Black Sea

Van Cleef & Arpels Seven Seas

— November 25th, 2015 —

Seven Seas

At a cultural crossroads between Europe and Asia, the Black Sea inspires fascination with its mysterious name. Chiaroscuro scenes fill the Maison’s imagination: a nocturnal crossing accompanied by fish, or the soft clarity of moonlight on the shore.

Nageur Noir et Blanc clip

Nageur Noir et Blanc clip: White gold, diamonds, cabochon-cut sapphires, black spinels, onyx. © Van Cleef & Arpels

Like faithful watery companions, fishes have inhabited the world of Van Cleef & Arpels since the 1920s. Inspired by the name of the Black Sea, this clip is notable for a striking combination of materials that highlights its remarkable three-dimensional craftsmanship. While the body is adorned with engraved onyx to reproduce the texture of the scales, the fins unfurl in an alternation of black spinels and diamonds. With astonishing realism, they seem to flutter in the current, imbuing the creation with a peaceful and fluid sense of movement.

Rose des vents long necklace

Rose des vents long necklace: White gold, diamonds, black spinels, sapphires, onyx beads and motifs, white cultured pearls.

Rose des vents long necklace: Gouaché

Like an invitation to set sail, the Rose des vents long necklace depicts a crossing of the Black Sea by night, beneath the peaceful light of the moon. White cultured pearls and beads of onyx – of varying diameters – combine to create asymmetric rows, evoking the sparkle of the sleeping waters. This nocturnal long necklace is punctuated by a reversible motif: one of its sides, inspired by the compass rose, is adorned with diamonds, while the other is embellished with a gradation of sapphires and spinels that enriches this spectacle of bluish hues.

Rivage Noir et Blanc bracelet

Rivage Noir et Blanc bracelet: White gold, diamonds, square-cut and cabochon-cut sapphires, cabochon-cut emeralds, white and gray cultured pearls, turquoise. © Van Cleef & Arpels

With its bold combination of materials, the Rivage Noir et Blanc bracelet recreates the palette of a landscape of contrasts. Cultured pearls of dazzling white or deep gray complement a backdrop of sapphires, turquoises and emeralds to evoke the shores of the Black Sea. The pearls are crowned by discrete cabochons, two of them revealing the position of a skillfully hidden clasp. The piece is as remarkable for its finishing touches as it is for its flexible structure, which molds itself to the curves of the wrist.

Rivage Noir et Blanc bracelet: Gouaché

Savoir-faire: Rivage Noir et Blanc bracelet

Cheval des Mers long necklace

Cheval des Mers long necklace and earrings: © Van Cleef & Arpels - Photo by Sonia Sieff – Dress by Gaspard Yurkievich

Cheval des Mers long necklace: White cultured pearls, chalcedonies, sapphires, onyx, diamonds. © Van Cleef & Arpels

Île au trésor ring

Île au trésor ring: © Van Cleef & Arpels - Photo by Sonia Sieff – Dress by Gaspard Yurkievich

Île au trésor ring: Cabochon-cut black opal of 13.22 carats, Paraiba-like tourmalines, sapphires, diamonds© Van Cleef & Arpels

Île au trésor ring: Gouaché © Van Cleef & Arpels

Tourbillon ring

Rose Envoûtant ring

Seven Seas