STYLE Edit: how Van Cleef & Arpels use gold and diamonds to create a stunning ‘secret’ watch

Celebrating the onset of spring, Van Cleef & Arpels is back with one of its most admired collections of blooming baubles. Known for its exquisitely crafted floral motifs, the Frivole collection is now enriched with eight new creations, including a bracelet and two secret watches.

Adorned with corollas in different sizes, the seven-flower bracelet in yellow gold is a tribute to the vitality of nature. The maison’s impeccable savoir faire finds its way in this gleaming piece of jewellery, which has been meticulously mirror polished to reflect light in the most generous fashion.

Apart from the usual jewellery pieces, Van Cleef & Arpels has also been impressing its clientele with stunning secret watches since the 1930s. Hidden under wildflowers and other poetic motifs, the dainty dials of these watches are fine examples of the maison’s matchless craftsmanship. As part of its latest collection, the French jewellery house has introduced a secret watch in yellow gold. Hidden beneath a delicately-pivoting, luminous bouquet of superimposed petals of polished gold is a diamond-studded dial, which displays hours and minutes.

The new Frivole collection includes three jewellery pieces in yellow gold and another three in white gold. One of the highlights of this line is the Between the Finger Ring, a whimsical design synonymous with the maison. Crafted out of white gold and complemented with a sprinkle of diamonds, this versatile ring can be paired with formal wear or basic party dresses. Reflecting the maison’s emblematic style, the asymmetry of the piece creates a dynamic feel that echoes the vivacity of nature in spring.

This year, Van Cleef & Arpels has also worked on a couple of transformable creations for this collection: a clip pendant and another secret watch made out of white gold and diamonds. While the pendant is large enough to be worn as a solo piece of jewellery on a white gold chain or even as a clip in the hair, the gorgeous watch too can be converted into a pendant or mounted on a jewellery structure as a clip.

This is also the first time the maison has used rose gold and pink sapphires to adorn Frivole creations. At the centre of a pair of earrings and a pendant in warm hues, a pink sapphire is lit up by diamond-set petals. In keeping with the Van Cleef & Arpels’ floral universe, this fresh, feminine aesthetic celebrates the shimmering colours of nature.

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