If you’ve ever wondered how the ultra-wealthy lived (or still live) their daily lives, this new exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels will answer that for you. The latest exhibition at Les Jardins Secret—the French maison’s exclusive exhibition space at their Raffles Hotel boutique—brings intimate everyday objects into focus, but transformed with an uber-luxe touch.
Titled A Glimpse of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Art de Vivre, patrimonial pieces from the jewellery maison’s extensive archives have been brought to Singapore for the occasion. Here, you will find exquisite examples of familiar items such as vanity cases, lighters, pill boxes, notebooks and more. But here’s the catch: The French luxury masion has completely elevated these objects encountered in daily life by working them in precious metals—most commonly, yellow gold—and gemstones, and in the most ingenious ways.
Walking through the exhibition space, one can only marvel at the sheer luxury in which the ultra-rich live their lives. There is a stunning curation of vanity cases on display, among them a delicate yellow gold powder case closed by a Two flower clip set with diamonds and rubies; and another in the shape of a shell with an emerald clasp.
Other fabulous examples in the exhibition include a yellow gold pill box in the shape of a snail’s shell, topped with a tiny sapphire from 1968; a retractable champagne swizzler made from yellow gold, which was purportedly used to remove excess bubbles from 1969; and a miniature yellow gold notebook complete with a mini pen to take notes, whose surface has been decorated with floral patterns and dainty five-petaled flower made from rubies with a diamond at its heart.
So whether you’re a jewellery enthusiast or just a curious observer of the everyday rituals of the rich, this is one exhibition that is as enlightening as it is delightful to the eye.
The A Glimpse of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Art de Vivre exhibition runs till 23 March 2025 at Les Jardins Secrets by Van Cleef & Arpels, Raffles Hotel, Singapore. You can book your visit here.
READ MORE
Serge Laurent on Van Cleef & Arpels’s Dance Reflections and Legacy
Van Cleef & Arpels Gives Its Perlée Collection A Dazzlingly Modern Update