Le Coeur de Cristal - Crystal Heart Bottle

The "Le Coeur de Cristal" bottle—coeur meaning “heart” and cristal meaning "crystal" in French—is a beautifully understated yet poetic design by Georges Delhomme, created for Lancôme in the 1950s. Crafted in pressed glass, the flacon is both colorless and partially frosted, balancing transparency with a soft, velvety texture. Its most distinctive feature is its abstract heart shape, not literal or saccharine, but modernized into a gentle, organic curve. The body has rounded shoulders that give it a softened, human warmth, a suggestion of intimacy and affection rather than overt romanticism.

Viewed from above, the bottle reveals its rectangular cross-section, adding a subtle architectural structure to the otherwise fluid silhouette. This blend of geometric control with emotional form speaks to Delhomme’s sophisticated design vocabulary—always conscious of elegance, never sentimental. The label, affixed to one face of the bottle, is neatly framed within the frosted surface, offering just enough contrast to make the branding or fragrance name stand out without overpowering the design. Its simplicity complements the overall restraint of the bottle.

Topping the flacon is a brass cap, small but solid, offering a warm metallic accent against the cool translucency of the glass. The cap brings a touch of glamour to the design and reinforces Lancôme’s house codes of refined luxury. Though compact in form, the bottle stands approximately 8 cm tall—just over 3 inches—making it ideal for vanity display or travel. The scale is intimate, perfectly suited to the personal nature of perfume.

As with the "Nuages" bottle, the "Coeur" flacon was not limited to a single fragrance, but used across multiple Lancôme perfumes during the 1950s. This versatility was a hallmark of Delhomme’s designs: adaptable yet iconic, able to support different olfactory identities while maintaining the brand’s cohesive visual language.

In essence, the "Coeur" bottle is a quiet masterpiece—emotionally evocative, structurally balanced, and undeniably French. It exemplifies a postwar sensibility that cherished softness and elegance, all wrapped in a form that felt both modern and deeply personal.

Special Edition:

The Lancôme “Magie” Special Edition presentation box, created for the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco, stands as an extraordinary testament to both luxury perfumery and modern royal history. Issued in April 1956 to commemorate the couple’s celebrated union, this exceedingly rare presentation was not made available to the public. Instead, it was given as a private keepsake gift to select guests attending the royal wedding—an event that captivated the world by blending Hollywood glamour with European monarchy.

The presentation was issued in a strictly limited edition of 800 copies, and each set reflects the impeccable artistry and symbolism tied to the occasion. The outer box is rectangular and crafted from cardboard, covered in luxurious red paper and embellished with the official coat of arms of the Principality of Monaco. The interior is elegantly lined with white satin, monogrammed with the initials of Grace and Rainier, and titled to mark the occasion. This thoughtful design element underscores the commemorative nature of the piece and highlights the couple’s transformation from celebrities into figures of sovereign tradition.

Inside the box rest two heart-shaped flacons, referred to as “coeur de cristal” bottles, designed by the esteemed Georges Delhomme, Lancôme’s artistic director. Made of colorless pressed-molded glass, each bottle features frosted sides with gloss-polished front and back panels, creating a contrast that enhances the flacons’ delicate, refined appearance. Each stands 8 cm tall (approximately 3.15 inches) and is topped with a gold-toned screw cap stamped with the fragrance name. The underside is also stamped with "Lancôme", affirming its authenticity.

One bottle contains “Magie de Lancôme”, while the other holds “Trésor”, both labeled as “Parfums de l’Occasion”, emphasizing their exclusive commemorative purpose. What truly sets these bottles apart is the gilded personalization: one bears a crown above the royal monogram of Princess Grace of Monaco, composed of two interlocking “G”s for Grace Grimaldi, her royal name after marriage. The other bottle mirrors this detail with Prince Rainier’s initials beneath a princely crown. These bespoke monograms lend the flacons an intimacy and significance that elevate them beyond traditional perfume bottles—they become personal emblems of a royal transformation.

The context surrounding this presentation adds further depth to its meaning. The royal wedding included two ceremonies: a civil ceremony on April 18, 1956, and a religious ceremony on April 19, after which Grace Kelly officially became Princess Grace of Monaco. During the wedding days, a joint monogram featuring “R” and “G” was used, but following the ceremonies, Grace was granted her own royal cypher—a personal crest which would come to identify her royal identity on correspondence, gifts, and objects like these flacons.

As objects of both historical and artistic significance, these Lancôme bottles are enduring symbols of elegance, prestige, and romance. While many surviving examples no longer retain their original perfume, the flacons themselves remain treasured collector’s items, representing a pivotal moment in 20th-century cultural history—when a Hollywood star became a European princess, and Lancôme captured that fairytale in glass and gold.