"Precious objects by
Van Cleef & Arpels" in Geneva, Switzerland
Exhibition - December 2, 2024

“Precious objects by Van Cleef & Arpels” exhibition presents ten creations and a selection of sixteen archives from the Maison. Each of them, by their shape and aesthetic, combines creative jewelry design with technical savoir-faire and art of living.
Timeless creation of the Maison, the Indian inspired bag of 1964 is made from silk embroidered with gold metal thread. The piece is enhanced by cabochons of ornamental stones. The colours and aesthetics of this decoration evoke the Indian jewelry that the Arpels family discovered on their many travels from the late 1940s.

Van Cleef & Arpels catalog featuring a Minaudière, circa 1933
Van Cleef & Arpels Archives

Van Cleef & Arpels catalog featuring a Minaudière, circa 1933
Van Cleef & Arpels Archives
Discover the emblematic Minaudière™, an exclusive creation of the Maison, patented in 1933. This delicate object takes the form of a precious box whose interior is made up of a set of compartments for beauty accessories, such as a powder box, a lipstick, a comb or a secret watch. The Minaudière™ is the result of both a focus on the functionality of an object and the aesthetic revival of Van Cleef & Arpels in the mid-1930s, marked by the modernist movement. The 1934 Minaudière is made entirely of styptor, an alloy that imitates platinum. It is also distinguished by the secret watch on the lid, concealed by a yellow gold decoration combined with diamond paving.
Minaudiere and its secret watch, 1934
Yellow gold, styptor, diamonds
Van Cleef & Arpels Collection
A selection of evening bags from the 1920s and cigarette cases, which were particularly in vogue at the time, reflect the attention paid by Van Cleef & Arpels to the creation of precious objects. They represent a crossroads between the jewelry and textile arts, showcasing the collective work of several actors over the course of the decade. The 1920 evening bag in black silk features a rectangular clasp in platinum and diamonds, embellished with two cabochons and a jade pendant. The 1926 bag is made of green velvet with a fine embroidery of pearls and sequins. Its band clasp in enamelled yellow gold is decorated with flowers in red enamel, enhancing the composition of the central cartouche. It evokes a stylised landscape in the style of Art Deco, crowned with a chrysoprase cabochon. The finesse of the decoration stems from the precision of the working techniques used to highlight different material effects: polished, guilloché or gadrooned.

Evening bag, 1920
Platinum, jade, silk, diamonds
Van Cleef & Arpels collection

Design of a cigarette case, circa 1920
Van Cleef & Arpels Archives

Cigarette case, 1933
Yellow gold, enamel
Van Cleef & Arpels collection

Product card of a bag clasp, 1926
Van Cleef & Arpels Archives

Evening bag, 1926
Platinum, yellow gold, chrysoprase, enamel, velvet, diamonds
Van Cleef & Arpels Collection
A selection of evening bags adorned with bejeweled clasps in the 1920s, to those inspired by Indian embroidery in the 1960s, the Maison has, throughout its history, shared its refined approach to the art of living.
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"Precious objects by Van Cleef & Arpels" in Geneva, Switzerland
Dates: from December 2nd, 2024, to March 29th, 2025
Opening hours:
From Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 6:30pm
Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm
+41 (0)223 11 60 70
Free entry without reservation