Boucheron introduces the new Quatre 5D Memory ring

“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 jewellery icon. The Maison now unveils the “Quatre 5D Memory” ring, born of cutting-edge innovation serving a creative and artistic dream.”

Boucheron, founded in 1858, is a renowned French jewellery and timepiece brand. They have introduced the new Quatre 5D Memory ring, which features an innovative capsule that contains the sound of ocean waves.

Boucheron is owned by Kering, a French multinational holding company, which owns other iconic luxury brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Pomellato, and Ginori 1735, among few others.

The Quatre 5D Memory ring is part of Boucheron’s Quatre collection – introduced in 2004 and considered a Boucheron icon. The Quatre collection celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and includes rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and hair jewels. It adds its “graphic signature and contemporary character to the Boucheron world.”  It is “both different and classic, unique and multidimensional.”

“Through the ‘Quatre 5D Memory’ ring, I wanted to encapsulate, for billions of years, a memory of my childhood spent by the ocean. This piece proves that we have still not reached the boundaries of jewellery, and we will continue to push to them, so as to fully express the strength of our creative vision.” – Claire Choisne, Creative Director, Boucheron.

Key Features of the Quatre 5D Memory ring

– The sound memory encapsulated in the Quatre 5D Memory ring is of ocean waves during Claire Choisne’s childhood spent by the Atlantic Ocean. The Quatre ring was selected as a medium to hold this memory.

– Boucheron collaborated with IRCAM (the French Institute for Acoustic/Music Research and Coordination) – Centre Pompidou to “develop this unique score.”  IRCAM – Centre Pompidou is one of the world’s largest research centers devoted to “musical creation and scientific research.”

– An optical storage process for digital data known as “5D Memory” makes it possible to encapsulate a sound memory in the Quatre ring. It is an ultrafast nano structuring technique, invented by Dr. Peter Kazansky, Professor at University of Southampton (England), and the Chief Science Officer of SPhotonix. This makes it possible to encode, “for billions of years,”  large quantities of information in nanostructured glass, “one composed of birefringent microscopic structures with features measuring just a few nanometers.”  Data in the form of text, images, videos, and sound can be engraved in the form of a binary code using a femtosecond laser.

– Light is required to read this data. More specifically, polarized light illumination. By using this, “the birefringent data points will change the polarization of the light passing through them.”  When viewed through a polarized light microscope, the data can be read and translated in their original format.

– The Quatre ring’s size enabled the 5D engraving to record 100 megabytes of data in the material, lasting for billions of years. “This technology makes the “Quatre 5D Memory” ring a true time(less) capsule.”  The data is protected as it is written within the material, rather than on its surface.

– The brand depended on an innovative material called Glassomer®, created in collaboration with Glassomer of Germany to house this technology and replicate the ring’s aesthetic. Glassomer® is a silica glass which contains “unique optical properties.” “Being extremely sturdy and very transparent, it was clearly the ideal medium for this memory to last for billions of years.”

– The patterns of the Quatre ring have been sculpted in the material, except for the diamonds set in white gold. IRCAM – Centre Pompidou’s audio work is on one of the Clou de Paris motifs.

Our Thoughts

The Quatre 5D Memory ring’s technology is straight out of a James Bond movie, something the “Q Branch” would develop. Except in the case of Boucheron, the Quatre 5D Memory ring is very real. People view jewellery as heirlooms, intending to pass it on to the next generation and so forth. The possibility to have a “memory” encapsulated in jewellery is utterly amazing. The Quatre 5D Memory contains the memory of sound, of ocean waves of the Atlantic Ocean. This same technology can be used to encapsulate a memory of text, images, and videos.

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I wonder if Boucheron will enable customers to order jewellery or a timepiece and customize a memory they want encapsulated in it. So 100 years later, when a great grandson or granddaughter inherits this jewellery or timepiece that contains an audio sound or a video of their great grandparent, they are able to hear or view it! This is truly next level thinking and makes the world of jewellery and luxury timepieces so much more interesting and unique.

Additional Details

Name: Boucheron Quatre 5D Memory ring

Price: Upon Request

Please visit the Boucheron website for more information.

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