This November, at the Fine Arts Biennale at the Grand Palais, Thomas Torroni-Levene will be presenting exclusive pieces from his heritage collection of René Boivin jewelry. One of the highlights is a necklace of royal provenance that once belonged to Nam Phuong the last Empress of Vietnam.

By Sandrine Merle.

Stand A12. This is where Thomas Torroni-Levene (a representative of the 6th generation and René Boivin’s temple keeper) is exhibiting his collection of René Boivin pieces at the Torroni house (one of the world’s leading dealers in precious stones and antique jewelry). His selection includes models that have marked the history of the brand: the Quatre Corps ring, the wooden ring set with a diamond, the Fil ring evokes a set of wires wrapped around the finger, and the Torque bracelet in twisted silver. He will also be exhibiting one-of-a-kind pieces such as this 1935 necklace, with its scrolling diamond motifs, typical of the Boivin style. “Made for Nam Phuong, the last Empress of Vietnam, it consists of bracelets and a pair of brooches and can also be worn as a tiara,” explains Thomas Torroni-Levene.

Nam Phuong, a great Boivin customer

“Nam Phuong (literally meaning Southern Perfume) was a major René Boivin customer, the only one from Asia as far as we know,” continues Thomas Torroni-Levene. We don’t know on what occasion she placed this order, nor do we know how she came to know René Boivin. The most likely hypothesis is that she was introduced to René Boivin by her older sister, who usually accompanied her, the wife of Baron Didelot, who was also a regular René Boivin customer from the early 1920s to the late 1980s. “In 1932, when designer Suzanne Belperron left Boivin to found her own company, many customers followed her. In the archives, I found that Baroness Didelot was a customer in June 1938, unlike Nam Phuong, who visited Madame Belperron’s only once and ordered nothing, unlike Nam Phuong, who only visited Madame Belperron once and didn’t order anything; she remained loyal to René Boivin,” explains the Suzanne Belperron expert Olivier Baroin.

This necklace escaped the Vietminh

We are extremely lucky to be able to marvel at this necklace. Indeed, it is one of the few to have escaped the confiscation of the Empress’s possessions in 1945, two weeks after the abdication of her husband and the proclamation of the Democratic Republic. During the so-called “week of gold”, Nam Phuong was forced to surrender her (very lavish) jewel case to the Vietminh to support the war effort. While living in Cannes from the 1950s onwards, the Empress of Vietnam continued to indulge her passion for jewelry. Always a fan of the Boivin style, she commissioned several clips, including one in the shape of a jellyfish (made in 1948) set with imperial jade shuttles that she supplied herself, and one featuring two dolphins (circa 1955). Part of this jewel box will be dispersed at several auctions between 2014 and 2021.

This jewel with its royal pedigree will be in good company. Indeed, Virginie Torroni (Thomas Torroni-Levene’s mother) will be on hand with pieces that showcase the brand’s reputation, such as this pendant, which belonged to Marie-Antoinette’s lady-in-waiting and adorned a Chinese court costume in the early 1700s. Virginie Torroni will also be presenting the sublime contemporary jewels of Vamgard, maestro of micro-ceramics. A rare opportunity to admire them. Collectors and anyone with René Boivin pieces to offer – now is your chance…

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