Floral designs and the French jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels have a long and storied heritage. And now, one of the Maison’s most iconic and high profile flower motifs, worn by none other than Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, has helped give rise to its latest collection, entitled Fleurs D’Hawaï.
In 1907, just a year after its foundation, Van Cleef & Arpels debuted a diamond bracelet decorated with clovers and daisies, and from there the motif has only flourished. An Art Deco platinum cuff adorned with ruby roses cinched Alfred Van Cleefs a prize at the renowned Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs fair in Paris, in 1925.
The 1930s brought vibrant chrysanthemum and peony brooches embellished with the company’s patented Mystery Setting technique – their petals enhanced by vibrant gemstones seemingly secured by magic, without the use of any metal.
The 1940s heralded floral Van Cleef & Arpels jewels that blended inspiration from the botanical world with the finesse of couture fabrics and finishes, all crafted from yellow gold – delicate posies of gemstone forget-me-nots on graceful, ribbon-like stems, and sunflower-like flower heads bearing delicate, ‘lacy’ petals of carved gold mesh.
Amongst the most famous of all Van Cleef & Arpels floral designs is its ‘Hawaii’ collection, which first appeared around 1938 and featured bouquets of stylised ruby, sapphire and diamond blooms with elegant gold stems. An oversized version of the Hawaii brooch was commissioned by the Duke of Windsor as a Christmas present for his glamorous wife, Wallis Simpson, who was hailed as one of the most stylish women in the world at the time.
The Duchess went on to wear her new brooch in a portrait painted by the artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, in 1939, and eventually hung the painting in the couple’s library in their opulent home in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne. The Duchess was an avid admirer of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery, amassing a large personal collection of the makers jewels during her lifetime – including eye-catching diamond and sapphire pieces that she wore to marry the Duke in 1937.
Now, almost nine decades later, that very same Hawaii collection has inspired the jeweller in the creation of a new fine jewellery collection, named ‘Fleurs D’Hawaï’. Revealed in the garden of Dumfries House, in Scotland – which was saved for the nation by Edward’s great-nephew, King Charles III, in 2007 and is now run by His Majesty’s pioneering educational and environmental charity, The King’s Foundation – the capsule collection includes floral earrings, rings and transformable pendants, plus three secret watches.
Crafted from white or yellow gold, and featuring glittering petals of rosy rhodolite, sunny citrine, purple amethyst, leafy green peridot or blue aquamarines, these new flowers are decidedly contemporary – their silhouettes are sleek and pared back, their pear-cut gemstones set simply around a diamond centre – making them far easier to wear than Wallis Simpson’s ornate floral brooch. And yet their heritage is rooted in the same love of nature and passion for craftsmanship that gave rise to the Duchess’ blooms, and that has guided Van Cleef & Arpels for over a century.
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