In Praise of Hands exhibition The art of fine jewelry at Van Cleef & Arpels Van Cleef & Arpels presents the In Praise of Hands exhibition at Design Days Dubai from March 17 th to 21 st. An ardent defender of the arts and creativity, the Maison is proud to be the luxury sponsor and partner of this unique design fair in the Middle East for the third consecutive year. With this exhibition inspired from In Praise of Hands, the book by Franco Cologni, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates the art of High Jewelry, paying homage to the expert hands of its master craftsmen: the Mains d Or. Van Cleef & Arpels Fuchsia clip, 1968 1
A tribute to the Mains d Or The human hand takes pride in its work, which provides its most authentic means of self-realization said Nicolas Bos, President & CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. The Mains d Or are the virtuoso craftsmen of the Maison s workshops in Paris Place Vendôme. They are the grand masters who use their expert and knowledgeable hands to interpret inspiration. They breathe life into the Maison s High Jewelry creations with a remarkable artistic sensibility that transcends daily challenges to create timeless pieces. Behind every gesture, behind each creation and execution, there lies the heritage of Van Cleef & Arpels. In Praise of Hands, The Art of Fine Jewelry at Van Cleef & Arpels, the book by Franco Cologni In Praise of Hands is a richly illustrated work by Franco Cologni, which celebrates the skills applied by Van Cleef & Arpels. The text is accompanied by evocative black and white photographs of the Mains d Or at work by Francesco Cito, along with magnificent color portraits of vintage and contemporary creations by Patrick Gries. High Jewelry is a world of dreams, of authentic luxury, states Cologni, Its refinement is derived from the form that human hands can give to the most precious materials that Earth has to offer. Yet the numerous operations involved in creating a piece of High Jewelry are not always recognized or appreciated. The book takes readers inside the Maison s Place Vendôme workshops to reveal the talent and virtuosity of its legendary Mains d Or and sheds light on the crafts involved in jewelry making. 2
In Praise of Hands, the exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels This exhibition presents the different crafts that make each Van Cleef & Arpels creation a masterpiece, revealing the extraordinary story of its birth. Eight different crafts are presented in dedicated sections showcasing large-scale black and white photographs by Francesco Cito and videos by Loïc Prigent and Willy Papa showing the Mains d Or at work in the workshops. To portray this ingenious work, unique High Jewelry creations are displayed from recent collections to Van Cleef & Arpels Museum pieces created between 1925 and 1982. The Marguerite Minaudière is a fine example of the sophisticated evening bags invented by the Maison in the 1930s and the Zip Émeraudes necklace recalls the inventiveness of the French jeweler dating back to 1951 when the first Zip necklace was created. The Fuchsia clip created in 1968 showcases the ingenious Mystery Setting technique patented in 1933. Van Cleef & Arpels P. Gries Van Cleef & Arpels Zip Émeraudes necklace, 1955 Marguerite Minaudière, 1950 3
A Celebration of Métiers d art The legendary crafts exhibited at In Praise of Hands illustrate countless hours of meticulous work and the ancestral expertise of the skilled hands who collectively bond their savoir-faire to give life to a jewel. The designer, mockup maker, jeweler, stone-setter, stone-cutter, polisher and sculptor-engraver masters are all celebrated in Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition at Design Days Dubai, along with the art of Mystery Setting. Faithful to its values of transmission and education, Van Cleef & Arpels hosts a workshop by L ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels inviting all the lovers of beauty and admirers of craftsmanship to experience the art of mock-up making. As a reference in High Jewelry, Van Cleef & Arpels founded L ÉCOLE in Paris in 2012 to shed light on the hidden worlds of jewelry and watchmaking. The designer The creations are expressed in two dimensions, first as a sketch then as a painted design in gouache. 4
The mock-up maker The mock-up is the first translation of the future jewel into three dimensions. The mock-up maker, working in close partnership with the designer and the workshops, studies the painting in gouache, and then translates it into an object made of pewter and paste stones. The jeweler The jeweler studies the design and the mock-up to realize the final piece. He shapes the piece out of gold or platinum using different techniques that might require various tools: dies, milling machines, hammers, compasses, calipers and other come into play. 5
The stone-setter The expert sets the stones in the metal. His objective is to hold securely and show the gems to their best. For an utter brilliance, he has to take away as much of the metal as possible without weakening the strength of the mounting. The Mystery Setting This technique is a feat of jewelry-making patented by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1933. The stones are cut one by one to be inserted in thin gold rails. Once mounted, they cover the surface of the jewel, giving it a magnificent velvet luster. 6
The stone-cutter The stone-cutter cuts one stone after another, shaping the facets, smoothing the edges and then polishing the gems, always keeping in mind their properties and their different reactions to the tools. The polisher The goal of polishing is to make the metal shine. The jewel undergoes several polishing throughout the process, mainly before the setting, after the setting and after the final stone mounting. 7
The sculptor-engraver The craftsman carves the stones to embellish the most beautiful jewels. They are turquoise fresh petals, onyx tutus of enchanting ballerinas, luminescent opals moon drops and spectacular geometric lapis-lazuli brought to life by hours of work with the burin. Mains d Or, Minaudière and Mystery Setting are trademarks of Van Cleef & Arpels. 8