Discover The Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace Inspired By Wedgewood Porcelain
Part of the Le Grand Tour collection, the Josiah necklace features two oval-cut Sri Lankan sapphires weighing 25.10 and 21.78 cts
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Grand Tour high jewellery collection is an enchanting odyssey through Europe’s enduring urban landscapes. Comprising over 70 designs, it is inspired by the historical routes of aristocratic voyages across iconic cities.
London, often the starting point for the Grand Tour, holds profound significance in this narrative. Van Cleef & Arpels pays homage to this city with the creation of the Josiah necklace, a remarkable piece valued at approximately 5 million euros.
The necklace draws inspiration from the renowned English fine China, Wedgwood porcelain, founded by Josiah Wedgwood I in 1759. Celebrated for its iconic Jasperware, featuring unglazed vitreous fine stoneware in various colours, the unmistakable light blue version has become an enduring symbol closely linked to the brand. Today, this particular shade is widely recognised and referred to as “Wedgwood Blue.”
The Josiah necklace eloquently follows the iconic blue and white palette associated with Wedgwood porcelain. Featuring two articulated rows of diamonds – one adorned with round diamonds and the other with baguette-cut diamonds – interspersed with a row of baguette-cut diamonds offering subtle glimpses of the skin, it is designed to gracefully embrace the neckline. Resembling silk ribbons, the strands cascade down the chest, culminating in two extraordinary oval-cut Sri Lankan sapphires, each weighing 25.10 and 21.78 cts.
Finding a pair of matching sapphires of such exceptional quality proved to be a challenge, yet integral to “create an interplay of intense blue that evokes Wedgwood porcelain”. These detachable sapphires can also effortlessly transformed into a pair of earrings to complete the ensemble. Adding an extra note of brilliance is a round DIF diamond weighing 1.55 cts, nestled in the hollow of the neck.
