HIGH JEWELLERY in EXHIBITION
2010/2011

Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels
18 Feb – 5 June 2011
Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt,
National Design Museum in New York

Bulgari - 125 years of Italian Magnificence
10 Dec 2010 – 12 Jan 2011
Grand Palais in Paris

Haute Joaillerie on exhibition-travel

At the turn of the year 2010/11, Haute Joaillerie travels around the world to introduce into art that is made of stones and metal. The Roman jeweler Bulgari started already with a retrospective of 125 years art-craft in December in Paris. From February to June, more than 300 pieces by the Parisian high jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels will be on display at 'Set in Style' in New York.

fig.: Peony brooch designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris, France, 1937. Gold, platinum, diamonds, Mystery Set rubies. Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Photo: (C) Patrick Gries - ADAGP/Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels - founded 1906 on the Place Vendôme in Paris, has introduced some jewellery techniques that have written 20th century design history. Such as the 'Mystery Setting' which you can see on this page at the peony brooch. The gem-setting technique was revolutionary in 1933 - the holder of the stones is not visible. The stones have to be cut exactly to fit the channel settings.

fig.: Zip necklace/bracelet designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris, France, 1952. Yellow gold, diamonds. California Collection. Photo: Tino Hammid

Or the production of jewellery that enables to change the form like the Zip necklace (image left) which can be worn as a bracelet too. "The technical difficulties in producing this work are evidenced by the length of time it took between its conception in the late 1930s, when the Duchess of Windsor proposed a piece of jewelry that zipped, and its production in 1951." cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/set-in-style

At the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, more than 300 pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels will be on display from 18 February to 5 June 2011.

On 9 December 2010, the Italian (Rome) jewellery house Bulgari, known best for pieces made of friendly round, bright colored stones, celebrated its 125th anniversary (first shop in 1884, founded by the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari) with the opening of the retrospective in the Grand Palais in Paris together with guests like Julianne Moore, Juliette Binoche, Lenny Kravitz.... Some of the more than 600 exhibited pieces are from private collections such as a necklace that belonged to Princess Grace from Monaco. The retrospective runs from 10 December 2010 until 12 January 2011.

Andy Warhol once said: "I always visit Bulgari, because it is the most important museum of contemporary art." The exhibition is arranged in a chronological order beginning with the earliest works from the 19th century which show Ottoman and Byzantine influences; signs of Sotirio Bulgari's migration from the Epirus region that enable us "to relive the major geopolitical transformations that shaped the Mediterranean basin as it is today," such as Bulgari explains.

The retrospective represents the 1950/60/70s with Bulgari's creations that were worn by actresses like Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren, Romy Schneider, Ingrid Bergman, etc. to name a few. The YouTube-video 'Bulgari on parade in Paris' gives an insight into the exhibition and the tradition of the Italian jewellery house. It is announced that the retrospective will travel after Paris to Hongkong, Beijing and Shanghai.

fig.: On 9 December 2010, Bulgari celebrated 125th anniversary at Le Grand Palais in Paris, France. Photo by Marc Piasecki/(C) 2010 Getty Images.

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