As the holiday season approaches, Van Cleef and Arpels is throwing the spotlight on its Flowerlace, Cosmos, Snowflake and À Cheval collections that are adorned entirely with white diamonds and accentuated by white gold or platinum.

This style, which was particularly in vogue during the Art Deco period and again in the 1950s and 1960s, has endured over the years, giving rise to some of the French maison’s most emblematic creations. 

This year, the Snowflake necklace, punctuated with diamond flakes, stands alongside the Cosmos collection and the À Cheval high jewellery pieces, which return to the spotlight this winter season. 


FLOWERLACE

By combining the delicacy of lace with the grace of flowers, the Flowerlace collection brings together two historic sources of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels: nature and couture. The Flowerlace collection were inspired by jewels created in the 1930s and the 1940s. Most of them are clips representing interlaced ribbons highlighting precious materials worked like fabric.

Through the Flowerlace collection presented in 2007, the fluerette blossoms in delicate diamond petals. This allowed the maison to build on an existing icon to create an audacious look that combines the key themes.

Rings, pendants, clips earrings and necklaces are woven from these ethereal ribbons of white gold and diamonds.


COSMOS 

The Cosmos collection was inspired by designs from the 1950s. A retail card dating from 1954 shows a four-leaf clover clip, the precursor of the Cosmos clip. Other archival visuals suggest that the first Cosmos pieces were made of woven gold.

The design was named Cosmos in 1981.

In 1981, Van Cleef & Arpels created the Cosmos clip in ‘Mystery Set’ rubies. The generosity of its petals is perfectly rendered thanks to the house’s unique technique. The esthetic was also celebrated in advertising visuals from the 1980s, featuring the renowned slogan “There are signatures for which one cares”.

The year 2001 opened a new chapter in the Cosmos story with new references of rings, pendants and earrings.


SNOWFLAKE

Timeless and feminine, the Snowflake collection is inspired by snow crystals – a source of inspiration for the maison since the 1940s. Round diamonds come together to form sparkling motifs that delicately caress the skin. A necklace, a bracelet, a pendant, two rings and a pair of earrings evoke the glitter of snow on a winter landscape.


À CHEVAL

In the À Cheval creations, diamonds are revealed in all their sparkling purity, captivating the gaze. Thanks to a relief setting technique, the stones are elegantly superimposed to create a remarkable effect of brilliance. 

This specific technique inspired the name of the collection when it was created in 1981 (À cheval also means “on both sides”). Today it once again takes centre stage, bringing together a transformable necklace, a bracelet, earrings, and since 2015, a high jewellery watch. 

Throughout its history, the Van Cleef & Arpels has been notable for its jewelry expertise and taste for exceptional pieces that elicit emotion. It has acquired legendary gems such as the 64-carat Prince Edward of York Diamond in the 1920s and has stood out for the brilliance of its creations. 

In keeping with this tradition of high standards, the house selects diamonds only of the highest quality for its pieces. The same meticulous attention is paid to central stones and paved surfaces alike: rated D, E or F for colour and IF to VVS2 for clarity, the diamonds complement one another to endow the creations with an exceptional intensity.