Sleeping beauties
When Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef opened their first boutique on Paris' hallowed Place Vendome in 1906, one of France's most revered jewelry maisons was born.
Famed for flowing, curvaceous creations that often feature dynamic motifs drawn from the worlds of flora and fauna, as well as for ingenious hinges and fastenings that allow them to change shape or be disassembled, Van Cleef & Arpels boasts among its past clients Audrey Hepburn, Eva Peron, Jacqueline Kennedy and Princesses Grace and Caroline of Monaco. Current devotees include a raft of Hollywood stars, including Julia Roberts, Zhang Ziyi and Uma Thurman.
For this, its centennial year, the house has brought to life 11 previously unrealized design blueprints dating from between 1920 and 1960 that were preserved in its archives. Dubbed "Revealed Treasures," these extravagant works of art pay tribute to the successive generations of craftsmen whose skill and imagination won the brand its loyal following.