SATURNE CLIP

This clip is one of the collection’s figurative pieces. Made from gold gold and diamonds, it depicts the planet with the second greatest mass in the solar system, replete with its distinctive ochre colour and huge rings. The latter take the form of sparkling strands gravitating around a half-sphere in hammered yellow gold, which appears through a cloud of closed-set diamonds. The textured gold work – a feature of Van Cleef & Arpels creations from the 1960s and 1970s – reinforces the contrast in the materials, between smooth and raised surfaces, precious metal and gems. Fine threads of yellow gold also underline the edges of the rings, accentuating both their volume and the scene’s dynamic feel. Thanks to an assembly of great intricacy, these various elements seem to float in space, in a feat of jewellery craftsmanship.