Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond 'Huggie' Earrings

Name: Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond 'Huggie' Earrings
Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels
Price: 25650 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

This extraordinary pair of Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond 'Huggie' Earrings, made in France in the 21th century, circa 2000s, feature dazzling diamonds within a striking geometric and graphic design. Crafted in 18K yellow gold, the symmetrical pair of demi-hoops are set with 54 round brilliant-cut diamonds with an estimated weight of 3.30 carats total of F-G color and VVS-VS clarity. The earrings are Signed VCA with French assay marks on both earrings and stamped with a serial number that will be provided to interested buyers. The earrings include the original Van Cleef & Arpels box. The overall weight of the pair is an estimated 17.24 grams. The original retail price was $27,000. The earrings display 54 round brilliant-cut diamonds set within diagonal grids that have a grandeur on the level of Byzantine quilting, defined by raised and crosshatched yellow gold lines. Here the natural beauty of the precious stones is featured in rhythmic repetition with the highly polished metal, so that both diamonds and gold are given almost equal importance compositionally. In the 1970s, the Maison embraced bold, vibrant jewelry in creations that could transition from day to evening. These earrings, although made in the Contemporary era, reflect those tastes for bold, full volumes. The earrings are made in the bombé style (French, meaning ‘bomb-shaped’ and named for the French dessert, bombe glacée or ice cream bomb) with diamond grids appearing to swell over a measured, domed swell. The overall shape of these demi hoops which hug the earlobe are known as huggie earrings. While typically smaller than a hoop which circles around the entire ear, huggie earrings are wider with greater surface area for sparkle. The reverse sides of the solid gold earrings reveal the beautifully rounded volumes that have been hollowed with circular cutouts added behind the stones, demonstrating the technical prowess and stone-setting savoir-faire of the Maison. These techniques not only remove excess metal from the jewelry making the piece lighter in weight and more comfortable for all-day wear, but also make the diamonds come alive. The cutouts allow light to be refracted and reflected through the stones from front to back to add brilliance and amplify the sparkle. Van Cleef & Arpels lavishes all its expertise on this remarkable stone, to produce dazzling diamond jewelry creations. Each ear clip measures approx. 0.8 x 0.5” (20.32 x 12.7 mm) with hinged omega backs. 54 diamonds weighing approx. 3.30 carats, estimated F-G colors, VVS-VS clarity. Overall weight approx. 17.24 grams, made in 18k yellow gold. Includes original box. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels with serial number and hallmarks, made in France; circa 2000s.

Creator:

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Dimensions:

Height: 0.8 in (20.32 mm)Width: 0.5 in (12.7 mm)

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

21st Century

Date of Manufacture:

2000s

Condition:

Seller Location:

New York, NY

Reference Number:

Seller: E14351stDibs: LU330218612602

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Van Cleef & Arpels

One of the world’s foremost jewelry houses, Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly noted for a focus on technical virtuosity, craftsmanship and artistry, evident since its beginning. Rather than create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other adornments primarily for the aim of displaying of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce jewelry that projected the wearer’s taste and style.

The company was formed a year after the 1895 marriage of Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a gem cutter, to Estelle Arpels, daughter of precious-stones dealer Salomon Arpel. Ten years later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique on the Place Vendôme in Paris, setting the march on a square now crowded with dealers in bijouterie. (The company still occupies the New York flagship store opened in 1939 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.)

Born from a union of expertise in both jewelry making and gem selection, the Van Cleef & Arpels distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. In doing so, the house would win a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its trademark Mystery Setting — a technique by which gems are fitted into an intricate matrix of slots and “drawers” that keep the setting hidden. Another signal innovation was the Zip necklace, introduced in 1951, which can be worn either around the neck or, with the zipper closed, as a bracelet.

But as much as to the firm’s craftsmanship, clients have been drawn by the insouciance and playfulness of Van Cleef & Arpels designers, as well as their attunement to the cultural climate. After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the company produced several lavish pieces featuring hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs to go along with the geometric Art Deco jewelry of that decade and the next. Following World War II, as symbols of freedom and rebirth, the firm focused on naturalistic forms such as birds, flowers, fruit and flying insects. High society’s 1960s fascination with the Near East and India prompted such pieces as the best-selling Alhambra necklace, popularized by Princess Grace.

Lately, attention among collectors and connoisseurs has centered on Van Cleef & Arpels’s quality of workmanship as much as its glamour. The firm was the subject of a 2012 show at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as well as exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in 2013 and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014.

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