The long history of Van Cleef & Arpels began in 1896, although the actual foundation dates back to 1906. The Maison’s initiative in Paris is due to the Dutch diamond cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels. A lot of time has passed since then, but Van Cleef & Arpels remains one of the most famous jewelry brands in the world, also thanks to the fact that it was chosen by celebrities as royalty such as Grace Kelly, the Princess of Wales, Ava Gardner, Farah Pahlavi, Eva Perón, Elizabeth Taylor, the Duchess of Windsor (to whom the idea of the zip necklace is attributed) or Queen Nazli of Egypt. The jewels of the jewelry company, which is now part of the Swiss Richemont group, are often in the shape of flowers, animals, dancers.
And the historical jewels, which are now part of the Maison’s collection and private collections, are exhibited at the Design Museum in London until 20 October. The exhibition, entitled The Art of Movement, includes a hundred jewels and emphasizes the lightness and dynamism of the special pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels. The path is divided into four themes: Living Nature, Dance, Elegance and Abstract Movements. There are also sketches and drawings that tell the birth of the Maison’s jewels.
