Van Cleef & Arpels take inspiration from a literary classic for its latest high jewellery collection, which translates Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure story, Treasure Island, into precious stones and metals. Divided into three parts, the collection considers traditional tools of navigation in the first chapter, rethinking the sailor’s knot and painting the colours of the ocean in a gradient of blue hues. Staying faithful to the traditions of the Maison, the second chapter looks at motifs from nature, from seashells, to flowers and trees. In the final chapter, jewellery is imbued with an adventurous spirit, intertwining references from Asia, Columbia and India throughout colourful, considered pieces.
For Van Cleef & Arpels, it is an interesting follow-up to previous high jewellery collections, which have celebrated the spirit of travel and exploration. ‘This spirit of adventure was also an inspiration for Van Cleef when we tackled the Jules Verne universe two years ago,’ agrees Catherine Renier, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. ‘So there is a match between the stories we tell, the way we look at a positive vision of life. This adventurous spirit is one that relates to us well. Then it was the wonderful worlds of the depths of the earth, and here it is the very playful aspect of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story. Who doesn't want to remember playing pirates? Who does not want to find a treasure chest? And who doesn't want to dream about adventure? I think the story is such an amazing one that one way or another, it speaks to everyone.’
The collection draws on distinctive Van Cleef & Arpels motifs, seen throughout in transformable jewels, mystery set techniques and playful symbols which nod to the high jewellery heritage of the maison. ‘I feel that we have a responsibility to the craftspeople to talk about what they do, but it’s also important to the maison to keep alive the fantastic creations that they have brought to us. That's why we still do the mystery setting, and that's why we continue to do extraordinary objects like the Onde Mystérieus. It's not an automaton, but it's very deeply in our heritage. And it's important to keep that heritage alive. For us, the protection of craftsmanship, the respect of the heritage and the work of the hand, is very important.’
It is a consideration reflected in the quality of the stones themselves, which encompass rainbow gradients of hues to bring the natural inspirations to life. ‘For us, the stone search is a permanent search,’ Renier adds. ‘We find the most amazing and rare stones on the market, and then it's a case of where we integrate them. Are they relevant to our story? Do they have the character that we are looking for? So we don't start a search for a stone when we start the collection; it's very much a stone has to come to life to adorn this collection. So, as a stone expert, when you see a turquoise coming onto your tray and you know the collection is about Treasure Island and beauties of Caribbean is in the work, this is one that you stop on. It’s the same with the Palmerie merveilleuse, where emerald represents the green of the island.’
Although the collection is rife with playful motifs, a literal translation of the literary work is eschewed for a deeper examination into the symbolism of high jewellery. ‘When you talk about Treasure Island, you probably have a lot of symbols that come to mind. You will think about the pirate with the eyepatch and one leg. If you talk about treasure, you will probably have the image of a chest full of gold and stones. So the new collection is literal to Stevenson’s text – very literal with the pirate clips that are named after three of the book’s characters. But we go beyond this literal aspect of the collection. We want the public, when they discover the collection, not specifically to have read the book. I mean, I hope they have, but it's really for them to discover the resonance between their own world and memories and what the collection symbolises. Because, in the end, it calls to the playfulness and childhood memories that we all have.’
