Van Cleef & Arpels is launching their largest heritage exhibition at the ArtScience Museum in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The exhibition, called "The Art & Science of Gems", will showcase over 400 creations from 230 minerals from the French National Museum of Natural History's collection. It will be segmented into themes tracing the story of gemstones from mining to crafting to being part of heirlooms. The exhibition aims to showcase the brand's excellence in craftsmanship and passion for precious stones over their century of creative jewelry making. It will include innovative digital tools and be complemented by workshops when it premieres on April 23rd.

1. From
MineTo
LegacyGo behind the scenes of Place Vendome’s coveted jewellery
pieces as Van Cleef & Arpels offers a public exhibition of the
precious gems at the Marina Bay Sands.
wordS Anastasia Ong PHOTOS Patrick Gries © Van Cleef & Arpels
“The gems reflect over a
century of creative and
inventive jewellery making.”
S
teeped in the stuff that fairytales
are made of, one is indivertibly
drawn to the air of nobility, elegance
and dreamy otherworldliness of a Van
Cleef & Arpels creation.
A widely esteemed name renowned for its
rich heritage and avant-garde approach to its
collections, many a family heirloom hailed from
the worktables of the jeweller’s work stations. In
a first for the region, the maison is launching its
largest heritage exhibition here on Singapore’s
shores, and at the ArtScience Museum in Marina
Bay Sands, no less.
It is said that the cut of a diamond reflects
the gem’s final beauty and value. And like
a diamond, Van Cleef & Arpel’s upcoming
exhibition, ‘The Art & Science of Gems’ is set
to be as multi-faceted and extraordinary as the
precious stones themselves. With a collection
consisting over 400 creations from 230 minerals
– the exhibition shows off more than just
diamonds, but important natural treasures and
scientific artifacts from the French National
Museum of Natural History’s Minerals and
Gems Collection in Paris.
Famed for its unconventional approaches
to jewelry making, with influences of
poetry and ingenious craftsmanship
of the craftsmen in its employ, the
exhibition will be segmented
into seven themes—Couture,
Abstractions, Influences,
Precious Objects, Nature,
Ballerinas and Fairies, and
Icons—that trace the story of
a gemstone from the moment
its mined, to when its shaped, crafted, set and
eventually part of its wearer’s legacy.
“The history of Van Cleef & Arpels is the cradle
of French high jewellery,” says Nicolas Bos,
President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.
“The gems reflect over a century of creative
and inventive jewellery making. The pieces are
brought together for this exhibition to express
the diversity of the Maison’s styles and sources
of inspiration, along with its excellence of its
savoir-faire and passion for precious stones.
They provide a perfect illustration of ‘The Art &
Science of Gems’.”
Premiering April 23, the exhibition will have two
complementary routes showcasing an insightful
discovery of the house’s jewellery and their
links to the earth’s minerals. Co-curated with
ArtScience Musuem, the show has sections
dedicated to innovative digital tools, French
cinema and film and themed workshops.
‘The Art & Science of Gems’ will be held at the
ArtScience Museum from April 23 to August 14.
Visit Marinabaysands.com/museum for details.
Left page & bottom left: Zip necklace transformable into a bracelet, 1954, Platinum, gold, rubies, diamonds.
Top right: Peony clip, 1937, Platinum, gold, Mystery Set rubies, diamonds. In the former collection of Her Royal Highness Princess Faiza of Egypt.
DAVISON | 79
AficionadoAficionado