Cleverly cut and set onto sophisticated structures, diamonds emphasise the precious character of the collection.
In the past, high jewellery was predominantly about wealth and social status, however, today it has evolved into precious objects of art and stylish heirlooms you could wear and hand down for generations. For this reason, Van Cleef & Arpels pushed their creative boundaries even further in their quest to create the most prestigious creations. Bridging the gap between haute joaillerie and the beaux-arts, the Maison represented the very best in artistry, creativity, and exceptional craftsmanship with their Legend Of Diamonds collection.
Throughout the years, the jewellery Maison has paid homage to the beauty of gemstones – celebrating their colours, brilliance, and shape – with their high jewellery collection. Recently, the Maison found an appeal in using diamonds – a symbol of power and love – for their exceptional new treasury. Rare and often shrouded in mystery, the use of diamonds elicits the Maison’s long history of enhancing jewels.
From discovering the rarest stone to creating harmonious sets of gems, Van Cleef & Arpels created an extraordinary collection that depicts a fairytale-like narration. The story of the Legend of diamonds – 25 Mystery Set Jewels collection – began in 2018, when the Maison encountered a rough diamond, the Lesotho Legend, the fifth largest rough diamond in both size and optical clarity ever mined.
With that the Maison had the idea to create 25 unique pieces, all of them adorned with diamonds cut from the same rough stone. Presented to Van Cleef & Arpels by diamond dealer Taché, a long-time partner, the stone was initially exceptional for its weight, which was 910 carats. While Van Cleef & Arpels rarely works with rough stones, this was too inviting to give up on.
“The first six months of designing the collection were particularly intense. We had to envision creations that embodied the Maison’s style, that highlighted its expertise such as the Mystery Set technique, while also enhancing these diamonds which, at that point, had not yet taken their final shape. The challenge was to design harmonious pieces that brought all these elements together without one overshadowing the others,” said Thomas Pozsgai, Director of the Van Cleef & Arpels Design Studio.
Shine Bright Like A Diamond
The entire collection – the result of more than 30,000 hours of work – comes to life thanks to the Mains d’Or (literally “hands of gold”), the artisans of the Van Cleef & Arpels Workshops on the Place Vendôme who continued the tradition of expertise.
Featuring brilliance in material and harmonious proportions, the pieces in the collection are nothing short but stunning. The heaviest stone in the collection, a 79.35-carat diamond is given pride of place in the Atours Mystérieux necklace is by far one of our favourites from the collection.
Another key piece in the collection that we love is the Chevron Mystérieux necklace. Inspired by1950s fashion and the crossover collars that were popular on evening gowns at that time, the necklace has three majestic pear-cut diamonds with colourful compositions. The first, which measures over 31 carats, hangs in the centre of the piece, decorated by the other two, weighing 12.18 and 12.07 carats respectively.
Thanks to precise jewellery work and settings, the diamonds gracefully illuminate the pieces within the collection. From earrings to rings, necklaces all of the creations follow the Maison’s style and characteristics while meticulously and poetically following the movements as well as silhouettes of the diamonds.
Make space in your jewellery box for these extra-large, statement styles, because the myriad of tones and textures of diamonds give each piece a movement and liveliness that’s rarely seen in even the most decadent high jewellery.
Discover more about the collection at VanCleefArpels.com
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