Cherie Burns’ book “Diving for Starfish” celebrates a magnificent, bejeweled sea creature’s rise Imagine a bejeweled sea creature, the size of a human hand, lightly grasping a woman’s neckline and shoulder. Luminescent gemstones nearly cover the creature’s lustrous golden arms and body in scarlet and purple freckles. Two of its five radiating arms, opposite one another, are tipped back slightly to expose its pure gold underside. Up close or from across a room, this exotic brooch, in the shape of a starfish, shimmers and glows.
You might expect that owning and wearing such a showy bauble demands confidence, wealth, and a keen sense of fashion. You’d be right on all counts.
Since it was first fabricated in 1937, the starfish brooch from the Paris jeweler Maison Boivin has captivated the bank accounts and hearts of its owners. Whether there exists three, five, or more examples of the Boivin starfish that might be considered authentic and rare — the exact number of “important” examples is disputed — all have been owned by women of distinction.
Since its release by Boivin nine decades ago, the art deco starfish brooch has passed through the hands of leading jewelers and auction houses in the world’s fashion capitals of Paris, London, and New York. The brooches’ owners have included a famous oil heiress and fashion designer, actresses, and wives or girlfriends of wealthy men. Many others fawn over the flashy ornament from afar, with it showcased worldwide in books, design blogs, and on Pinterest boards.
Author Cherie Burns traces the long lineage of the Boivin starfish brooch, and our fascination with it, in her entertaining book “Diving for Starfish: The Jeweler, the Actress, the Heiress, and One of the World’s Most Alluring Pieces of Jewelry,” released in late spring of this year. Burns, a seasoned journalist, is a longtime resident of ‘Sconset on Nantucket and Taos, New Mexico, both with her husband Dick Duncan
The Wall Street Journal favorably compared “Diving for Starfish” to Dashiell Hammett’s detective novel “The Maltese Falcon,” because Burns’ compelling narrative reads, in places, like a hard-boiled mystery as she tracks down elusive sources and runs into dead ends. Elsewhere, her account effects the intensity of a procedural thriller as she considers, with the precision of a scientist, varied iterations of the starfish brooch.
In a recent interview on Nantucket, Burns acknowledged her journalistic approach as, simply, “reporting.” She cites as inspiration the acclaimed books “The Orchid Thief” and “The Hare with Amber Eyes,” which scrutinize in great detail the history of the rare orchid trade, in the first, and Asian antiquities, in the second. “That’s the whole deal,” said Burns. “These pieces keep moving through interesting people.
Burns was inspired to explore the history of the Boivin starfish after encountering one of its finest examples in person. Her book “Searching for Beauty — The Life of Millicent Rogers,” a biography of the Standard Oil heiress and fashion designer who epitomized high-society and glamour in the first half of the 20th century, had just been published. Burns was drawn to the life of Rogers through visits in Taos to the Millicent Rogers Museum, founded in 1956, after Roger’s death. The museum displays Native American art and artifacts collected by Rogers and her mother, along with the bold, mid-century modern jewelry designed by Millicent.
In September of 2011, the exclusive jeweler Verdura invited Burns and her publishers to kick-off the release of her Rogers biography with a party at jeweler Verdura’s Fifth Avenue gallery in New York City. Rogers had bought jewelry from Verdura, so Burns was familiar with the company and had visited there before. As Burns sipped a celebratory glass of champagne, amidst a festive crowd including socialites and celebrities, Verdura’s owner steered her to a display kiosk in the middle of the salon’s gallery.
In “Diving for Starfish,” Burns recounts the episode: “There, prominently displayed on a gray velvet pillowed pedestal, was a golden starfish the size of my palm, with rubies and amethysts cascading down its ridged rays. It’s articulated arms were fully extended, and under the showroom lighting it seemed not just to sparkle but also to effervesce as if it were visibly radioactive.”
Burns was immediately taken with the refinement and opulence of the piece, which had been owned by Millicent Rogers and was the second of three original starfish brooches made by Boivin. The first starfish by Boivin had been purchased by movie actress Claudette Colbert, which she apparently lost or had stolen, although jeweler Lee Siegelson of New York City recently offered what they identified as that one. Present-day actress Jennifer Tilley, who has earned her wealth from television, movies and as a champion poker player, owns the third of the Boivin originals.
Besides its connection to Millicent Rogers, what was it about the Boivin starfish brooch that drew Burns to immerse herself in its history for nearly four years? A single diamond could be far costlier, but the Boivin masterpiece is ranked among the one hundred most valuable pieces of jewelry in the world. Maybe it was one jeweler’s assessment of the starfish that because of its splendor it will “make your heart beat faster.” Burns concludes that the value of the brooch lies not in it gemstones alone nor in its gold content. “It is the alchemy between design and gems that determines the worth” of the brooch, she writes.
As a journalist, rather than a collector or industry expert, Burns creates an historic account detailing the growth, prowess, and trade secrets of Boivin and other great international jewelry houses. She combs through decades-old business and sales records, news reports, and photographs. She pulls back cloaks of secrecy on how those firms turn profits on sales and resales of exceptional adornments like the Boivin starfish.
Here and there, “Diving for Starfish” delves into juicy gossip about the Boivin treasure and those who’ve owned it. How many imitations have been created since Boivin released its early starfish brooches and are masquerading on their owners’ evening wear as originals? Many are obvious, inferior knock-offs, but some are claimed to be of direct lineage. With the earliest Boivin starfish brooches selling privately for up to $1 million, how high can prices go for originals of this notable apotheosis of art, design, and precious materials?
In the end, Burns supposes the starfish will continue “to move through the secret sands of wealth, commerce, and beauty until a time when such things were no longer sought or mattered.” Until then, her deep dive into this fabled treasure makes for an absorbing, lively story. For the 99% of us who won’t find such a precious and pricey item among our holiday gift packages, “Diving for Starfish” makes an excellent and praiseworthy stand-in.
“Diving for Starfish: The Jeweler, the Actress, the Heiress, and One of the World’s Most Alluring Pieces of Jewelry,” 2018, St. Martin’s Press. Burn’s previous books include “Searching for Beauty,” The Great Hurricane: 1938,” and “Step-Motherhood.” Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker Times Magazine, People, and Glamour. For more on Burns and her work, visit cherieburns.com. This article appeared first in MahonAboutTown, an email newsletter published on Nantucket.
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William Ferrall has written for most publications on Nantucket, for Boston Herald, People, and others. He was founding editor of N Magazine and Nantucket Home.