The golden bead. It's one of French fine jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels' most iconic motifs, adorning their creations for nearly a century.
From its early origins in the 1920s, to being incorporated into the voluminous Couscous and Bagatelle pieces of the late 1940s, to the first Alhambra creations of the 60s – golden beads have paved and bordered the Maison's clover-shaped insignias as one of their most timeless and emblematic signatures.
And so Van Cleef & Arpels' new Perlée collection is at once an homage and a reimagining of the golden bead. Illuminating a new range of bracelets, rings and earrings in yellow, rose and white gold, the softness of their dome shapes dance under the light, harmonising beautifully with their neighbouring precious stones.
The fiery red of rubies are offset by the softness of gold on the Perlée five-row diamonds bracelet, which features 50 stones that illuminate the honeycomb-shaped apertures, allowing light to travel through the stones and enhance the shine of the piece overall.
On the Perlée diamonds duo ring, an overlapping silhouette showcases the meeting of a mirror-polished ring with one set with a round of diamonds. The piece's carefully open-worked structure, along with the delicate grains that hold each gem in place, form a dazzling composition that feels befitting of the Perlée savoire-faire.
And striking a balance between form and movement, the Perlée diamond earrings are voluminous in proportion, each stone meeting the strictest criteria, and individually, skilfully set by hand. The entire piece is bordered with golden beads, which increase in size around the band to create a dynamic feel, haloing the face in dancing reflections of the light.
No detail feels spared by Van Cleef & Arpels in the new capsule – each piece a testament to the Maison’s tradition of excellence, and to a century of savoir-faire at the service of uncompromising brilliance. The Perlée collection is an homage to the humble golden beads that perforated the history of their Parisian atelier, and which illuminate the path of the Maison's bright future.
The full Perlée collection is available now in stores and on the Van Cleef & Arpels website.
