Charming Animals: a jewelry heritage branded Van Cleef & Arpels

The post-war period: jewelry has fun

The post-war period marks a period of renewal and lightness in the world of jewelry, contrasting with the previous dark years. Van Cleef & Arpels, a famous Parisian house, played a leading role in this development: in 1954, when the house moved to Place Vendôme, it exhibited a completely new collection to the general public: charming, mischievous, and touching animal clips, through which jewelry became a playground, where imagination and humor were invited to shake up established conventions.

Inspired by American pop culture and in particular the world of cartoons, the pins And clips Van Cleef & Arpels' animalier pieces capture the fantasy of this era in full reconstruction, to bring a touch of gaiety to the world of jewelry. 

Lions, cats, dogs, wolves, rabbits, bears, birds, owls, giraffes, elephants, frogs, foxes, squirrels… every animal in this wonderful bestiary sports unexpected proportions while displaying human expressions and postures: they are curious, playful, fanciful, peaceful... each with its own unique expression!

The felines of Van Cleef & Arpels

The two stars of this collection are undoubtedly the ruffled lion and the mischievous cat, both made in the 1960s by Atelier Péry & Fils, which became a reference in 1925 thanks to their collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels on important signature pieces.

Mischievous cat: Rare 18K (750 thousandths) yellow gold corsage clip and platinum (950 thousandths), eyes set with cabochon emeralds surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds, nose decorated with rubies, and body in cabochon onyx. Gross weight: 15.90 grams, dimensions: approximately 2.5cm x 5cm 

Genuine collector's pieces made with great jewelry technique, the lion, with its disheveled mane and expressive gaze, manages to convey a gentle and benevolent strength, while the cat, with its mischievous smile and sparkling eyes, embodies malice and cunning.