Set Sail!

TO DISCOVER Van Cleef & Arpels' TREASURE ISLAND HIGH JEWELLERY COLLECTION, CHARMAINE HO TRAVELLED TO PHUKET TO JOIN IN ON THE exploration AND gem hunt.

- CHARMAINE HO

It's 10pm and I’m in bed with my laptop, shooting out emails. In all honesty, I’m feeling a little put out by the fact that I’m stuck working instead of enjoying a night swim in the private pool located just metres from me. But before I have any real chance to wallow in self-pity, the air fills with loud booms that can only be caused by fireworks. Throwing open the doors of my Trisara Resort villa, I’m greeted by a spectacular night sky ablaze in a riot of colours that reflects off the tranquil waters of the Andaman Sea. This magical sight sets a pitch-perfect tone for the adventure I’m about to embark on the next day, courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels, who invited me to Phuket to discover their latest high jewellery collection: Treasure Island.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 high-seas adventure novel of the same name, the 300-piece collection is a marvellous body of work that lives up to the illustrious reputation of its namesake classic. Pirates and mermaids, marine creatures and mythological figures populate a world filled with treasure-laden islands, full-rigged ships, and a glorious kaleidoscope of faultless gems to make the heart yearn.

The Palmeraie Merveilleuse necklace, for example, embraces the neck with its articulated diamond form, with contoured gold lines reminiscent of a crown of palm leaves. The necklace is the collection’s costliest creation, thanks to a 47.93-carat Colombian emerald cabochon set regally in its detachable pendant. (A little bird tells us that the necklace is priced at over $10 million.)