The inspiration for this opulent necklace created by Van Cleef and Arpels in Paris between 1965 and 1966 was the result of the contemporary reemergence of interest in traditional Indian jewels from Rajasthan (see image below) and a brief but fruitful flirtation between Van Cleef & Arpels’ designers and the Subcontinent, at the time when couturiers such as Yves St Laurent and Balenciaga as well as high end retailers, notably Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, were introducing exotic Indian details in their creations (see images below). Islamic motifs such as paisley were also becoming increasingly popular in the fabrics favoured by the hippy generation.
An exotic and fascinating reinterpretation of a traditional Indian jewel
It appears that Van Cleef & Arpels did not try to disguise the Indian origin of the design of this jewel, nor the fact that all its component parts, including the emerald beads, rubies, old cut diamonds and pearls had been sourced in India. In its large scale and the use of multi-coloured gems it anticipates the creations of the following decades.
The fact that the necklace is set in yellow gold – as was traditional in India – places it firmly outside the mainstream of Western jewellery design of the 1960s, which at this time was still set in white metal as dictated by contemporary fashion. Interestingly this switch to yellow gold is anticipating a rapidly changing fashion which will likewise characterise the decades to come.
From Autumn-Winter 1964 and owned by Elizabeth Taylor | Image: Courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions
Van Cleef & Arpels’ spectacular jewel is published in David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti’s Understanding Jewellery | The 20th century (ACC Art Books, Nov. 2021). In their work David and Daniela take a close look at the key players, trends and movements across the decades of the last century.
