From April 6th to August 25th, 2026, Les Jardins Secrets by Van Cleef & Arpels, located at The Raffles Hotel Singapore, is hosting the exhibition “An Ode to Nature". It features 28 creations dating from the 1940s to the 1990s and seven archival documents, highlighting the Maison's connection to flora and fauna.

A wellspring of splendor and inspiration, nature has captivated Van Cleef & Arpels since its founding in 1906. The High Jewelry Maison has drawn upon the movement and diversity of the natural world — from the flutter of a bird’s wings to the blooming of a delicate flower.

This enduring reverence for flora and fauna is reflected in its patrimonial Collection and Archives, which mirror the artistic movements of the 20th century. Within this garden of poetry and luck, stylized and naturalistic interpretations of animals, flowers, and leaves coexist harmoniously.

This Two-leaf clip captures the natural movement of leaves, exalted through the mirror-polish technique. Its intricate openwork yellow gold structure enhances the sense of motion and volume, faithfully evoking the delicate lines and contours of a leaf. 

The Four-leaf clover, which appears in the Maison’s archives as early as 1906, became one of its most emblematic good-luck motifs from the 1950s onward. This 1973 model is composed of yellow gold and green agate leaves, evoking the plant’s natural hues, with diamonds set at its center.

The flower motif in these clips is distinguished by its stylized soft, rounded shapes and flat planes of color, rendered through the use of ornamental or organic stones. This aesthetic has been a hallmark of Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage since the 1920s. Echoing the iconic Alhambra® creations, the ornamental stones are presented in bold surfaces framed with textured gold, offering an alternative to the Maison’s signature beaded contour.

This design offers a myriad of color combinations, creating vivid contrasts that evoke the distinctive aesthetic of the 1970s through the use of ornamental stones.

The Little Flower bracelet from the early 1950s radiates the vitality of spring. The intricately interlocking flower motifs, with each curved petal engraved to create texture and relief, highlight Van Cleef & Arpels’ goldsmithing expertise during this period. The harmonious interplay of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, nestled at the heart of each corolla and glowing against the warm tones of yellow gold, evokes a vibrant and flourishing nature.

In 1954, Van Cleef & Arpels reimagined High Jewelry by creating la boutique, a unique collection offering modern jewels designed for daytime wear. Among them were clips featuring charming animals, including the lion — a recurring and cherished motif within the Maison’s bestiary. Its regal figure had adorned bag clasps as early as the 1920s, before later embodying the Leo zodiac sign in the 1950s, underscoring its enduring presence.

As the collection flourished, the Ruffled Lion clip quickly became an emblematic creation with its play on the voluminous mane of this animal. It was soon joined by the Sun Lion motif, whose mane, crafted in twisted gold strands, exuded power and nobility. Its almond eyes in green agate, gave it the benevolent and kind demeanor consistent in the Maison’s enchanting world of nature.

Since its founding, the Maison has consistently enhanced pearls in its creations, which were particularly prized in the 1920s. The allure of pearls experienced a notable resurgence in the 1990s, as exemplified by the Vanessa parure necklace. It features three elegant rows of pearls, joined at the center by a stylized floral motif, characteristic of the aesthetic of that decade. This motif beautifully contrasts with a pavé-set diamond ground, further enhanced by the warmth of yellow gold, imbuing the piece with unparalleled brilliance and luminosity. The matching earrings delicately echo this floral element, thereby paying a refined homage to the harmony and inherent beauty of nature.

In its pursuit of excellence, Van Cleef & Arpels has continually refined the savoir-faire required to capture nature’s inherent beauty and vitality. From a lion’s mane sculpted in twisted gold to plumage evoked by carved amethyst, the Maison’s creativity is expressed through technical mastery. The meticulous selection of precious, fine, and ornamental stones composes a vibrant palette, reflecting the colors of the natural world.

This exhibition, nestled in the heart of Les Jardins Secrets, serves as an ode to nature in all its forms.