Flowers have long been integral to the history of Van Cleef & Arpels, and it is a love that has bloomed outside the parameters of jewellery. In 2023, a partnership between Van Cleef & Arpels and The King’s Foundation (a UK educational charity founded by Kind Charles and spanning sectors from sustainability to agriculture, arts and crafts, architecture and urbanism) was formalised when the maison was announced as the Principal Patron of The King’s Foundation Gardens and Estates.
It is a natural move for Van Cleef & Arpels, which has marked the partnership with both a floral-inspired new collection and a commitment to preserving the natural surroundings of two of the foundation’s historic locations, Ayrshire’s Dumfries House, and The Castle and Gardens of Mey in Caithness.
Amid the rose bushes of Dumfries House, then, was the perfect launch location for the ‘Fleurs d’Hawaï’ jewellery collection.
‘We are really always celebrating our heritage, at the same time as bringing a touch of modernity and a contemporary eye to a new collection,’ says Catherine Rénier, Van Cleef & Arpels’ CEO. ‘This collection presents a very naturalistic expression of flowers, in the flow of the petal and the colours.’ The collection is also a tribute to the maison’s ‘Hawaii’ jewellery, first introduced in 1938, and now rethought with new workings and a modern design.
‘Our heritage [is preserved in] our archives, which are our source of inspiration,’ adds Rénier. ‘It comes back in cycles and rhythms, and there is always a new way for us to express ourselves. Here, a new setting protects the stones while leaving them to be free and light, so they look really like petals and the gold disappears.’
There is a fluidity to rings, necklaces and earrings complete with rhodolite, citrine, amethyst, peridot and aquamarine petals. The pear-cut gems, in sorbet shades, appear to float over their reworked settings, encapsulating a lightness and easy wearability.
Also joining the jewellery is a ‘secret’ watch, composed of citrine petals clustered around a mother-of-pearl dial. The strap can be easily slid off, with the jewelled dial also able to be worn separately. ‘The maison looks at watchmaking with the eye of the jeweller,’ says Rénier. ‘We like our watches to be an expression of jewellery. And it's the case here, where you can also wear it as a pendant. We like our watches to tell stories. We can choose if we want a watch, or if we'd rather have a jewel.’
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