The natural world has continuously inspired jewellers across different time periods. Designers and gem setters have captured the diverse majesty and delicacy of the animal kingdom in brilliant jewels and precious metals in ever-increasing displays of opulence for centuries.
There are times, however, when animals should just be cute and it’s important to have jewellery that reflects that. If you’re looking to add a little cheek to your everyday looks, Van Cleef & Arpels has just unveiled the latest additions to its Lucky Animals collection.
A dachshund, a teddy bear, a bichon frisé, a frog, and a fox join the family of clips. The captivating designs are playful enough to delight children, but crafted with the care and expertise befitting a venerable jewellery house. Carnelians highlight the vibrant coats of the dachshund and fox, mother-of-pearl makes the bichon frisé and teddy bear pop, and malachite’s green hue renders it the perfect choice for the frog clip. The eyes and noses of each creature consist of onyx, outlined in yellow or rose gold beads.
The Lucky Animals are ideal for daily wear since they are free of precious gemstones, allowing Van Cleef & Arpels to play with form and colour rather than blinding brilliance.
When the collection was first launched in 2017, it debuted with storybook staples like the cat, dog, barn owl, lion, and hedgehog. The giant panda, horse, mandarin duck, turtle, and pig joined this farmhouse of fun and frivolity in 2019. Two years later, Lucky Animals adopted a Chinese zodiac theme by introducing a snake, monkey, ox, rooster, and mouse.
A lively expression of the maison’s savoir-faire adorns every piece. Because of the delicate dimensions of the clips, cutting the hard stones and mother-of-pearl required precision and finesse.
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels.
Just as important was choosing the right materials. Lapis lazuli and carnelian, for example, should have an intense but even colouring while malachite and tiger’s eye need just the right amount of striations for visual balance.
Materials with subtler hues, such as the grey mother-of-pearl and silver obsidian, were chosen for maximum sheen. Additionally, each individual gold bead was hand-polished to a mirror finish.
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels.
In 1954, La Boutique launched with the Le Bestiare collection, inspired by Walt Disney and other early American cartoons. It featured refreshingly youthful clips like the Lion Ébouriffé (Ruffled Lion), Chat Malicieux (Mischievous Cat), Canard Frondeur (Rebellious Duck), and Souris Curieuses (Curious Mice). As the house called them, these “young jewels” often adorned the skirt suits of the chicest women during the 1950s and 1960s.
Van Cleef & Arpels has a long history of weaving a bit of luck into its creations, with four-leaf clovers appearing in archives dating back to 1906. The Zodiaque line of gold medal pendants bearing characters from the zodiac has been evolving since the 1950s, while 2021’s Lucky Spring collection is brimming with ladybugs, plum blossoms, bells and lily of the valley leaves—all symbols of good fortune.
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels.
For the Lucky Animals, the materials are said to be blessed. Malachite is thought to dispel negative energies, and carnelian and mother-of-pearl attract wealth and abundance. As for tiger’s eye, it purportedly balances the soul, alleviates anxiety and restores confidence.
Animals have also been a regular feature in the maison’s more extravagant works. Previous collections have featured gold and enamel butterflies shimmering with mother-of-pearl, as well as rainbow-hued birds of paradise, griffins and majestic phoenixes.
In 2016, the brand released L’Arche de Noe, a high jewellery collection based on 60 animal couples from Noah’s Ark. Influenced by a painting by Jan Brueghel the Elder, it was Van Cleef & Arpels’ first collection dedicated exclusively to animals.
The new series of Lucky Animals continues to articulate Van Cleef & Arpel’s core values of craftsmanship and artistry, while encouraging us to indulge our childlike fascination with the animal kingdom.
