They look like tiny clusters of the ripest, juiciest blueberries, but a seasoned Van Cleef & Arpels collector will recognize the sapphire beads on this beguiling pair of 1971 earrings as a reflection of the house’s enduring fascination with India’s architectural motifs and Mughal style of jewelry.
And there’s more than meets the eye: The earrings’ lantern-shaped pendants detach from the tops, a convertibility that earns this earring style (and others like it) the appellation “day to night.”
In other words, the jewel’s original owner could have worn the big button-style tops for lunch at Tavern on the Green and, later that evening, added the pendants to see Luciano Pavarotti in a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House.
“The fact that they are convertible for day and night use makes them quintessential VCA, a master in making jewels for multiple wear,” says Ariel Saidian, head of the venerable New York–based firm Joseph Saidian & Sons, who is offering these earrings — and quite a few other Van Cleef & Arpels jewels — on 1stDibs.
Regarding the sapphire clusters and the lotus petals rendered in richly detailed gold, Saidian adds, “The maison has a rich history of exotic influences from all over the world. He points to the necklace of Begum Salimah Aga Khan as the definitive example of the kind of Indian-inspired work VCA was doing in the early 1970s. With its melon-cut emerald beads (crafted in the 18th century, according to the design house), the necklace expresses the same carved-gem tradition as the earrings. And like the earrings, it conceals a secret, transforming into bracelets when you remove the pendant.
Saidian says he does not have information on the earrings’ provenance but imagines they belonged to a woman “with very sophisticated taste.” And, he adds, “I think they are even more in vogue and stylish today than when she bought them from VCA.”
Who does he see wearing them today? “Everyone,” he says. “Jewelry to me is truly for everyone: a VCA collector, a sapphire lover, a jewelry lover who is starting a vintage collection, an investor or even an art lover.”
But if he had to choose just one wearer, it would be Rihanna, full stop. (The singer and entrepreneur has worn pieces from Joseph Saidian & Sons in the past, including a trio of brooches during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance.)
“She is one of the most stylish people in the world and possibly the biggest trendsetter,” says Saidian. “I think the current golden era for vintage jewelry is heavily due to influential people like Rihanna realizing the beauty and value of vintage jewelry.”
We tend to agree — but don’t let Rihanna get to these earrings before you do!
