A colourful, whimsical journey: Treasure hunting the Van Cleef & Arpels way

WHAT is a treasure?

Something precious and intangible, or just a massive pot of gold? Whatever your answer may be, Van Cleef & Arpels will have you believe it has to do with treasure chests, mysterious maps, exotic islands and yes, a ragtag bunch of pirates.

For its latest high jewellery collection, Treasure Island by Van Cleef & Arpels, expect high jinks on the high seas, as inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s cherished coming-of-age novel of the same name. Drawing from the classic pirate literature’s rich resource, the maison has created a fantastical journey across three chapters, accompanied by illustrations from French comic book artist and writer, David Beauchard.

From a nautical adventure and land expedition to a quest for treasure, the maison’s prolific artisans have created a delightful collection of whimsical jewellery that will make any plundering pirate proud.

At the jewellery’s regional launch in Phuket last week, Julie Clody Medina, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Asia-Pacific president, points out that the universality of the Treasure Island story goes beyond Western references.

And while a colourful tale surrounding buccaneers and buried gold lends itself well to jewellery storytelling, there are many other elements to pick up and play with. For the maison, it is to showcase its savoir faire and artisans’ skill in crafting exquisite pieces with intricate details.

Think a rolled-up golden treasure map with tiny engravings of secret locales painstakingly done by hand, and an emerald palm tree with interchangeable motifs symbolising the three chapters – a diamond-encrusted boat, a golden sun and a chest of precious stones.

“It’s really using high jewellery as a canvas, where we intertwine our heritage and patrimony, and give it a more contemporary interpretation,” Medina tells The Business Times, adding that the pieces include techniques such as the maison’s patented Mystery Set – a technique for setting stones without metal components showing – and transformability.

The treasure island theme also provides endless opportunities for Van Cleef & Arpels to incorporate a vast palette of colourful stones. From the ocean’s different tones of blue and the diverse colours of flowers and trees to those of a precious cache, the collection is a celebration of gems in happy hues.

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“The huge variety of stones in this collection is one of its striking elements,” says Medina, revealing that Van Cleef & Arpels took over two years to hunt these rough treasures down, with the crafting of the collection taking another two years.

And while the pieces show cohesive colour combinations, achieving the subtlety and refinement in colour associations was no plain sailing.

“It’s not easy to assemble and to give life to various colours at such a high level of harmony, be it in terms of gradation or contrast, and then to play on their volumes and settings,” says Medina, noting that the design studio probably had a lot of fun building, crafting and imagining the treasure.

“The intention, really, is to convey poetry, playfulness and a sense of enchantment. Such a collection reaffirms that jewellery-making has its place in the history of art and culture.”