Tracking Down the Boivin Starfish: The World’s Most Alluring Piece of Jewelry with Cherie Burns, Author & Investigative Reporter

Episode 67

What you’ll learn in this episode:

  • What Boivin starfish brooches are, and why they are so sought after.
  • The history of the House of Boivin and the socialites who wore its jewelry.
  • Why the world of haute couture jewelry is notoriously secretive.
  • Why rare, fine jewelry often goes out of sight for decades at a time. 

About Cherie Burns:

Cherie Burns is the author of “Diving for Starfish—The Jeweler, The Actress, The Heiress and One of the World’s Most Alluring Pieces of Jewelry” (St. Martin’s Press, 2018), which details her search for three ruby and amethyst starfish brooches created in Paris in the 1930s. Her earlier published books include the biography “Searching for Beauty—The Life of Millicent Rogers” (St. Martin’s Press, 2012), “The Great Hurricane: 1938 (Grove/Atlantic, 2005) and “Stepmotherhood—How to Survive Without Feeling Frustrated, Left Out or Wicked” (Times Books).

Cherie has been a feature journalist since 1975 and her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, People, Glamour, New York, Sports Illustrated, Constitution and other publications.

Additional resources:

Episode Transcript

Sharon Berman