Rare Antique and Estate Jewelry & Fine Collections of Precious Gems

Van Cleef Wood Jewelry

by Michael Khordipour July 17, 2017 1 Comment

Over the years, there can have been few materials that haven’t at some point been used to make jewelry. Metals of all kind, ceramics, enamel, glass, precious stones, the list is endless. One which has been popular throughout the ages, but is rarely seen in high-end jewelry is natural wood. Wood is often used in designs by small workshop artisans, but tends to be limited to pendants and similar items. There are, though, occasional collections from some of the world’s leading jewelry houses. One of those, the legendary Van Cleef & Arpels, take it a step further and regularly create collections and individual items that contain an element of wood.

The Van Cleef & Arpels (always &, never “and”) company started life in Paris in 1896, and came to prominence after the company opened its first boutique in 1906, right across the Place Vendome from the legendary Hotel Ritz in Paris, where it remains today. From the very beginning of the company, pieces and entire collections centered on the floral and animal motifs of Art Nouveau, the dominant style of the period.

As the influences of Art Nouveau waned in the 2nd decade of the 20th century, Van Cleef & Arples showed no sign of moving away from the designs that had made their name, and the uncompromising approach has lasted until the present day, with flowers and other natural symbols still taking center stage in the company catalog.

As time passed, the introduction of wood into the company’s designs became inevitable, with the finest woods from around the world being used to perfectly complement the other materials used, and adding to the “naturalness” of the range. Recently, a find of high quality wood in the Place Vendome store led to the creation of the Touch Wood Alhambra. The Alhambra (a 4-leaf clover design) is the company’s signature motif, and the use of wood in the design has added to the status of this classic symbol.

Butterflies, dragons, tigers and more have all received the Van Cleef & Arpels wood treatment, with bracelets, brooches earrings and pendants all being produced over the past century. Occasionally, light wood will be used in the design of the jewelry but, predominantly, it is dark woods that are most commonly incorporated, as it is felt these best complement the metals used.

The fashion in ring design has turned towards platinum and white gold in recent decade, but Van Cleef & Arples wood jewelry use yellow gold in the vast majority of items the company produce, with rose gold being used in some collections.

Not all Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry uses wood, of course, but they certainly use it more than any other high-end jeweler. There’s nothing difficult about using wood in a jewelry design, the key is to use it in a way that enhances the piece, and Van Cleef & Arpels do this spectacularly.

We certainly haven’t seen the end of wood jewelry.