Cover Van Cleef & Arpels Piazza Divina necklace in white, rose and yellow gold and platinum set with a 13.09-carat oval-cut emerald, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, Jardin d’Éléonore ring in white gold set with a 9.11-carat emerald-cut emerald, emeralds and diamonds (Photo: Marc de Groot)
Van Cleef & Arpels Piazza Divina necklace in white, rose and yellow gold and platinum set with a 13.09-carat oval-cut emerald, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, Jardin d’Éléonore ring in white gold set with a 9.11-carat emerald-cut emerald, emeralds and diamonds (Photo: Marc de Groot)
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Inspired by the journey of a lifetime, Van Cleef & Arpels’ new Le Grand Tour high jewellery collection is an invitation to explore and escape through its innovative and exquisite masterpieces
The way of travel has evolved through the decades, even more so in the post‑pandemic era. Modern-day travel is seamless and accessible to many, a far cry from the arduous endeavour and exorbitant privilege it used to be in the 16th century. At the time, it was popular for young aristocrats from wealthy British families to embark on an expedition across Europe as a way to wrap up their education—a journey that would later become known as the Grand Tour. Lasting about two to three years, with several months spent in each city, it was a voyage—carried out by sea or by horse and carriage—rich in art history and culture that would forge their character, broaden their minds and ensure their entry into society.
Typically, the Grand Tour included two compulsory passages: a visit to Paris and stays in the main cities of Italy such as Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome. While northern France, Switzerland, the Alpine passes and the provinces of Germany were all popular stops, the exact itinerary varied.
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Above Van Cleef & Arpels Regina Montium necklace in white gold set with one 27.70-carat oval-cut blue-green tourmaline, one 16.26-carat cushion cut blue-green tourmaline, sapphires, aquamarines, tanzanites and diamonds and Van Cleef & Arpels Étoile des glaciers clip in white and yellow gold set with sapphires, yellow and white diamonds
(Photo: Marc de Groot)
Van Cleef & Arpels Regina Montium necklace in white gold set with one 27.70-carat oval-cut blue-green tourmaline, one 16.26-carat cushion cut blue-green tourmaline, sapphires, aquamarines, tanzanites and diamonds and Van Cleef & Arpels Étoile des glaciers clip in white and yellow gold set with sapphires, yellow and white diamonds (Photo: Marc de Groot)
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These Grand Tourists were often accompanied by a highly educated teacher or guardian, as the objectives of the Grand Tour included practical studies in art and literature as well as an exploration of the emblematic sights of the visited countries, from relics of a glorious past to modern reflections on their contemporary importance.
Above all, the Grand Tour was a personal odyssey and although its high cost originally made it the preserve of a privileged class, it later attracted more artists, intellectuals and the broader public over the years. Tracing the footsteps of these travellers, Van Cleef & Arpels has reinterpreted this remarkable journey of initiation that left its mark on the artistic and cultural landscape of Europe with its latest high jewellery collection, Le Grand Tour.
Spanning about 70 creations, the collection references the cultural heritage of the various stops of the Grand Tour. Think sculptural necklaces and girandole earrings evoking Renaissance jewels, wide bracelets depicting the scenery of famous landmarks in the style of antique micro‐mosaics, and intricate clips composed of vintage cameos and intaglios (relief and recessed engraving).
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Josiah necklace in white gold set with two oval-cut sapphires weighing 25.10 and 21.78 carats and diamonds (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
Van Cleef & Arpels Josiah necklace in white gold set with two oval-cut sapphires weighing 25.10 and 21.78 carats and diamonds (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
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“This high jewellery collection celebrates a tradition that has always fascinated us,” says Nicolas Bos, president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “At the beginning of the 20th century, when Van Cleef & Arpels was founded, curiosity for other cultures, periods and forms of art was a way to fuel one’s imagination and give rise to innovative creations. But even before that, travelling abroad to discover the vestiges of ancient civilisations served as a mind-opening practice for intellectuals and artists in Europe. It has had a strong impact on [how we see travel] today. We still travel to widen our perspectives, in a quest for experiences and encounters.”
He adds that the collection is multidimensional. “It blends the traditions of jewellery and decorative arts—such objects were brought back as souvenirs from
the Grand Tour—with the idea of once again discovering and mixing periods and cultures,” he expounds. “For that, we followed the trail of our predecessors and chose cities that were renown stops historically. We took inspiration from antique jewellery—Roman, Etruscan, Medieval or Renaissance—marrying it with our own heritage, style and craftsmanship. The result is like a colourful sketchbook that invites you to dive into destinations and gemstones.”
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Dea Eterna clip in yellow, white and rose gold set with a 3.47-carat oval‑cut pink sapphire, sapphires, lapis lazuli, a grey cultured pearl and diamonds (Photo: Inès Dieleman)
Van Cleef & Arpels Dea Eterna clip in yellow, white and rose gold set with a 3.47-carat oval‑cut pink sapphire, sapphires, lapis lazuli, a grey cultured pearl and diamonds (Photo: Inès Dieleman)
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Bon Voyage
The Grand Tour often kicked off in London and the maison takes us there with creations that reference icons in the region. Drawing on heritage British brand Wedgwood for inspiration is the Josiah necklace. Like soft silk ribbons, sparkling strands of diamonds in round and baguette cuts intertwine to drape around the neckline, culminating in two stunning Sri Lankan oval‐cut sapphires that boast an intense blue evocative of Wedgwood porcelain; these are detachable and can adorn a pair of earrings that complete the set.
Meanwhile, Chatsworth House, home to the Duke of Devonshire and renowned for its beautiful landscape as much as its art, spurred the creation of the Dea Eterna clip, which features a diamond‐set Hebe—inspired by Antonio Canova’s statue of the goddess of youth that resides in the property—perched on a rock of lapis lazuli. Like a bejewelled tableau, the clip also evokes the artificial waterfall installed in the gardens of Chatsworth House.
