Love time, nature

LOVE TIME, NATURE

The universe of Van Cleef & Arpels from its foundation in 1906. An identity defined by three key words embodying the essence of the French High Jewelry House

by Gianfilippo Versari ph. courtesy by Van Cleef & Arpels

It all began in 1895, in the heart of Paris, with the marriage of Estelle Arpels, daughter of a gem dealer, and diamond cutter Alfred Van Cleef. The rest is history. The young couple shared the same values - enthusiasm and innovation, a sense of family and a passion for precious stones. These values inspired the creation of the first boutique, which opened its doors in 1906 at 22 Place Vendôme, Paris, near the Ritz Hotel, the exclusive residence of wealthy travelers. The brand quickly achieved remarkable success, opening branches in Nice, Deauville, Vichy, Cannes, and Monte Carlo. The couple’s daughter, Renée Puissant, became the company’s artistic director in 1926 and with exceptional daring and imagination she created the unique, immediately recognizable Van Cleef & Arpels style. The initial production of platinum and diamond jewelry embodying the garland style in vogue at the time evolved into the exoticism that swept the fashion world of the 1920s. The House’s creatives were fascinated by the jewelry discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922, inspiring them to enhance their repertoire with Egyptian motifs and colors. Among the most successful jewelry designs in this style were bracelets decorated with sphinxes, lotus flowers, scarabs, slaves at work, snakes, vultures, and hieroglyphs made with colored precious stone cabochons on a background of faceted diamonds.

Love has always been an important source of inspiration for the House – in fact, the first item

Left-hand page: Van Cleef & Arpels zip necklace, dated 1951, which can also transform into a yellow gold, rose gold and platinum bracelet set with rubies and diamonds. Above: a picture by Marc de Groot of models wearing pieces from the “Legend of Diamonds25 Mystery Set Jewels” collection. Below: a picture from the 1930s showing the first boutique in Place Vendôme, Paris

recorded in the sales ledger is a heart-shaped diamond. In the following years, many creations were made to celebrate the most famous love stories, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. The theme of love is still a constant in all the House’s collections, from engagement rings to wedding rings as well as watches and high-end jewelry pieces. Precious objects have always been expressions of love but they also reflect the zeitgeist. Over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels has played a major role in the jewelry world, developing an original style based on a subtle alchemy of creativity, innovation, and elegance. Nature, a classic source of inspiration for art and jewelry, has also provided the brand with an inexhaustible stylistic repertoire, and throughout its history, plants, flowers and animals have prompted an extraordinary profusion of colors, patterns, and materials, from precious gems to semi-precious stone and even organic materials. Van Cleef & Arpels became a key player after the opening of its New York headquarters, enjoying a period of great success in the 1950s, with the launch of the Tissu Serge collection and boutiques selling limited editions of jewelry at an accessible price to a wider, younger clientele. In the 1960s and 1970s, Van Cleef & Arpels focused on a floral motif with the Rose de Nöel coral brooches and earrings and Alhambra chains with gold and hard stone four-leaf clovers. The brand was also influenced by Eastern culture, which led to the creation of a series of multicolored necklaces inspired by the jewels worn by Maharajas.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Today, Van Cleef & Arpels expresses its commitment to research and innovation through the introduction of unusual materials such as hematite and gray mother-of-pearl. Current production is based on the reinterpretation of timeless classics like Serti Mystérieux necklaces while also offering jewelry with rare gems and the harmonious shapes of original yet classic products. One example among many is 25 Mystery Set Jewels, part of the recently launched Legend of Diamonds collection, whose story began in 2018 when Van Cleef & Arpels discovered a rough diamond known as the Lesotho Legend. The fifth largest rough diamond ever mined in the world, the stone weighed 910 carats and was a perfect

Right-hand page, clockwise: Roaring Twenties transformable long necklace & Chrysler EarringsPhotography by Erik Madigan Heck, Volutes Mystérieuses transformable necklace and earrings accompanied by Echo Mystérieux earrings with detachable pendants and ring & Entrelacs Mystérieux bracelet, both part of the Legend of Diamonds - 25 Mystery Set Jewels collection.

Photography by Marc de Groot plus images taken during the creative process

Left: Marlene Dietrich wearing the Jarretière bracelet for the 1951 Oscars, by permission of Marlene Dietrich Collection GmbH Munchen – Deutsche Kinemathek Collection Berlin. Below: Pierre Arpels, the Maharani of Baroda and her son Prince Jagat Singh in 1960, image from the Van Cleef & Arpels Archives

D color. It was subsequently cut into 67 diamonds, which the Van Cleef & Arpels design studio used to create a collection of 25 pieces. The final collection celebrates the House’s historic techniques, as well as gemstone combinations such as sapphires and emeralds. Some pieces were designed to be transformable and wearable in up to six different ways. This spectacular collection is based on the power of one stone to create 25 unique pieces, each of which sparkles in its own way.

Along with the 25 Mystery Set Jewels, the White Diamond Variations collection, also part of the Legend of Diamonds collection, celebrates the House’s creative history and the timeless beauty of this precious stone. Inspired by the brand’s rich heritage, the pieces in the collection reinterpret Van Cleef & Arpel’s distinctive style, reflecting different eras and artistic trends.

www.vancleefarpels.com