Adding to Van Cleef & Arpels’ increasingly impressive bibliotheque comes a companion publication to this year’s 'The Art & Science of Gems' exhibition at the Moshe Safdie-designed ArtScience Museum in Singapore.
Page upon sumptuous page of historical jewels display the height of the French house's rich, curious and gorgeously offbeat approach to precious metals and stones. Among the most wondrous are the objet designs of the early 20th century – a carved jade pillbox, gold champagne swizzle, and a quartz and onyx nightlight among them. They are interspersed among more recognisable Van Cleef jewellery designs, such as diamond ribbon collars, clips and cuffs, and figurative pieces.
Gold, pearls, jade, coral, emeralds, rock crystal and diamonds are just some of the rare minerals and gemstones linking natural scientific processes to over a century of exceptional creative interpretation.
Overall, The Art & Science of Gems, with the French National Museum of History as a partner, does much to illuminate the deep cultural seam that renders high jewellery design such an extraordinary art form. At the same time, it once again highlights Van Cleef & Arpels as the most cerebral of the Place Vendôme jewellers.
Global cultural influences informed early Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery designs, including this 1930s landscape powder box in gold and enamel (pictured left); and an Egyptian-inspired bracelet and brooch, in platinum, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and onyx from 1924 (right)
Gold work became a focus for the more casual jewellery of the 1960s and 70s, as seen in this 1967 Mexican mask clip in gold, quartz and emeralds (pictured left), and a pre-Columbian inspired pendant brooch and earrings in gold, from 1971 (right)
Abstraction in Van Cleef & Arpels design is displayed in a selection of drawings. Pictured: an abstract design vanity case created in 1928; abstract gold necklace of the 1970s; and the iconic 'Pylônes' necklace from 1939
Opulent objets of the 1930s point to the contemporary desire for pleasure in everyday activities. Pictured left: nightlight in gold, lacquer, quartz, onyx and rubies. Right: set for a smoker in gold, quartz, lapis lazuli and sapphires
Pictured left: a rock of cut and polished Russian malachite from the former collection of the King’s Cabinet of Natural History. Right: early 1970s Van Cleef & Arpels chain and 'Pisces' pendant in gold, malachite, emerald and diamond
INFORMATION
The Art & Science of Gems, $75, published by Editions Xavier Barral. For more information, visit the Van Cleef & Arpels website
-
La Monique brings the French Riviera to Santa MonicaA transportive room of velvet, candlelight, and Riviera chic, serving French favourites with a modern wink
-
Kat Milne is the designer behind fashion’s most intriguing retail spacesInfused with elements of the surreal, Kat Milne has designed stores for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and A24. ‘People are looking for a more tactile experience,’ she tells Wallpaper*
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates the early flowering of its art deco jewellery designs with an exhibition in TokyoVan Cleef & Arpels nod back to an illustrative Art Deco history with an exhibition celebrating its influence
-
At Dubai Watch Week, brands unveil the last new releases of the yearBrands including Chopard, Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef & Arpels present new watches at Dubai Watch Week
-
Inside Coreen Simpson’s fabulous, jewellery- and art-filled worldTo mark the publication of ‘Coreen Simpson: A Monograph’, we meet the octogenarian photographer and jewellery designer over Zoom, and take a deep dive into her world
-
This season’s high jewellery smoulders in sunset shadesVivid hues and striking silhouettes combine in new high jewellery from Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Tiffany & Co
-
Rolex and Wallpaper* present the first authorised history of the Datejust watchRolex and Wallpaper* partner again to publish ‘Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History’, written by Nicholas Foulkes, available now
-
'It is an artistic vision with a story to tell': François Junod on creating magical automatons with Van Cleef & ArpelsSince 2017, Swiss automaton-maker François Junod has been collaborating with Van Cleef & Arpels on one-of-kind automatons
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windowsFour British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
