Jewel Purpose

Precious metals and stones are not just for the body. Here, we reveal the intricate links between the great jewellery houses and interior designers, in a story of parallel passions

When Paris high jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique in 1906, on Place Vendôme, one of its first orders was neither a pearl necklace nor a diamond ring. Rather, it was a jewel designed to adorn the home: a scale model of the New York socialite Eugene Higgins’ Varuna yacht, crafted in gold, silver, jasper, ebony and enamel. What made it particularly unique, however, was its modern functionality – it was fitted with an electric bell pusher to call the butler.

By the 1930s, Van Cleef & Arpels’ precious approach to technology elevated women’s wants with the marvellous minaudière, a rare 1935 version of which is photographed here. This tin box-inspired purse was engineered in gold, lacquer and gemstones to contain mirrors, face powders, a cigarette lighter, a lipstick holder, a tiny watch and, in this case, a pair of folding diamond-set spectacles.