Curations: Van Cleef & Arpels continues to reimagine vintage jewellery designs for modern-day wear
- The French luxury brand’s Alhambra collection reinterprets its signature four-leaf clover motif for a new decade with long necklaces and a jewellery watch
- The Perlée collection draws from the maison’s archives to revive the Tartelette ring design from 1948 for a trio of diamond pavé pieces
The storied history of Van Cleef & Arpels begins with a Parisian tale of love. In 1895, Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a lapidary, tied the knot with Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a precious stones dealer. From their union, the maison of Van Cleef & Arpels was born at 22 Place Vendöme in 1906, representing a combined vision for high jewellery. Twenty years later, the couple’s daughter Renée Puissant took over as artistic director, and developed the signature style that Van Cleef & Arpels is known for today.
The creations envisioned by the maison’s founders and first designers have developed into an ongoing record of the French luxury brand’s history, as the pieces have been reimagined multiple times over the decades. This year, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled updates to two of its classic collections, which once again reinterpret the timeless designs.
Alhambra collection gets lucky again
“To be lucky, you have to believe in luck,” said Jacques Arpels, the nephew of Estelle Arpels who managed Van Cleef & Arpels during the 1940s. He promoted this notion by collecting four-leaf clovers from the garden of his house and presenting them to his staff with a copy of an inspirational poem titled Don’t Quit.
This symbol of luck has long been a cherished emblem of the maison, with the four-leaf clover first making an appearance in its records in the 1920s. In 1968, it served as the inspiration for the design of the first Alhambra long necklace, made of 20 clover-shaped motifs fashioned in creased yellow gold and outlined with intricately set golden beads.
The distinctive necklace design had instant appeal for its ease of wear and versatility – the long chain can be doubled up, draped down your back or wrapped around your wrist. The Alhambra collection has since grown to include bracelets, rings, earrings and watches, using a variety of materials. This year, it evolved even further by incorporating different precious materials.
The collection now features four new Magic Alhambra long necklaces adorned with chalcedony, grey mother-of-pearl, guilloché yellow gold and blue agate. Blue agate, which was first introduced into the collection in 1989, is now paired with yellow gold to enhance its vivid colour. The guilloché necklace matches with a Vintage Alhambra ring in yellow gold, both intricately engraved with a sun-shaped pattern that brilliantly reflects the light.
The maison also debuted the Sweet Alhambra jewellery watch, featuring a guilloché rose gold dial in the signature clover motif, set in a bracelet alongside smaller motifs alternating between rose gold and pink mother-of-pearl. The careful craftsmanship applied to the polished stones and delicate engravings gives the timepiece a warm glow.
Perlée collection makes old new again
When Van Cleef & Arpels first revealed the Tartelette ring in 1948, a new style of jewellery was born. The original design in the maison’s archives shows an oval body formed by gold gadroons, surrounding a vaulted surface set with diamonds. The piece is reminiscent of a signet ring, and is inspired by centuries-old metalworking techniques. In 1949, the maison patented the ring design, then rechristened the piece as Tartelette in 1950 and incorporated it into the La Boutique collections. The curved design later inspired the Perlée collection, which is defined by playful gold beading.
In the latest update to the Perlée collection, the French brand revived this vintage ring to create a trio of diamond pavé pieces. The new rings are crafted in yellow, white and rose gold, with gadroons reaching towards the crown of the ring to encircle a glittering dome of diamonds. These new rings complement the classic Perlée pieces, with the rounded gadroons adding a new aesthetic alongside the beaded borders.
Just like so many other pieces created by Van Cleef & Arpels, you can expect these new jewellery designs to make a style statement for decades to come.