When in 2006, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrated their centenary, Christie's was proud to be entrusted with the organisation of two sales, one held in New York, the second in Geneva, to celebrate the occasion by offering 100 jewels by Van Cleef & Arpels. Emblematic of their style and technical inventions, this 'Pavot' brooch dating from 1954 celebrates the art of the jeweller, showcasing Van Cleef & Arpels' famous 'Mystery Setting'.

The secret behind the 'Mystery Setting' is a delicate lattice of gold or platinum 'threads', each less than two tenths of a millimetre in diameter. The calibreé-cut gemstones are selected according to very strict criteria, as they have to fit precisely into where they will be placed. A special groove is cut into the stones and they are 'threaded' onto the lattice. Each gem takes about 90 minutes in preparation, and the lapidary can spends hundreds, even thousands of hours creating just one single jewel. Once the gems are set, the lattice is perfectly covered with gemstones. Both the preparation of the lattice and the stones require incredible skill and dexterity - the few experts qualified to do this kind of work are nicknamed 'grandes mains' by their colleagues.