ALL ABOARD!

Flexing the fullest extent of its creative prowess, Van Cleef & Arpels reawakens our inner-child with its enchanting treasure-hunt voyage.

- YANNI TAN

If a jeweller is a vehicle that transports you into a fantasy realm, then Van Cleef & Arpels is a mighty sailing vessel. For its new high jewellery collection, Treasure Island, it whisks modern collectors into the eponymous 1883 literary work by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Published at the end of sea exploration’s golden era, when swashbuckling pirates sought out distant riches, and Charles Darwin discovered brave new worlds, this adventure story ignites the collective imagination today as much as it did over a century ago — thanks to the French maison’s revival of its most epic elements.

The creative compass guiding this collection is the maison’s illustrious heritage, reflected in the convergence of its various universes.

Its penchant for maritime adventure dates back to 1906, demonstrated by a bejewelled, scale reproduction of the Varuna yacht. In the following decades, the house developed its own “marine reserve” of flora and fauna pieces. Far-flung lands and cultures have also informed some of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most iconic designs.

The gemstones, which breathe life into these new creations, are so cherished by the house that its second-generation head, Claude Arpels, had dedicated his career to scouring the world for them.

Composed of nearly 300 intricate, whimsical, and three-dimensional designs, Treasure Island recreates a magic that Julie Clody Medina, president of Van Cleef & Arpels Asia-Pacific, identifies as the reawakening of “our child soul”.

She adds, “We’re a story-teller, and the red thread that ties everything together is a sense of enchantment. The collection goes beyond Western references, and speaks to everybody across generations.”

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