The starfish has become one of Boivin's signature pieces. Designed in three different versions (the other two set with emeralds and aquamarines, and sapphires and moonstones respectively) and each one was made two or three times. One ruby and amethyst starfish was made for Claudette Colbert, the French-American actress who won in 1934 an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role opposite Clark Gable in the Frank Capra film, It Happened One Night. During her long and successful career, Claudette Colbert played in sixty-five films. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6812 Hollywood Blvd.
The American heiress and top model Millicent Rogers, too, had a taste for Boivin jewels and in the photograph she is wearing a ruby and amethyst starfish brooch. The present starfish (lot 381) was bought directly from Boivin and constitutes therefore the third model of the ruby and amethyst version.