Lot Essay
Cf: Christie's, "Magnificent Jewels", 17th November 1988, Lot 586
Sylvie Raulet, "Van Cleef & Arpels", Editions du Regard, Paris, 1986, page 208
The house of Van Cleef & Arpels was officially established in 1906, when Alfred Van Cleef & his cousins and brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels opened a small shop at 22 Place Vendome. All of them came from families involved in the jewellery business. They quickly developed a reputation for high-fashion jewels, using the finest gemstones and workmanship. Renée Puissant, daughter of Alfred Van Cleef was artistic director during the 1920s, working alongside the talented artist-designer René-Sim Lacaze, employed by the company from 1922-39. It was Lacaze who was responsible for many of Van Cleef & Arpels' most spectacular creations.
Around 1935, Van Cleef & Arpels perfected the revolutionary technique of "invisible setting" and their name has been synonymous with this style ever since. Invisible setting is one of the most ingenious and enduring innovations of 20th century jewellery. Each little square-cut stone is set directly against the next without any visible means of support or mount, in order to achieve a rich mosaic of unbroken silky colour.
The stones are set by means of grooves in their sides, which slid into a latticework of gold wire seen only from the back. Precision cut rubies and sapphires, perfectly matched in colour were used in this way and four special facets were devised for the stones, so that they reflected even more light. It was an ambitious, time and labour-intensive process, in which many stones might be broken and wasted. A flower brooch might require 800 perfeclty matched rubies. Yet such was its enormous popularity that the idea was adapted through the 1930s and '40s for clips, cufflinks, earrings, bracelets, powder compacts and lipstick cases. The technique also achieved a remarkable degree of flexibility, and the bracelet in this set shows the virtuoso technique to perfection.
Wide expanses of intense colour fitted the new mood of effervescent "cocktail" jewellery, a style that was about to emerge in 1937, while the technique was also suited to the sculpted and three dimensional designs that were becoming popular in the second half of the 1930s. In 1935 the first rounded "Boule" ring was made, followed the next year by a series of leaf, feather and flower brooches, depicting peonies, orchids, a rose with emerald leaves and a chrysanthemum in Burmese sapphires. Marlene Dietrich wore a celebrated wide cuff bracelet in sapphires ornamented with diamonds. In 1936, one of the first major items of invisibly set jewellery, a large double holly leaf brooch of rubies and diamonds was bought by Edward VIII for Mrs Simpson.
It was also around 1935 that a new generation made its mark at Van Cleef & Arpels: the three sons of Julien Arpels, Claude, Jacques and Pierre had all learned the business working with their father and uncles that ensured the continuing traditions and success of the company.
Flowers remained popular motifs and a speciality of Van Cleef & Arpels throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s. In the 1950s, Van Cleef & Arpels added the fashionable diamond baguetttes in the form of flower stems and set the flower centres with clusters of round diamonds. The effect of these sumptuously paved stones, continued the sense of style and consistent high quality of the company and Van Cleef & Arpels' invisibly consistent high quality of the company's creations and Van Cleef & Arpels' invisibly set jewels will always remain important 20th century classics.
Sylvie Raulet, "Van Cleef & Arpels", Editions du Regard, Paris, 1986, page 208
The house of Van Cleef & Arpels was officially established in 1906, when Alfred Van Cleef & his cousins and brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels opened a small shop at 22 Place Vendome. All of them came from families involved in the jewellery business. They quickly developed a reputation for high-fashion jewels, using the finest gemstones and workmanship. Renée Puissant, daughter of Alfred Van Cleef was artistic director during the 1920s, working alongside the talented artist-designer René-Sim Lacaze, employed by the company from 1922-39. It was Lacaze who was responsible for many of Van Cleef & Arpels' most spectacular creations.
Around 1935, Van Cleef & Arpels perfected the revolutionary technique of "invisible setting" and their name has been synonymous with this style ever since. Invisible setting is one of the most ingenious and enduring innovations of 20th century jewellery. Each little square-cut stone is set directly against the next without any visible means of support or mount, in order to achieve a rich mosaic of unbroken silky colour.
The stones are set by means of grooves in their sides, which slid into a latticework of gold wire seen only from the back. Precision cut rubies and sapphires, perfectly matched in colour were used in this way and four special facets were devised for the stones, so that they reflected even more light. It was an ambitious, time and labour-intensive process, in which many stones might be broken and wasted. A flower brooch might require 800 perfeclty matched rubies. Yet such was its enormous popularity that the idea was adapted through the 1930s and '40s for clips, cufflinks, earrings, bracelets, powder compacts and lipstick cases. The technique also achieved a remarkable degree of flexibility, and the bracelet in this set shows the virtuoso technique to perfection.
Wide expanses of intense colour fitted the new mood of effervescent "cocktail" jewellery, a style that was about to emerge in 1937, while the technique was also suited to the sculpted and three dimensional designs that were becoming popular in the second half of the 1930s. In 1935 the first rounded "Boule" ring was made, followed the next year by a series of leaf, feather and flower brooches, depicting peonies, orchids, a rose with emerald leaves and a chrysanthemum in Burmese sapphires. Marlene Dietrich wore a celebrated wide cuff bracelet in sapphires ornamented with diamonds. In 1936, one of the first major items of invisibly set jewellery, a large double holly leaf brooch of rubies and diamonds was bought by Edward VIII for Mrs Simpson.
It was also around 1935 that a new generation made its mark at Van Cleef & Arpels: the three sons of Julien Arpels, Claude, Jacques and Pierre had all learned the business working with their father and uncles that ensured the continuing traditions and success of the company.
Flowers remained popular motifs and a speciality of Van Cleef & Arpels throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s. In the 1950s, Van Cleef & Arpels added the fashionable diamond baguetttes in the form of flower stems and set the flower centres with clusters of round diamonds. The effect of these sumptuously paved stones, continued the sense of style and consistent high quality of the company and Van Cleef & Arpels' invisibly consistent high quality of the company's creations and Van Cleef & Arpels' invisibly set jewels will always remain important 20th century classics.