Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels


I recently found out about this exhibition which is currently on display at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. Too bad we cannot be there as this looks fantastic! Along with Tiffany and Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels represent the trinity of Art Deco jewelry design.
Rubies and Diamonds in the VC&A Mystery Setting
Since its 1906 opening on the Place Vendôme in Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels has played a leading role in style and design innovation. Pioneering techniques and designs, combined with an attention to craftsmanship, are at the core of Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry and small precious objects. The exhibition features more than 350 works, including jewels, timepieces, fashion accessories and objets d’art. These objects are supplemented with design drawings, commission books, fabrication cards and imagery from the firm’s archives.
Nécessaire
 Paris, France, 1926
Moon Landing Pendant Brooch
Paris, France, 1969
Egyptian Odalisque Evening Bag
 Paris, France, 1927
Hawaii Bracelet & Brooch formerly owned by Doris Duke who received this as a gift shortly after the completion of her villa, Shangri-La, in Hawaii. Paris, France, 1938
Ballerina (La Camargo) Brooch
Design drawing and brooch. New York, NY, 1942
Passe-Partout Necklace
Design drawing and necklace for the Passe-Partout, which means “go anywhere.” The line was introduced to the American market in 1939.  This piece Paris, France, 1947
“Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels” at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in New York City) will run through June 5, 2011.

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