In Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery, the archival meets the au courant

High jewellery, undercut with a rich heritage, is given a modern twist when styled with denim. Here, Van Cleef & Arpels jewels, both archival and current, ably demonstrate the timeless outcome in a marriage of the old and new.

It is a coupling that Van Cleef & Arpels cultivates with its Heritage collection. Composed of almost 200 pieces that have been sourced at auctions or through private collectors, the pieces, dating from 1920-1990, are meticulously examined and authenticated before being accepted. The Van Cleef & Arpels team, meanwhile, constantly on the lookout for archival pieces to join the collection, frequent trade fairs and auctions in an ongoing bid to find historical jewels that offer a taste of the stylistic codes of every decade, from the striking lines of the art deco period through to the whimsicality of the 1950s and the bohemianism of the 1960s and 1970s.

This enduring historical legacy is especially evident when paired with the modern jewellery created today, which faithfully references this rich archive while looking resolutely forward. The timelessness of both the heritage and contemporary pieces is offset by the casual cool of denim; worn oversized, its loose proportions are a relaxed foil for the bold lines of the jewellery.

A ‘Fagot’ bracelet from 1968 borrows from the bright colours prevalent in the 1970s, with the preference at the time for Indian jewellery design inspiring the colourful stones and chunky coral links. Elsewhere, modern pieces continue to nod to the archives. The ‘Ludo’ bracelet, part of the current collection, echoes the modernist lines of 1930s jewellery design, with its hexagonal and geometrical form taking inspiration from couture of the time, its cinched-in silhouette reminiscent of a belt.

A play on proportion is also reflected in the oversized ‘Solerose’ clip and striking ‘Matrimonio’ necklace, in a look back to the symmetrical focus that began to emerge in the 1980s. A contrast to the preceding decade’s free-flowing forms, here a rainbow of precious stones takes centre stage in a swirl of sapphires and diamonds.

A version of this article appears in the May 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print from 11 April, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

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