Step inside Van Cleef & Arpels’ secret garden with its exhibition of nature-inspired jewellery

SINGAPORE – At Van Cleef & Arpels’ new secret garden, daisies sparkle with the brilliance of diamonds.

Opened on Feb 1 as part of the French maison’s new boutique at Raffles Arcade, Les Jardins Secrets – which is French for The Secret Gardens – is no ordinary flower patch, but a hidden exhibition space.

Just as British-American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 classic novel captivated readers with the magic of a hidden sanctuary, Van Cleef & Arpels invites visitors to step into the secret space through a door built into the wall of its new boutique.

Inside, visitors can discover a rotating display of pieces from the brand’s patrimony collection from its archives as well as private collections.

Many of the pieces in the current exhibition, Precious Nature By Van Cleef & Arpels, are floral-themed. Since its inception in 1906, the house has often turned to nature as a source of inspiration.

There are 22 jewellery pieces on display, 15 of which were flown in from the vaults in Paris. The other seven come from a pair of Singaporean collectors who wish to remain anonymous. The oldest piece on display – a floral brooch studded with rubies and diamonds – dates back to 1937.

Other highlights include the Mystery Set creations, which were crafted using a technique perfected by the house in the 1930s. Through the Mystery Set method, the mounting remains entirely concealed beneath the gems, yielding a flawless aesthetic with no visible prongs.

The house has made a very limited number of Mystery Set pieces over the decades, so these pieces remain highly covetable among jewellery collectors, with some fetching more than US$1 million (S$1.34 million) at auction. There are 10 Mystery Set pieces in the exhibition.

There are also several rare pieces on display, including jewellery from the house’s Touch Wood collection. Made from the wood of ​​a South American tree and precious materials, the collection is a playful nod to good-luck charms.

“Les Jardins Secrets by Van Cleef & Arpels stands as an embodiment to our unwavering dedication to the art of beauty, culture and savoir faire at the very heart of our profession,” says Mr Nicolas Luchsinger, president of Van Cleef & Arpels Asia Pacific.

“We have thoroughly curated an exclusive space that harmoniously marries Van Cleef & Arpels’ rich heritage with the enchantment of the Garden City.”

The pieces exhibited at Les Jardins Secrets will change every six months for the next three years. In the near future, visitors can also expect the participation of L’Ecole School of Jewelry Arts, a maison-supported jewellery art school in Paris that often organises educational public exhibitions worldwide.

While this is not Van Cleef & Arpels’ first exhibition space in Singapore, it is its largest at 678 sq ft. Temporary exhibitions were also staged in the past. The brand also has a smaller exhibition space called the 1906 in Marina Bay Sands, which showcases only patrimony collections.

Bloomin’ gorgeous

Heading to the exhibition? Here are some highlights.

Rose de Noel earrings, 1998

The first wooden jewellery made by Van Cleef & Arpels dates back to the 1910s, on the eve of World War I.

Rings and bracelets made of wood, part of what is known as the Touch Wood collection from 1916, were not just more affordable, but also fit perfectly into the wartime austerity. Also, touching wood is said to bring good luck.

These wooden earrings with gold and diamonds in the centre are in the shape of a Christmas rose, or rose de Noel in French – a symbol of beauty and resilience.

Daisy lighter, 1948

Van Cleef & Arpels has been making precious lifestyle objects such as vanity cases, ashtrays and automatons since its inception. While it may look simple, this lighter combines several skills, including engraving and guilloche, a decorative technique found in metalwork. The hearts of the flowers are set with diamonds.

Paloma necklace, 1985

This geometric Mystery Set necklace belongs to a local private collector and is worth at least seven figures today. It consists of sapphires and diamonds, and you can get up close to admire how the stones are set with invisible prongs.

Balinese dancer clip, 1969

This clip, which is rendered in yellow and white gold, draws inspiration from travel. The dancer is draped in cultured pearls, which is unusual compared with similar Van Cleef & Arpels feminine figures. Her costume is also embellished with rubies and diamonds.

Daisy clip, 1964

The first flower created by the maison in 1907 was a daisy and this flower has been regularly featured by the house since then. It was not made using the Mystery Set technique, but the piece is special because the flower’s ruby petals contrast with the flower’s round diamond heart, giving the piece a sense of movement and realism.