Editor’s Note
This autumn, Van Cleef & Arpels introduces the Flowerlace collection, a contemporary homage to its heritage. The new line reinterprets a historic high jewelry design by masterfully blending its original form with craftsmanship techniques from the maison’s archives, creating a modern masterpiece rooted in nearly a century of artistry.
Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled a new jewelry collection this autumn. The protagonist is Flowerlace, a modern reinterpretation of their heritage. While inheriting the form of the eponymous high jewelry piece that served as the source of inspiration, the maison combined design and craftsmanship techniques used in its jewelry about 90 years ago to create another masterpiece.
The French high jewelry maison Van Cleef & Arpels, which began at Place Vendôme in Paris in 1906, has for over a century presented works themed around love, luck, and nature. Ranked among the world’s top five jewelry maisons, it has earned the trust of jewelry connoisseurs worldwide with designs that combine craftsmanship and poetic inspiration.
The newly unveiled Flowerlace collection takes flowers and lace as its main motifs. Yellow gold and diamonds combine to reflect light, and the curved silhouette evokes lace ornamentation. The new collection consists of five pieces: a ring, a between-the-finger ring, earrings, a pendant, and a clip pendant. The clip pendant can be worn in two ways, increasing its versatility.
Flowerlace is a work that continues the legacy of the eponymous high jewelry line launched in 2007. While the original achieved a lace-like transparency with white gold and diamonds, this new interpretation attempts a fresh take by adding yellow gold. It maintains the existing lace motif while evoking a warmer and more modern atmosphere.
Another source of inspiration is the ‘Silhouette Clip’ from the late 1930s. Reflecting the characteristics of the late Art Deco style, this piece expressed the outline of a flower with a gold line and left the interior empty, emphasizing a balance of void and fullness. The new Flowerlace also inherits this tradition, forming the petals in gold and leaving the interior open to harmonize with various styles.
Thus, this collection is characterized by the combination of intricate gold lines and gemstones, providing both structural stability and decorative appeal. Additionally, the ribbon motif, which was a symbol connecting fashion and jewelry at the time, is also included as an important decorative element in this new creation. It is a move that expands the maison’s design language by adding a modern aesthetic while inheriting tradition.
Like other Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, the Flowerlace collection is also completed through the craftsmanship of artisans. First, the motif’s form is created using the traditional lost-wax casting method (a technique where a model is first made in wax to create a mold, into which metal is then poured to create a precise casting), which is then meticulously refined by a jeweler. This is followed by diamond setting and polishing processes.
For setting, closed setting (a method where the stone is surrounded and fixed as if wrapped entirely in metal) and grain setting (a method where a groove is made on the metal surface, a diamond is placed on it, and the surrounding metal is pushed up to secure the stone) were utilized. To emphasize curves, a round bead-shaped prong setting was also applied. The petals have a three-dimensional volume, and the pistils, composed of diamonds of different sizes and golden beads, create a natural asymmetric structure.
The maison’s artisans carefully coordinate the position so that these finest diamonds can shine to their maximum potential. In the final stage, hand polishing ensures that the yellow gold and diamonds reflect intensely on the skin. This craftsmanship process quintessentially showcases the artisan spirit and jewelry aesthetics pursued by Van Cleef & Arpels.