Boucheron Debuts Cuffs Crafted With 3D-Printed Sand

Boucheron has debuted a set of cuff bracelets made with 3D-printed sand in its new capsule collection titled “Quatre Sand.”

The seven-piece offering is the latest release from Boucheron, which has unveiled an “innovative” capsule collection annually since 2020 featuring unusual materials and unique crafting techniques.

The new capsule is a reinterpretation of the jeweler’s “Quatre” collection, featuring graphic lines and a maximalist aesthetic, it said.

Designed by Claire Choisne, the creative director for Boucheron, the pieces fuse style and innovation, with 18-karat yellow gold and black sand incorporated through a 3D printing technique.

Black sand was chosen because of the “radical contrast it creates against the warmth of yellow gold,” said Boucheron.

The technique was borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries, the brand said.

First, Boucheron used 3D modeling to set the “oversized” dimensions of the pieces and the precision edges that characterize its signature Quatre pattern named “Clou de Paris.”

Then, each black sand component was shaped using 3D printing and mounted onto the yellow gold structural bangle.

A polymer binder was precision-sprayed onto the sand in layers less than a millimeter thick to make the grains adhere to each other as if they were glued.

Boucheron compared the process to that of making a millefeuille puff pastry, a French pastry made of multiple, thin layers of puff pastry.

The process yields “a remarkably hardwearing material” that retains the texture of the sand, the brand said.

The inner surface of the pieces are polished, while the edges are brushed to highlight texture and light.

The sand is finished with a special coating to seal in its color.

The technique was borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries, the brand said.

First, Boucheron used 3D modeling to set the “oversized” dimensions of the pieces and the precision edges that characterize its signature Quatre pattern named “Clou de Paris.”

Then, each black sand component was shaped using 3D printing and mounted onto the yellow gold structural bangle.

A polymer binder was precision-sprayed onto the sand in layers less than a millimeter thick to make the grains adhere to each other as if they were glued.

Boucheron compared the process to that of making a millefeuille puff pastry, a French pastry made of multiple, thin layers of puff pastry.

The process yields “a remarkably hardwearing material” that retains the texture of the sand, the brand said.

The inner surface of the pieces are polished, while the edges are brushed to highlight texture and light.

The sand is finished with a special coating to seal in its color.