Since its founding, the Maison has distinguished itself by creating precious objects for its clients’ everyday lives. As early as the 1920s, it placed functionality at the forefront with beauty nécessaires designed to hold a range of personal effects. As an example, the 1948 powder case continues that tradition. Its lid is adorned with daisy motifs, recalling the first flower to bloom in the Maison’s jewelry garden, in 1907. The mirror-polished petals contrast with the guilloché ground, while diamonds set at the center of the corollas lend volume to the composition. The variously plucked petals evoke the romantic game of “he loves me, he loves me not.” While the outline of the piece forms a stylized flower, its motifs attest to the daisy’s enduring presence in Van Cleef & Arpels’ repertoire.

These pieces continue the Maison’s tradition of “jewels that tell time,” offering a precious backdrop for the passing hours. Patented in 1948, the Couscous pieces consist of successive rings mounted on a tubogas-style mesh and adorned with polished yellow gold beads. This highly flexible design has taken several forms, including this Couscous Bagatelle wristwatch, whose name refers to a park in western Paris. Its rectangular dial is discreetly nestled among yellow gold spheres. On either side, flowers of ruby, sapphire and diamond punctuate the bracelet, lending color and contrast to the composition.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Van Cleef & Arpels worked yellow gold in a variety of ways to bring texture and relief to its pieces. Characteristic of its period, this necklace evokes a precious viny-like sprout with its overlapping leaves. Two rows of small yellow gold beads trace the contours of these motifs. Some are set with precious stones: round diamonds arranged to form pear shapes, along with emerald and ruby cabochons. Together, the asymmetrically arranged gemstones and the dynamic rows of leaves create the impression of vibrant foliage. 

In 1954, Van Cleef & Arpels launched La Boutique, a jewelry line for everyday wear that notably featured the Maison’s emblematic animal clips. The turtle continues this creative tradition while also showcasing the variety of colors, shapes and materials characteristic of the 1960s. Turquoise, then a fashionable ornamental stone, takes the form of a cabochon to depict both the legs and eyes. The white gold head and tail, meanwhile, are set with diamonds. The yellow gold shell attests to the Maison’s technical expertise, as its delicately engraved motifs lend the animal a lifelike appearance. 

These clips feature a stylized design characteristic of the Maison’s creations in the 1990s. On the Camellia clip from 1997, yellow gold contours accentuate the softness of finely domed and polished mother-of-pearl petals, arranged in spirals to form the camellias. With seven diamonds at their center, the corollas contrast with the gentle green of the chrysoprase leaves in a harmonious tribute to the grace of flowers.

In a celebration of life, this selection brings colors and materials into a dialogue that poetically renders the diversity of the natural world.