STYLE Edit: How Alfred Hitchcock, Jacqueline Kennedy and Egypt’s Princess Faiza inspired Van Cleef & Arpels latest high jewellery masterpieces
The French maison has unveiled pieces inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s iconic Jarretière bracelet, worn in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright, and former US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s diamond and ruby earrings – a wedding gift from second husband Aristotle Onassis
Every year, Van Cleef & Arpels dips into its historical archives to pay tribute to the most iconic jewellery pieces created by the maison over the last century. Be it gorgeous ballerina brooches, ingenious zip necklaces or elegant Ludo bracelets, the brand has annually celebrated its emblematic style in various reinterpretations as part of its high jewellery collection.
This year, the Parisian jeweller has brought alive the sartorial elegance of its most prominent clients from the 1950s – Marlene Dietrich, Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Faiza of Egypt – with a high jewellery collection inspired by some exceptional pieces from their personal collections.
The “Homage to High Jewellery in Place Vendôme” includes the Merveille d’Émeraudes necklace, Rubis en Scène bracelet and Tendresse Étincelante earrings, all created with the rarest stones sourced from across the world. The Merveille d’Émeraudes, or the “Marvel of Emeralds”, is undoubtedly the most stunning piece in the trio. Inspired by Princess Faiza’s art deco-style platinum collaret dating back to 1929, this precious necklace can be worn in multiple ways.
There are five pear-shaped emeralds in the jewel that weigh a total of 70.40 carats and these can be removed from the necklace to be worn as part of earrings that complete the set – one short and two long options with the precious pendants. Alternatively, the emeralds can be replaced with three pear-shaped diamonds that attach to the jewellery clasp that hangs down the back. The dazzling necklace also includes a beautiful diamond train that adorns the nape of the neck.
Adorned with 10 drop-shaped emerald pendants suspended from a geometric mount entirely set with diamonds, the necklace was acquired for Princess Faiza in 1947 by the Egyptian court’s representative in France. The piece stayed with her even when she moved to the US after her exile in Egypt in the late 1950s.
In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1950 murder mystery Stage Fright, actress Marlene Dietrich wore the most prized jewel from her collection – a Van Cleef & Arpels Jarretière ruby and diamond bracelet. This year, the maison is paying tribute to this flamboyant piece with a reinterpretation made with 72 Burmese rubies, weighing a total of 84.74 carats.
Instead of one half-moon as seen in the original piece, the Rubis en Scène bracelet has been reimagined with two half-moons covered with rubies and supported with a buckle adorned with baguette, rectangular and pavé-set diamonds. Dietrich bought this magnificent piece in 1937 and was regularly photographed flaunting it in both reel and real life.
Jackie Kennedy’s famous diamond and cabochon ruby earrings were presented to her as a wedding gift by her second husband Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest rendition of these large, diamond-set floral motifs is called the Tendresse Étincelante earrings, which means “Sparkling Tenderness”.