“For many years, the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, so inspired by Egypt in the 1920s, has wished to prolong the story and present its own vision of this ancient heritage,” expresses Catherine Renier, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels—and perhaps it was this sentiment that first gave the Maison the push to compose a contemporary saga, in which symbols and scenes from everyday life evoke a timeless vision of Egypt.
Van Cleef & Arpels has long imagined stunning creations that celebrate the influence exerted by Ancient Egypt over the centuries, which continues today with the Fascinating Egypt collection: a body of some 180 abstract and figurative pieces that bring to mind the vestiges of the civilisation, alongside more recent interpretations. From artistic to decorative, these pieces revisit the taste for Egyptian culture in all its diversity.
‘Egyptomania’, or the modern reinterpretation of ancient models, has always been about unique ornaments, vibrant colours and rich contrasts. Scarabs, sphinxes and lotus flowers adorned creations by the Maisons Castellani, Beaugrand and Fouquet. Pieces made of ornamental stones call to mind antique glass paste jewellery, while others are adorned with gems carved into symbolic shapes. And since 1906, coloured stones have been at the heart of Van Cleef & Arpels’ expertise.
A glimpse of the creations
Fleur de lotus Mystérieuse clip
Paying homage to the emblematic flower in Egyptian iconography, this motif was featured by the Maison since the 1910s, and became all the more prominent following the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Round and baguette-cut diamonds combine with baguette-cut rubies and motifs in the Fleur de lotus Mystérieuse clip. The creation technique allows for gold to disappear in favour of precious stones—yet the precious metal still takes centre stage on some sections of the clip, with the mirror-polished metal at the base of the corollas and stems reflecting the Maison’s taste for texture.
Beauté légendaire necklace
With the Beauté légendaire necklace, the Maison offers its own interpretation of the breastplate jewels worn by the royalty in ancient Egypt, which have also later found a place on the cinema screen or on theatre stages. At the center of this stunning creation, the solar gleam of a stone catches the eye. The Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond is expressed in a cushion cut weighing 10.02 carats, and its brilliant-style faceting enables the gem to reflect the light with intensity, giving it an all-at-once captivating glitter. It is then held in place by a six-pronged bezel, enhancing a diamond-set breastplate. The necklace is crisscrossed by lines of polished yellow gold representing garlands, and punctuated by round diamonds of increasing dimensions that emphasize the symmetry of the design. The clasp is hidden beneath a lotus flower in white gold, yellow gold and sapphires.
Rivage égyptien necklace
On this particularly remarkable piece, a batch of 37 pear-shaped emeralds from Zambia, which weighs a total of 41.58 carats, adorns the neckline. The gems’ green colour is accompanied by a luminous crystallisation that reveals their intense brilliance. Each of the seventeen motifs recalls the palmettes depicted on ancient Egyptian frescos, and the settings for each have also been made to measure for a specific emerald. Warm notes of polished yellow gold also dazzlingly accentuate the contours of the necklace.
Paysage merveilleux bracelet
For this bracelet collection, the Design Studio pays homage to the imagery associated with Egyptian civilisation, through the design of astonishing frescos. In the Paysage merveilleux bracelet in particular—set in yellow gold, white gold, sapphires, and black spinels—it’s a pyramid landscape straight out of science fiction. Completely flexible, this creation is directly inspired by the Egyptian-style cuff bracelets produced by the Maison in the 1920s. It is set in such a way that extended, it forms a precious panorama; on the reverse of the bracelets, gold openwork enables light to pass through and make the gems sparkle.
Origine florale and Origine du soleil rings
On these specially designed cocktail rings, the domed silhouettes are crowned respectively by an 8.02-carat emerald from Colombia and a 5.04-carat ruby from Mozambique. The gems ultimately reveal the intensity of their colour and the quality of the crystallisation in generously proportioned cushion cuts. The body of the rings is also decorated with an engraving that suggests the day star, and adorned in white gold and rose gold.
Vénus égyptienne clip
The Vénus égyptienne clip evokes Hathor—the Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, music and much more—with a solar disk and cow’s horns. Punctuated with a round diamond of 1.51 carats, the piece is also crowned with falcons in white gold and diamonds, and displays a truly dazzling interplay of colours. The first smaller, inner half-circle is in a deep blue with flecks of lapis lazuli and the gleam of yellow gold and diamonds. The second larger half-circle, which sits outside of the first, is in turquoise and ‘completes’ the clip. Delicately and intricately, each section of the half-circle shape has also been dotted with a golden stud, evoking the sun.
To discover the Van Cleef & Arpels Fascinating Egypt High Jewelry Collection, click here.
(Photos by Van Cleef & Arpels)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
