1937

Chrysanthemum clip

Creation details

The Chrysanthemum clip combines the floral esthetic of Art Deco with the art of setting stones, and “clearly illustrates the result of the alliance of stylized art and technical genius”¹.

The flower’s highly distinctive petals are captured here in all their graceful luxuriance, their tips curving slightly inward. The Maison’s designers gave free rein to their imagination in capturing the very essence of the corolla’s silhouette. A continuous pave-setting of rubies mounted on yellow gold is used for the upper side of the petals while the composition’s profusion affords glimpses of their underside, distinguished by the use of calibrated diamonds. The ruby petals, while monochrome, succeed in conveying the flower’s nature thanks to their ability to capture light, thus evoking the texture and nuances of the plant.

The invention of a new jewelry technique

The chrysanthemum, the heraldic insignia of the Japanese emperor, prevailed during the Art Nouveau period, when artists were fascinated by Japan, as well as in Art Deco works of the early 1920s. In this revisited version from the late 1930s, it served as both support and pretext for a remarkable jewelry technique. On December 2, 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels registered a patent under the heading: “Method for mounting precious stones.” This document stated that the invention “consisted of mounting stones so that only the stone was visible, by concealing the material that served as its mount.”² However, this initial patent did not enable “the stones to be placed in keeping with complex curved lines,” as was the case for the Chrysanthemum clip, which is why, on February 13, 1936, the Maison registered a new patent aiming to perfect the earlier one.

1937