|Objects| Finding a
|Objects| Finding a stone of this size in its natural state is very emotional – there has been no human intervention since its very formation surprising as its founders were children of a diamond dealer and a lapidary. Since 1906, it has set in beautiful jewels some astonishing stones, though rarely overseeing the process from the mine onwards. Recently, luxury houses have been revealing major rough diamonds before they are cut, to show their quality and emphasise the traceability of the gems eventually made from them, an important factor for today’s clients. Van Cleef & Arpels rarely follows trends and equally rarely reveals the exact source of a particular gemstone, but with its history of diamonds, today such transparency makes sense. The Lesotho Legend was, at 910 carats, the fifth-largest diamond ever mined at its superb level of clarity and quality – D (flawless) and 2A, the technical terms of measurement. Its four-year process is only a tiny fraction of its real journey, as diamonds were formed under extreme heat and pressure deep in the earth up to four billion years ago and shot towards the surface in volcanic eruptions. This incredible stone came into the life of Van Cleef & Arpels through a trusted dealer who considered the house best placed to deal with it and who knew that the mine’s ethical methods would appeal to the firm’s principles. VC&A’s president and CEO Nicolas Bos and his team conceived the idea of building a collection from it even though, as experts in the stones department point out, “when we see a rough stone like this, we want to keep it that way because it’s so beautiful. Finding a stone of this size in its natural state is very emotional – there has been no human intervention since its very formation”. The task was thus to produce pieces that would be worthy of this natural wonder, and the first job was to assess what gemstone glories it could contain. The house enlisted high-tech help from Antwerp mapping specialists, who worked out the best positions, shapes and sizes of potential cut stones for maximum quality and minimum wastage, avoiding internal blemishes called inclusions. Alongside them, the house planned the cut shapes they thought would give the most design inspiration, even planning matched pairs, all of extremely high quality. This job alone, plus assessing how best to cut and facet each shape, took a year. The next crucial step was cutting, often done by laser now, but the initial cuts in this hardest of material were made by the hands of craftsmen of tremendous skill and nerve, because if the cleavage plane is not struck correctly, the stone can shatter. Faceting and polishing each gem to its fullest advantage was a hugely laborious task, yet the final tally is 67 feature stones – including four over 25 carats – that amount to almost half the weight of the original rough. In an inspiring variety of shapes, they have been incorporated across 25 pieces, each exquisitely designed and unique. The decision to use the Mystery setting to enhance these fabulous diamonds took the collection to another level of aesthetics and craftsmanship. No metal should show, so all that appears around the central diamond is Above: a 79.35ct oval diamond, used in the Atours Mystérieux. necklace; top left: the Duo Mystérieux ring featuring two emerald-cut diamonds, rubies and pink sapphires 30 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS © VAN CLEEF & ARPELS a tessellated pattern of tiny, richly vivid gems – rubies, sapphires or emeralds and sometimes a mix of two, usually rectangular but occasionally in softer shapes. The secret is cutting tiny grooves in the underside of each stone, and then mounting them on minuscule rails so each gem butts up against the next. Choosing the stones is a gemmological masterwork, as those in each piece must match each other exactly in colour, depth and size. Traditionally, the setting’s deep richness, almost like fabric, has been used to depict features of haute couture such as draping or ribbon. In the Legend of Diamonds collection, its purpose is as a lush foil to the scintillating diamonds but it also creates wonders of design. The largest oval diamond of 79.35 carats does not outshine the glowing folded ruby “ribbon” on which it lies in the Atours Mystérieux necklace, while the geometric emerald, sapphire and diamond structure of the Chevron Mystérieux looks like a piece of Art Deco heraldry from which hang, in contrast, three curvaceous peardrop diamonds, one over 31 carats, the others over 12. Like much of the collection, this necklace is transformable – the central diamonds can be removed, the main one worn on a chain while the other two can grace matching earrings. Necklaces are the standouts, but this is a full collection, from the sinuous Double Ruban Mystérieux brooch through the bold Entrelacs bracelet to the romantic Duo Mystérieux ring. For Van Cleef & Arpels, it is a unique expression of their creativity. Nicolas Bos says, modestly, that he is “proud of the collection. Thanks to the work of all our teams, I think we have successfully shown that an exceptional diamond can be the starting point for an extraordinary collection that is a milestone for us.” It is truly a feat of art – and one that has a supreme work of nature as its heart. A glimpse into the creation of the Entrelacs Mystérieux bracelet, set with diamonds and sapphires CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 31
