Cover Fascinating Egypt collection by Van Cleef & Arpels (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
Fascinating Egypt collection by Van Cleef & Arpels (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
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Van Cleef & Arpels turns to Egypt and the pharaohs for its 2026 high jewellery collection—a choice of subject with far more scope than you might expect
Even before the unearthing of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the allure of ancient Egypt was undeniable in the west. When British archaeologist Howard Carter opened the tomb in 1922, Van Cleef & Arpels reacted immediately. The maison produced Egyptian-motif pieces within the year—cuff bracelets, long necklaces and brooches bearing hieroglyphics, papyrus flowers and figures in profile, their geometry perfectly aligned with the art deco vocabulary the house was simultaneously developing. The appeal was not incidental: ancient Egyptian aesthetics and art deco share a structural logic, both favouring symmetry, flat planes, strong colour contrast and the subordination of ornament to form.
A century later, the maison’s Fascinating Egypt high jewellery collection makes that affinity explicit, with 180 pieces ranging from figurative clips depicting gods and pharaohs to abstract architectural bracelets and cocktail rings built around hieroglyphic symbols.
Here are Tatler’s top picks from the range.
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Above Ornement de Saphir transformable long necklace (left) and Promesse souveraine necklace and ring with interchangeable motifs (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
Ornement de Saphir transformable long necklace (left) and Promesse souveraine necklace and ring with interchangeable motifs (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
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The Muse Éternelle and Pharaon Sacré clips respectively depict Cleopatra and a pharaoh in full ceremonial dress, every detail of their finery rendered in precious metal and stone. Cleopatra holds an ankh cross—the ancient Egyptian symbol of life—in one hand and a sceptre in the other, her silhouette built entirely from diamonds and ribbons of yellow gold. On the pharaoh’s head is a pschent, the double crown that signified dominion over Upper and Lower Egypt, set here with a pear-shaped ruby. Both faces are represented by a rose-cut diamond, consistent with Van Cleef & Arpels’s tradition of figurative feminine clips dating to the early 1940s. As a pair, they are among the most labour-intensive pieces in the collection, the goldsmith’s work visible in the engraved sceptres, hammered hems and beaded details.
Read more: Tiffany & Co's Blue Book 2026: Inside the collection that's redefining fine jewellery
Above Paysage merveilleux bracelet (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
Paysage merveilleux bracelet (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
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The Ornement de Saphir transformable long necklace takes its structural cues from chest jewellery found in ancient tombs and from the long sautoirs the maison produced in the 1920s, but its rounded motifs and colour blocking also reference Italian design collective the Memphis Group’s work in 1980s Italy. At its centre sits a 6.59-carat Sri Lankan sapphire, whose facets have been individually reworked, within lapis lazuli elements cut and polished by hand. Attached to Van Cleef & Arpels’s Corde chain, in use since the 1940s, it can be converted into two long versions, two short versions, two bracelets and a detachable medallion clip.
The Paysage bracelets are fully articulated cuffs set with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, spinels and garnets, each one a gem-set fresco depicting a scene—a pyramid landscape; a colonnaded temple; and a third with hieroglyphic symbols spelling out “horizon of eternity” between its columns. These pieces are directly descended from the Egyptian cuff bracelets of the 1920s archives, updated in palette and scale but identical in structural ambition.
Egypt has never really left the design conversation—it shaped art deco, resurfaced in the 1960s and again in the 1980s Memphis movement, and remains visually inexhaustible. Van Cleef & Arpels, whose own archives trace every wave of that fascination, has more claim than most to revisit it.
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As the Regional Editor for Watches and Jewellery and Editorial Content Lead for Tatler GMT, Amrita Katara specialises in luxury watch and jewellery coverage across Asia, with expertise in editorial strategy, feature writing and interviews with industry leaders. Her past roles span luxury lifestyle media and client partnerships. Based in Mumbai, Amrita’s work bridges global trends and Asian market insights.
