the Carte Blanche collections, which question the meaning of preciousness. To this end, the Maison has unveiled capsule editions every year since September 2020, applying this innovative approach specific to the Carte Blanche collections to its jewelry icons.