School for Jewels
This month, Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewellery school takes up residence in Hong Kong’s PMQ
L’ ÉCOLE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, THE PARIS- BASED SCHOOL THAT AIMS TO EDUCATE GEM ENTHUSIASTS AND COLLECTORS ABOUT THE WORLD OF JEWELLERY AND WATCHMAKING, IS COMING TO HONG KONG FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OCTOBER. COURSES DESIGNED TO ENLIGHTEN AND INSPIRE WILL RUN AT THE PMQ FOR TWO WEEKS, FROM OCTOBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 1, 2014.
EVER SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1906, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS HAS EMBODIED HIGH JEWELLERY SAVOIR- FAIRE. DEDICATED TO CONSTANT INVENTIVENESS, THE MAISON’S EXCELLENCE HAS RESULTED IN TIMELESS CREATIONS AND EXCEPTIONAL TECHNIQUES SUCH AS THE MYSTERY SETTING, ZIP NECKLACES AND POETIC COMPLICATIONS. IN 2012, THE COMPANY OPENED L’ÉCOLE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS TO INITIATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC INTO THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF JEWELLERY AND WATCHMAKING. THE SCHOOL OFFERS A NONTECHNICAL CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO ALL: GEM LOVERS, CONNOISSEURS AND PROFESSIONALS. ITS AIM IS TO ENCOURAGE THE INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESSES BEHIND THE
CREATION OF JEWEL AND WATCH MASTERPIECES, AND TO CONVEY CRAFTSMANSHIP THROUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SCHOOL’S VALUES OF OPEN SHARING AND TRANSMISSION, L’ÉCOLE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS’ TEACHING STAFF OF ART HISTORIANS, EXPERIENCED CRAFTSMEN JEWELLERS, GEMMOLOGISTS AND MASTER WATCHMAKERS WILL OFFER PARTICIPANTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH THEIR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EXPERIMENTATION AND DIALOGUE.
THE PROGRAMME
STUDENTS ARE OFFERED A SELECTION OF TEN COURSES ACROSS THREE THEMES: HISTORY OF ART, THE UNIVERSE OF GEMSTONES, AND SAVOIR FAIRE. FROM THE ORIGINS TO THE PRESENT, HISTORY OF ART MODULE STUDENTS WILL DISCOVER THE MAJOR AESTHETIC SOURCES AND THE SYMBOLS THAT ARE PART OF THE WORLD OF JEWELLERY. THANKS TO THE UNIVERSE OF GEMSTONES COURSES, STUDENTS GET TO EXPLORE AND DISCOVER THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF GEMSTONES. THEY WILL LEARN HOW TO DISTINGUISH PRECIOUS STONES AND HOW TO MANIPULATE THEM. THE SAVOIR- FAIRE COURSES WILL VIRTUALLY TRANSPORT STUDENTS TO THE WORKSHOPS OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, TO ADMIRE AND EXPERIENCE THE CRAFTSMANSHIP BEHIND HIGH JEWELLERY AND WATCHMAKING CREATIONS.
DURING ITS STAY IN HONG KONG, L’ÉCOLE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS WILL ALSO ORGANISE TWO WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN, AS WELL AS SPECIAL PROGRAMMES SUCH AS EVENING CONVERSATIONS AND WINE & GEMSTONES. FROM EXPLORING HOW LIGHT PASSES THROUGH BOTH WINE AND STONE, PARTICIPANTS WILL ULTIMATELY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE HARMONY THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THESE TWO WORLDS.
FROM TOP: PMQ IS THE CHOSEN LOCATION FOR L'ÉCOLE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS IN HONG KONG; IMAGES FROM CLASSES; VAN CLEEF & ARPELS CEO NICOLAS BOS (CENTRE) WITH L'ÉCOLE STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS (FROM LEFT) PROFESSOR CEES DE BONT, MARIE VALLANETDELHOM, NANSUN SHI AND JEAN WONG