Van Cleef & Arpels Fleuve de glace transformable long necklace in white and rose gold set with a 48.84-carat cushion‑cut green beryl, a 4.17-carat cushion-cut pink spinel, 228 blue tourmaline beads, emeralds, pink sapphires, grey cultured pearls and diamonds (Photo: Marc de Groot)
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From England, the first stop of the tour was typically Paris, France, and a splendid piece referencing this is the Lucendi earrings. A mark of Parisian refinement, they are reminiscent of elaborate 18th‐century chandeliers with their intricate structure of well‐balanced proportions, alternating geometric motifs and clean lines punctuated by diamonds.
To get to Italy, the main attraction of the Grand Tour, travellers would have to first cross the Alps. Here, the snowy mountain landscapes of Switzerland served as the picturesque inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels’s Regina Montium necklace with two vibrant tourmalines at its centre: a 16.26‐carat cushion‐cut one at the heart of the choker and a 27.70‐carat oval‐cut one set on the detachable pendant that dangles from it. These blue‐green gems, coupled with the sparkling diamonds and the blue and violet tones of sapphires, aquamarines and tanzanites, recreate the poetry of snow-capped peaks, vast lakes and blue skies.
Van Cleef & Arpels Éclat Mystérieux necklace in white and rose gold set with buff-topped Traditional Mystery Set emeralds, mauve sapphires, white cultured pearls and diamonds, Carriera earrings in rose and white gold set with emeralds, tsavorite garnets, black spinels, white cultured pearls and diamonds, Jeu de colombage transformable ring in white gold set with a 13.35-carat sugarloaf emerald, rubies, sapphires and diamonds (Photo: Marc de Groot)
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La Dolce Vita
After journeying through the Alps, Van Cleef & Arpels, much like the Grand Tourists of the past, explored Italy in search of its antique and Renaissance treasures. In Venice, Rome, Florence and Naples, the maison unearthed architectural lines and luminous colours, creating tableaux depicting well‐known Italian landmarks on a series of four bracelets, each a nod to a respective city. Venice’s Palazzo Ducale, for instance, is rendered on the Escale au Palais bracelet using thin inserts of sculpted gold and gems set in the style of micro‐mosaics. Inspired by the bandeaux bracelets typical of the 1920s, these bracelets are flexible and wrap effortlessly around the wrist.
Venice is also known for its winding canals, and their turquoise waters are called to mind with the Chant des Gondoliers necklace, featuring 16 oval‐cut turquoise cabochons that seem to hang from diamond‐paved arch motifs evoking the city’s low bridges.
Moving down south to Florence, Van Cleef & Arpels crafted the Villanova necklace in the style of Etruscan jewellery: diamond-set motifs suspended from the rose gold choker recall the outlines of the headdresses of Etruscan statuettes. Nine cabochon-cut rubellites hang from these motifs, complementing the lustrous tones of rose gold.
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Ode à l’amour ring in rose and white gold set with a 4.04-carat oval-cut pink sapphire, rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds (Photo: Inès Dieleman)
Van Cleef & Arpels Ode à l’amour ring in rose and white gold set with a 4.04-carat oval-cut pink sapphire, rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds (Photo: Inès Dieleman)
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Another standout piece representing this Tuscan capital is the Ode à l’amour ring, which pays homage to the Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli, the creator of one of the most renowned masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance: The Birth of Venus. Similar to the shell that Venus emerges from in the painting, a rose gold shell is the canvas for the ring, upon which a 4.04‐carat oval‐cut pink sapphire sits, surrounded by rubies, pink sapphires and diamonds, while round diamonds outline the contour of the shell. Thanks to the prowess of Van Cleef & Arpels’s artisans at sculpting rose gold and using the ramolayé engraving technique (where the gold is carved before being raised in volume), a seashell’s three‐dimensional texture is reproduced on this striking piece.
The Piazza Divina necklace, meanwhile, is an invitation to travel to the gates of Rome, and Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The latter is one of the most popular and most beautiful squares in the world, renowned for its baroque architecture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and its unique elliptical shape. On this necklace, Van Cleef & Arpels subtly recreates a similar geometry in the unfolding lines and curves of both the rose gold and diamond motifs as well as the central medallion.
Van Cleef & Arpels Symphonie de l’eau clip in white and rose gold set with a 5.88-carat black opal cabochon, sapphires, tsavorite garnets, green tourmalines and diamonds (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
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When in Naples, one simply must embark on an enchanting stroll through the nearby breathtaking gardens of Ravello. With three clips bearing lush, colourful foliage, the maison manages to induce the atmosphere of the villas of the Amalfi Coast, such as that of the medieval Villa Rufolo. Restored by a Scottish aristocrat in the 19th century, it is teeming with flora, much like the whimsical Symphonie florale, Symphonie végétale and Symphonie de l’eau clips in rose and white gold set with an array of brilliant diamonds and gemstones.
Van Cleef & Arpels’s Le Grand Tour comes to a close in Baden-Baden, a spa town in southwestern Germany’s Black Forest. At the traditional festivals here, participants wear flamboyant crowns decorated with multicoloured beads, ribbons or flowers. The maison’s Schäppel ring evokes the vivid, joyful palettes of these traditional headdresses with a myriad of buff-top emeralds, rubies, pink and yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets and diamonds. A 3.28-carat ruby is nestled in the middle of these gems, while rose gold beads subtly enhance the lustre of the stones. This voluminous ensemble of gems contrasts with the ring’s white gold shank set with diamonds, bringing out the opulence of the creation.
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
