ENCHANTED LOVE

Dedicated to the special month of passion and devotion, we revisit Mythical Couples, Van Cleef & Arpels' romantic collection of high jewellery secret watches inspired by legendary love stories.

- ALLYSON KLASS

You could say that Van Cleef & Arpels was built on love. Following the 1895 marriage of Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a precious gems dealer, and Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a Dutch diamond-cutter and broker, the maison was founded in Paris' Place Vendôme in 1906.

As if a sign of destiny, even the house's first creation recorded in its sales book in 1906 was a diamond heart. Over the decades, many Van Cleef & Arpels pieces would be linked to the world's most famous couples. One such piece was an astounding ruby and diamond necklace commissioned by the Duke of Windsor (then King Edward VIII) for Wallis Simpson before his abdication.

Next is a pearl and diamond wedding jewellery suite - comprising a pair of earrings, necklace and ring- ordered by Prince Rainier of Monaco for Grace Kelly. It's said that the prince had taken the actress to the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in New York and met with Louis Arpels, who convinced him that pearls were befitting of his fiancée's beauty. Another piece is the 1971 Barquerolles necklace, which was a gift from Richard Burton to his wife Elizabeth Taylor.

Through the use of age-old artistic crafts, the maison has continually created phenomenal women’s timepieces inspired by the theme of love. A prime example is the Mythical Couples collection of eight high jewellery watches, which tells the stories of seven legendary couples from literature, mythology and opera.