Bon Voyage: Le Grand Tour High Jewellery Collection by Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Grand Tour high jewellery collection is an ode to the popular 18th-century voyage that the enlightened aristocracy and elite would embark on to sightsee Europe. Each of the 70 pieces included in this collection is representative of the works of art, flora, architectural details, and historical monuments of the most popular cities visited during such an epic tour. Through textured gold and carefully chosen coloured gemstones, the Maison has crafted pieces that enable us to rediscover the different cities and their iconic artistic treasures, allowing us to travel ourselves.

Van Cleef & Arpels presented its latest high jewellery collection on Place Vendôme in a unique fashion: in a classroom setting at their famed school, L’École des Arts Joailliers. It is a place of learning where visitors are treated to an exceptional discovery of jewellery history, savoir-faire, and the world of gemstones. This environment is perfect for presenting this collection, as it underscores how the historic 18th-century expeditions that young aristocrats would undertake would be for educational purposes: to study art and literature across Europe. The Maison has reinterpreted this journey and its emblematic sights through eight high jewellery chapters named after the most important stops along a typical traveller’s route.

Chapter I – London

London is the first stop on this voyage across the continent, paying homage to the British institution of Wedgewood porcelain. Inspired by the lace patterns and muted colours it is known for, this first chapter is full of plays between white and blue gemstones to recreate that famed industry’s style, patterns and colours. The Josiah necklace is created from intertwining strands of round brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds set in white gold, culminating in two oval-cut Sri Lankan sapphires of 25.10 and 21.78 carats that hang delicately at the centre of the necklace. In keeping with the Maison’s tradition of transformable high jewellery, each of these sapphires can be detached from the necklace and reattached to a matching set of earrings.

Another important British artistic landmark noted in this first chapter is Chatsworth House. Nicknamed the English Versailles, this residence was home to one of artist Antonio Canova’s famous statues of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth. Van Cleef & Arpels pays tribute to this important work through the Dea Eterna clip. The piece depicts the goddess in diamonds and yellow gold, perched on a rough lapis lazuli and surrounded by a shimmering waterfall of marquise-cut diamonds and textured shards of yellow gold. A black pearl drop finishes the design, which is another nod to Hebe as it is a stone that symbolises eternal youth.

Chapter II – Paris

The next stop along the Grand Route would be the capital of glamour, Paris. Travellers here would admire the works of art of the ‘Grand Siècle’, particularly those created under the reign of Louis XIV – the Sun King. In this chapter, the Van Cleef & Arpels’ designers honour the city’s penchant for ornate décor like bejewelled chandeliers and over-the-top fashion, using a palette of vivid colours mixed with bold geometric shapes. The Lucendi earrings evoke the beautiful wardrobe and opulence of the Parisian Court’s ladies-in-waiting. Rose gold, diamonds and pink sapphires create elaborate silhouettes that allude to the ornate and extravagant aesthetic of Versailles’ chandeliers. The focal point of each earring is an oval-cut rubellite, one weighing 11.48 and the other 10.14 carats.

This celebration of French fashion and taste is further seen in the Noeud Royal ring. This piece is a tribute to the impressive fashion scene born in Paris. A geometric bow of white gold set with baguette-cut and round brilliant diamonds culminates in a cushion-cut pink sapphire of 6.38 carats. The piece also honours the ribbon design motif – a key element in the Maison’s aesthetic since its creation.

Chapter III – The Alps

Moving to a more natural landscape, the pieces in this third chapter celebrate the beautiful and untamed vegetation the Grand Tour pilgrims would have seen as they crossed the Swiss Alps. A drastic change from the fast-paced capital cities of London and Paris, the pieces in this section feature much cooler and softer-toned gemstones. The Regina Montium necklace considers the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland and its lush green forests. A frosted necklace composed of peaks of diamonds, tanzanite, aquamarines and violet sapphires slowly guides you towards an articulated centre piece, where two large cushion-cut tourmalines are nestled in a frame created from these same gems. The smaller 16.26-carat tourmaline sits at the heart of the necklace, whilst the larger 27.70-carat gem is detachable and can be worn as a pendant.