Van Cleef & Arpels’ Treasure of Rubies taps into 3,000 carats of certified sparkle
Auspicious and romantic, the colour red is loved by women, especially in Asia, and so is the ruby. A blood-red stone that adds dramatic affect to jewellery, it is especially favoured in high jewellery designs. The ruby has a second pinkish tint that is only noticeable upon a closer look, a transformative quality that gives coloured gems their powerful impact.
In its latest Treasure of Rubies High Jewellery Collection, Van Cleef & Arpels taps into the incredible beauty of over 3,000 carats of certified rubies.
One of the greatest challenges of creating a high jewellery collection with coloured gems is finding quality, matching gems that enhance the beauty and symmetry of the design.
The Treasure of Rubies High Jewelry Collection was a long time in the making; the gemologist at Van Cleef & Arpels spent over a decade accumulating the rubies, some of world’s the most difficult stones to find.
Inspired by the aesthetics of couture and Indian jewels, these crimson gems bring life to 61 pieces of jewellery, including necklaces, rings and earrings. Van Cleef & Arpels also opted to apply its knowledge of transformable jewellery to create 21 different pieces.
The crowning jewel of the collection is a transformable necklace set with a 25.76-ct cushion-cut ruby. The centre stone of the Rubis Flamboyant Transformable Necklace has a powerful red hue, described by Van Cleef & Arpels’ gemmological expert as “perfect”. An additional 18 oval- and cushion-cut rubies totalling 30.40 cts further accent the necklace. The centrepiece can be detached and worn as a ring, or as a set with the rest of the necklace.
The design further transforms: a 3.09-ct oval-cut diamond flanked by diamonds and rubies also comes with the ring, and can be interchanged with the 25.76-ct ruby to create yet another look.
This theme of transformation runs throughout the collection, with 20 other pieces designed to bring that element of surprise and versatility. Beautiful in each of the four ways it transforms, the Priya necklace can be worn long or short, with or without its detachable ruby-bead tassels, or as two detachable bracelets.
The collection also includes pieces that use unusual cuts of rubies. The Esma Transformable Necklace features close to 600 cts of ruby beads, strung together and accented with mauve sapphires, amethysts, lapis lazuli and diamonds. The long necklace is wrapped around and worn as a shorter piece.
These thoughtful designs speak to Van Cleef & Arpels’ understanding of a woman’s need to be spontaneous, creative and free. The ruby proves itself an incredibly versatile gem, able to complement designs that are classic or modern, while its deep hues harmoniously enrich designs that incorporate precious gems of all colours.
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Inspired by the aesthetics of couture and Indian jewels, Treasure of Rubies brings to life 61 pieces, including necklaces, rings and earrings