Mellerio vs Boucheron: Which French high-end jewellery brand is older?

Reality TV became a great form of escapism during the coronavirus pandemic for many people. Popular Franchises such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Bachelor worked their charm on many audiences. However, Netflix stole the show by releasing the brand new reality show to entertain its ever-growing fanbase. The Bling Empire premiered on the streaming giant on January 15, 2021. Bling Empire Season 1 showcased a group of super-wealthy Asian American friends jetting around the world and attending glamorous parties. Read on to find out which of the brands featured on the show is better, Mellerio and Boucheron?

Read | When Was 'Bling Empire' Filmed? Here Are The Major Shooting Locations Of The Show

Mellerio vs Boucheron

In the second episode of Netflix's Bling Empire, Christine Chiu asks Anna Shay, “Have you ever heard of Mellerio? It's the oldest high jewellery house alive in Paris.” The episode is called Tale of Two Trusts and the seemingly innocent observation made by Chiu gave way to a verbal catfight of epic proportions. Chiu and Shay tried to work out who ranks higher in the social hierarchy by debating whether Mellerio is the oldest or not. Shay claimed that Boucheron, another French luxury brand is better.

Read | Who is Anna Shay on Netflix's 'Bling Empire'? Know about her net worth & personal life

Which is older Mellerio or Boucheron?

After doing some research about the French high-end luxury brands, it was revealed from Boucheron’s official website that it is the oldest jewellery atelier on the Place Vendôme. Place Vendome is in the 1st arrondissement, however, it is not the oldest in the whole of Paris. Boucheron was founded by Frédéric Boucheron in 1858 and was the first jewellery store on the Place Vendôme, which is a historic square.

Source: Boucheron (Official website)

However, it turns out that Christine’s analysis of the was right about Mellerio. Upon doing some sleuthing on Mellerio’s official website, it turns out that it is in fact the oldest family-run jewellery company. It is located a stone's throw away from the Place Vendôme, on the Rue de la Paix. The jewellery house was founded in 1613, "Mellerio dits Meller" supplied its prestigious clientele with the finest of treasures for over four centuries and is the oldest jewellery house. 

Source: Mellerio (Official website)

Read | 'Bling Empire' cast: Who are Anna Shay, Christine Chiu, Kane Lim, Kim Lee & more?Read | 

When was Bling Empire filmed?

Season 1 of the Bling Empire, clearly predates quarantine, as we see rich Asians, attending glamorous and crowded social events. But fans will be surprised to know how long ago the show was filmed. In a January 11 interview with Los Angeles news station KTLA5, Christina Chiu's husband Dr Gabriel Chiu confirmed Bling Empire filming wrapped around two years ago. Hence, this means that most of the first season was filmed in 2019.

One can track this from the cast’s social media history, for instance, Christina threw a Chinese New Year party to ring in the year of the pig in the premiere episode. The most recent year of the Pig was in 2019. Christine had posted about the event in February of that year. It appears as though the show started filming around the same time.

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