Envision this: You’re swept away to a lush, sun-drenched tropical island set amidst sparkling azure waters. The scene? Phuket. The objective? To discover an unparalleled treasure hoard fashioned by French haute joaillerie maison Van Cleef & Arpels.
The Pearl of the Andaman was the destination for the maison’s regional high jewellery presentation, following its debut in Miami last November. Drawing on Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved adventure novel Treasure Island, the collection’s first two chapters that were launched last year drew on the rich tapestry of Stevenson’s maritime world, featuring pirates, the flora and fauna of exotic islands and the oceans.
“Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is a book laden with universal resonance and a powerful collective imagination. It has left its mark on millions of readers and influenced various artistic disciplines, including painting, poetry and the decorative arts,” Nicolas Bos, group CEO of Richemont, said of the collection in a statement. “We have tried to bring it to life in a playful and entertaining way, with a high jewellery collection which I believe awakens a feeling of joy.”
The joy in the creation of this collection was evident, and standouts from the collection that were on display in Phuket included the Palmeraie Merveilleuse high jewellery necklace from the collection’s second chapter. Designed to resemble the ubiquitous palm fronds found on tropical locales, the necklace is fully articulated to sit beautifully on the décolletage, and draw attention to a delicious 47.93 carat emerald cabochon centrepiece, a nod to the colour of palms.
Another breathtaking piece on display was the Récif Corallien high jewellery necklace, a collar necklace with creeping coral motifs in rose gold seemingly growing amidst a profusion of diamonds. At its centre sits a 5.33 carat ruby from Thailand (a fitting nod to the locale of the regional high jewellery presentation) framed by an ornately designed cynosure that can removed and transformed into a gorgeous clip.
Much has been said about the collection’s undisputed stars—a stunning trio of pirate-themed clips—but it was a treat to be able to see two of the brilliant pieces—the Pirate David and Pirate Jim high jewellery clips—up close. Rooted in characters from Stevenson’s novel, the maison’s mastery of their craft can be seen in the meticulous attention to detail in creating each of these figures—from the jaunty feathered tricorn hat and tiny hook hand on the Pirate David clip, to the wonderfully imaginative details in striped shirt and crow’s nest from which Pirate Jim is perched.
But the highlight of the event was undoubtedly the unveiling of the third chapter of the maison’s Treasure Island high jewellery collection, The Treasure Hunt, which continues the literary theme of the collection and pays homage to cultures from across the world.
From modern-day Rajasthan to pre-Columbian civilisations, the playful theme is evoked in resplendent Mayan divinities as clips covered in gemstones, magnificent Mughal-style rings, and necklaces inspired by Chinese lanterns wrought from jadeite.
The pièce de résistance of the collection’s third chapter? The Carte Au Trésor high jewellery clip, an engraved golden map secured with a rose gold rope ending in articulated tassels—a perfectly playful piece that underscores the masion’s imaginative approach to crafting precious pieces that will last through the ages.
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