High Jewelry Art: Van Cleef & Arpels Carpe Koï Watch Bracelet

The 16 brands of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) held January in Geneva presented a number of quality jewelry watches but what Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled was a work of art. The Carpe Koï watch bracelet combines all of the strengths of the Parisian jewelry and watch house design, craftsmanship, the use rare gems in unique combinations, and storytelling

The bracelet combines yellow gold, white gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets, black spinels and “Paraíba like” tourmalines (I’m assuming these are tourmalines (likely from Africa) with the same bluish and greenish color characteristics as the rare Brazilian Paraíba).

The carp has more than the sparkle of thousands of gems. It also has movement. The main feature is the mouth, which opens to reveal a quartz powered watch dial, made of yellow gold, princess-cut diamonds, spessartite garnets and yellow sapphires.

'Van Cleef & Arpels' Exquisite Timepieces

With her ready wit and striking-good looks, Paulette Goddard acquired jewelry only slightly more than she acquired husbands,” observes Ruth Peltason, the New York jewelry editor and publisher, who, as editor of the book Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry (Thames & Hudson), knows a thing or two about film stars and their treasure-troves.

Peltason is also a key contributor to another Thames & Hudson book, Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels, which is published in the UK next week, to coincide with the exhibition of the same name that’s currently on show at the Cooper Hewitt design museum in New-York.

The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels Sets Attendance Record

Installation View, Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo: Matt Flynn, © Smithsonian Institution.

NEW YORK-: The Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition attracted a record-breaking 172,000 visitors during its 20-week-run at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. On view from Feb. 18 through July 4, visitation to “Set in Style” exceeded the previous exhibition attendance record holder, Design Life Now: National Design-Triennial 2006. 

Christie’s New York Announces Important Jewels Auction

New York,  Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine

Christie’s has revealed highlights from its upcoming Important Jewels sale, which will take place at the auction house’s New York- outpost on June 14. The New York auction follows Christie’s highly successful sale in Geneva, which garnered $78 million last week.

The Important- Jewels auction is an annual pre-summer event for the house, capping off a spring season of major jewelry sales that includes events in Hong Kong, Paris and London as well. The New York sale will feature more than 120 individual pieces, with a diverse range of both colored and colorless diamonds, rare gemstones and signed designer baubles, valued from $2,000 up to $2.5 million. The total sale is expected to bring in $8 million. 

Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry