The exhibitions are back, even those of jewels. A special exhibition is the one organized in Paris in collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels. It is Gems, a path that allows visitors to directly connect the world of mineralogy with that of jewelry. Before being set on rings, necklaces and earrings, gems are simply minerals found deep in the earth, where they have been buried for millions of years. Van Cleef & Arpels shows how stones can be reborn to new life when they are transformed into works of art: the exhibition includes over 500 minerals, gems and art objects from the collections of the Natural History Museum in Paris and more than 200 gems and jewelry creations of the French Maison.
The pieces of high jewelry that can be admired are many, such as the Bird of Paradise clip created in 1942 and made of yellow gold, platinum, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. Or the emerald and diamond necklace composed by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1922. And, again, the most recent 1976 necklace made with carved tourmalines, amethysts and diamonds. But the list of jewelery masterpieces selected by Lise Macdonald, director of heritage and exhibitions at Van Cleef & Arpels is long. For lovers of gems, but also for mineralogy enthusiasts, it is a party not to be missed.