Van Cleef & Arpels' "Une Journee a Paris celebration
Timestamp: Tuesday, September 4, 8:30pm
Location: The Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, Manhattan
The Scene: a mob scene, but much more haute than the usual fashion week post-show crowd.
Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Photos of jewelry, courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels
Photograph of Alber Elbaz & Demi Moore, ©Patrick McMullan
Van Cleef is in a category all its own, their motto could well be, "the best of the best". The majestic red carpeted ballroom was the perfect backdrop for the breathtaking pieces on display in tableaux vignettes. Van Cleef took us to some of Paris' most iconic locations, including the Jardin des Tuileries, L'Ile de la Cite, and the Place Vendome.
What makes Van Cleef unique is their signature settings. The stone[s] are set without any visible gold peeking through. The setting's structure resembles that of a railroad track and as a Van Cleef staffer explained, "are slided on it".
Among the pieces that captivated us were a peony flower ring extending over three fingers and the versatile "medallion" necklace. The medallion has a working zipper mechanism and took 600 hours to make. We say "versatile" because the bracelet can be unzipped into a necklace and adjusted to the desired length.
On our way out, we stopped to inspect a minaudiere inspired by the 1920's made of 18k gold and 2.30 carats of diamonds. The $305,000 evening bag took 395 working hours of labor, but that's what it takes to attain perfection such as this.