160 - VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Mughal-inspired flower clip, set with brilliant-cut diamonds, ruby cabochons, and emeralds within beaded outlines; set in 18K yellow gold (750/1000) and platinum (850/1000). House signature erased, numbered “47XX.” Dated circa 1960. Jeweler’s hallmark of André Vassort (registered 1943). Gross weight: 20 g. Diameter: 4 cm. In its original brand case. (Restoration to the mounting system; signs of wear; a few surface scratches on the stones) Appraiser: Cabinet BOUTEMY Beginning in the late 1940s, Pierre and Claude Arpels’ travels to India profoundly enriched the aesthetic vocabulary of Van Cleef & Arpels. There, the House discovered not only the richness of princely jewelry sets but also that of the textiles, embroidery, and color combinations characteristic of Indian art. Cabochon-cut rubies and emeralds, diamonds, and yellow gold thus became the signature elements of opulent jewelry, where the openwork metalwork at times evokes true embroidery. This clip is fully in keeping with this spirit, which was very much present in the House’s creations of the 1950s and 1960s.