The "A century of diamond creation" exhibition at Place Vendôme 20, Paris, France

From June 17th to January 10th, the Galerie du Patrimoine, at number 20 of Place Vendôme, in Paris, hosts the exhibition “A century of diamond creations”. Accompanied by several original archives, more than 40 creations of jewelery and works of art illustrate the creativity with which the Maison has always sublimated this precious stone.

Since its foundation, diamonds have illuminated jewels, special orders, unique creations and precious objects designed by the Maison. This constant presence, underlined by the several creations visible at the exhibition (some of that were presented for the first time at the Galerie du Patrimoine), began to occupy a prominent role in the 1920s. This decade highlights the "White Jewelery", characterized by diamond bracelets with exceptional flexibility. The subtle motifs of these "second skin" jewels express Van Cleef & Arpels' fondness for the fluidity of high fashion.

 Among the central works of the exhibition is the majestic Collaret necklace, created in 1939 for Queen Nazli of Egypt, with perfectly symmetrical lines made with 355 round diamonds and 318 baguette-cut diamonds. The exhibition also highlights another impressive creation: the 2006 Proust necklace, part of the High Jewelery set called "Collection of the Century", that represents the highest mastery in terms of style and mineralogy.

The jewels and precious objects on display at the exhibition are accompanied by an anthology of documents (sometimes commented by Jacques Arpels himself) and sketches that testify to Van Cleef & Arpels' ability to illuminate different types of jewels through diamonds.

A scenography, conceived in collaboration with the illustrator Jérémie Fischer, gives life to the exhibition with notes of color. Composed of collages of cut-out and ink-stained paper, his illustrations poetise the motifs and plays of light generated by diamond creations.