Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art & Science of Gems

A tribute to the sumptuous jewelry and the glamorous history of Van Cleef & ArpelsFor more than a century, the designs of the French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels have represented the marriage of an unrivaled sense of elegance with an extraordinary level of technical expertise and prowess. The comprehensive monograph Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art & Science of Gems is a glittering, gorgeous tribute to a century of luxurious, glamorous jewelry design and incomparable mastery of materials. Lavishly illustrated with meticulous photographs by Patrick Gries, the books pages are filled with sparkling chalcedony, cornelian, rubies, emeralds and colored diamonds, beautifully set off and enhanced by the jewelers designs (at alternate moments whimsical or understated, as the materials demand). Suggesting the complexity and richness of Van Cleef & Arpels output, the book is organized thematically around categories such as Abstractions, Couture, Nature and Icons, and additionally features some of the legendary stones from the annals of the houses history, such as the Blue Princess sapphire and the Walska Briolette Diamond brooch. Texts by art historians, personalities from the fashion world and mineralogists offer context and highlight the full extent of the jewelers art. Essential for those who love and lust after jewelry design, this eminently covetable volume celebrates the Van Cleef & Arpels style.