A CELESTIAL POSTCARD FROM THE COSMOS

Van Cleef & Arpels’ new jewellery drops are so beautiful, it will make heads and hearts turn

Maison of high jewellery, Van Cleef & Arpels has dropped a new collection and it is literally out of this world! The latest collection Sous les étoiles or heavenly dreams looks to the universe for inspiration, and it’s a masterclass in jewellery making and gemology.

“The Maison has always been interested in the instant where observing nature encounters poetry and the imagination,” states Nicolas Bos, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “For this new collection, we wanted to prolong the adventure that began with Jules Verne, by exploring the literary and scientific tradition of which his work forms a part. It led us to the classical author Lucian of Samosata imagining a voyage in space, to Johannes Kepler and his inspirational text The Dream, or Lunar Astronomy – written in the early 17th century – and to Camille Flammarion, who published his wonderfully illustrated Astronomie populaire in 1880.”

For the complete composition of this High Jewelry collection, designers, jewellers and expert gemologists have immersed themselves in a multitude of representations of the cosmos, from works of popular science – like Camille Flammarion’s L’Astronomie populaire, published in 1880 – to the magnificent cosmic landscapes revealed by recent astronomical images. No detail was spared and the universe was the limit.

Get a first look of the jewellery here.

PLANÉTARIUM HIGH JEWELRY WATCH When it comes to building your jewellery box, look no fur ther than this breathtaking Planétarium High Jewelry watch set with precious stones in the likes of colour sapphires, spessar tite garnets, black spinels, aventurine, pink mother-of-pearl, turquoise and diamond. The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Earth at the centre of bracelet come to life thanks to the exclusive, selfwinding mechanical movement with a Christiaan van der Klaauw planetarium module. The circular trajectory of a shooting star just sweetens the deal! A total of 1,370 hours of work went into the making of this magical arm candy.

TERRE ET LUNE BRACELET Back in 2010, the Maison paid homage to Jules Verne’s novel De la Terre à la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon, 1865) in its Les Voyages Extraordinaires high jewellery collection. Now, the earth and moon come together surrounded by dazzling diamonds, baguette-cut sapphires, and yellow sapphires. Unparalleled craftsmanship is at the hear t of this bracelet, where several complicated techniques are employed to set the precious stones to make this jewel the outstanding piece of ar t that it is.

NUÉE D’ÉMERAUDES NECKLACE This necklace is inspired by the comet 41P which is a member of the Jupiter family and its blue-green glow can sometimes be seen at night if you’re lucky. The emerald, sapphire and diamond baguettes setting looks like an explosion of light around the neck. At the tips are 96 emeralds weighing a total of 62.30 carats, and the entire necklace sits delicately thanks to its flexible structure.

THE CÉPHÉIDE SET A luxurious and smart jewellery acquisition, this Céphéide set which is inspired by a giant star much brigher than the sun can go a long way. The necklace with 11 chalcedony cabochons, mauve sapphire, tsavorite garnet and diamond motifs weighs a total of 159.72 carats. The detachable pendant is dotted with 21 twotome baguette-cut tanzanites and can be worn as a clip. Those looking to make an entrance will want this.

GODDESS NEPTUNE CLIP We love this playful clip of Goddess Neptune, seen here embracing a planet with much poise and pulchritude. Her dress – in white gold, diamonds and sapphires – is highlighted by yellow gold contours, accentuating the fluidity of her costume while the cosmos are represented by the intense blue of lapis lazuli. This ballerina/fairies are immediately identifiable as a hallmark of Van Cleef & Arpels.