How Van Cleef & Arpels elevates diamonds into a source of light for its high jewellery

For Van Cleef & Arpels, diamonds are never simply decorative and featured only for their status as “the king of gemstones”. They are part of a larger composition — in which setting, structure, and light are carefully considered to do absolute justice to high jewellery.

Since the Parisian house’s founding in 1906, diamond setting has been a defining pillar of its high jewellery expertise. Far more than a technical discipline, it is regarded as an art form that reveals brilliance as well as imparting movement and emotion, shaping how a jewel ultimately lives on the body.

And in high jewellery, the value of a diamond lies not only in its cut, colour, clarity, or carat weight, but in how it is mounted. A setting determines how light circulates through the stone, how fluidly a piece moves, and how comfortably it can be worn. 

At Van Cleef & Arpels, this invisible architecture is treated with as much importance as the gemstone itself. The maison’s long-standing tradition of white jewellery — pairing diamonds with platinum or white gold — was born from this belief, allowing stones to shine with purity and intensity.

This mastery begins with gemological selection. Diamonds undergo a rigorous double-verification process that combines the scientific assessment of the 4Cs with the trained eye of the maison’s stone experts.

Only diamonds of exceptional quality — famously D to F colour and IF to VVS clarity — are chosen, with particular attention paid to the elegance of the cut and the character of the stone. This ensures that once set, each diamond performs at its highest level of scintillation.

From there, hundreds of hours of craftsmanship unfold in the workshops. Gold structures are sculpted and often open-worked to allow light to filter freely through the stones. Stone-setting techniques — from prong and V-prong to bead, bezel and festoon-style settings — are applied with extreme precision, balancing flair with discretion. 

The result is high jewellery that appears luminous, fluid, and almost weightless, even in its most elaborate forms. This expertise finds its most eloquent expression in the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Classic High Jewellery collections, each offering a distinct interpretation of diamond setting and timeless grace.

Snowflake: Light from the heavens

Inspired by the historic fleurette motif, which refers to a cluster of seven round diamonds forming a radiant halo, the Snowflake collection is among Van Cleef & Arpels’ most recognisable diamond designs. Rooted in motifs explored since the 1920s and reinterpreted in the 40s, the Snowflake embodies the maison’s enduring white jewellery aesthetic.

The pieces are defined by delicately open-worked mounts that allow light to circulate, amplifying the sparkle of each diamond. Stones on the outer edge are secured by discreet V-shaped prongs, chosen for their minimal visual presence and ability to enhance the graphic clarity of the design.

The house’s signature transformability plays a key role within this high jewellery collection. Ingeniously concealed mechanisms allow necklaces to convert into bracelets and pendants into clips, demonstrating how diamond setting, engineering, and wearability are seamlessly intertwined.

Flowerlace: Radiant femininity

Introduced in 2007, the Flowerlace collection brings together two of the house’s historic inspirations: nature and couture. At its centre lies a diamond heart echoing the fleurette motif, encircled by an asymmetrical floral outline that appears to be traced by a ribbon of light.

The diamonds are bead-set along petals of varying dimensions, creating a subtle play between fullness and negative space. Openwork on the reverse of each high jewellery piece allows light to pass through the stones, intensifying their brilliance while preserving an impression of lightness and movement. This hidden craftsmanship is essential to the Flowerlace’s captivating sparkle.

Folie des Pres: Nature’s asymmetry

Since its debut in 2003, the Folie des Pres collection has celebrated the beauty of wildflowers through compositions that combine diamonds with coloured sapphires or rubies. Echoing dainty floral bouquet clips from the late 1930s, the designs feature a harmonious mix of round, pear-shaped, and marquise-cut diamonds.

Each stone is selected not only for its individual quality, but for how it contributes to the overall balance of the composition. Custom-made bezels are crafted to fit each gemstone precisely, while barely discernible hinges introduce flexibility and lightness. The result is diamond high jewellery that feels organic, animated, and exceptionally refined.

A Cheval: Technical tour de force

Launched in 1981, the A Cheval high jewellery collection showcases one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most technically demanding setting techniques. Rows of diamonds are assembled by hand into a flexible, mesh-like structure, with each stone set individually on bezels adapted to its precise position.

The overlapping diamonds create a subtle relief effect, enhanced by multiple stages of delicate polishing. Evoking the white jewellery of the 1930s, the pieces combine architectural precision with remarkable suppleness. Many designs are transformable, with necklaces converting into bracelets and earrings featuring detachable elements.

Palmyre: Open-worked fluidity

Created in 1978, the Palmyre collection draws inspiration from the desert oasis of Palmyra in central Syria, with cascading diamonds that resemble drops of water shimmering in diffused light. Each gemstone is set in a bezel within a fully open-worked gold structure, allowing maximum reflection.

Articulations between the settings ensure exceptional fluidity and comfort when worn, while maintaining visual continuity. Since 2019, subtle variations incorporating blue and pink sapphires have enriched the collection’s soft and silky aesthetic.

Olympia: Contemporary sophistication

Rooted in wide-link bracelet designs from the 1970s Postmodernism era, the Olympia collection translates chain jewellery into a diamond-paved expression of bold, sculpted modern glamour. Crafted as a large, flexible chain, each link is set with two rows of diamonds, creating a continuous surface of brilliance.

To enhance comfort without sacrificing sparkle, the mounts are hollowed and open-worked using the nid d’abeilles (honeycomb) technique. The clasp is seamlessly concealed within the links, underscoring the maison’s commitment to functional beauty and refined design.