Adam's Fine Jewellery & Watches 15th September 2020 at 4pm

44 T uesday 15 th S eptember 2020. S tarting at 4 pm Van Cleef & Arpels were the first to recognise the importance of the establishment of a ‘Boutique’ department to present a unique and modern collection of affordable jewellery.These pieces were part of a limited edition series, produced to the highest quality in new and innovative designs. In comparison to the haute joaillerie, the popularity of specific pieces led them to being made available for more than one season. Coinciding with the launch of the boutique in 1954 was the revival in the interest and appetite for charms. In comparison to previous designs,Van Cleef &Arpels created larger charms in gold and gemstones.While they had always been a part of the House’s repertoire, the production increased greatly throughout the 50s and 60s with a proliferation of new designs coming out annually.The inspiration for these charms is vast and incredibly diverse, ranging from motifs of thatched cottages, sailing ships, and telephones to the infamous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower or theVendome column.Amongst the favourites with the Houses’ clientele was the ‘Zodiac’ charm first produced in 1958. Equally admired were the numerous animal figurines.The collectible nature of charms made these small creatures the perfect choice for the House to create different series. Iconic pieces emerged such as the Chat Malicieux lauched in 1954 and followed later by the Lion Ebouriffe (startled lion). Maison Péry was established in 1875 by Lucien Péry, whose elegant gold chains attracted the attention of the jewellers housed in the placeVendome.The company was run by four generations of Pery’s, from Lucien’s son Albert, to his grandson Bernard who was the father of the great Brigitte Pery who went on to manage the business for four decades. Albert’s encounter with Monsieur Salière in the early 1900s proved to be seminal for Maison Pery’s development. Monsieur Salière was working as a salesman in a department store, La Belle Jardinière, and amongst his clients were the Arpels Brothers. He introduced Albert to the brothers and this led to a lifelong collaboration between the two.The first piece of jewellery produced by this new partnership, in 1925 was a flat knitted bracelet.This family connection extended further with Albert beginning to work with Renee Puissant, daughter of the founder AlfredVan Cleef and Esther Arpels. Albert’s work at this time was prolific, producing new designs almost every week. However, when the SecondWorldWar broke out,Albert was taken prisoner and the workshop was closed for six years. Once the conflict ended, the production started again slowly, increasing in the 1950s with examples of highly important commissions such as the official sword given to Marshall June as a gift on his membership to the French Academy in 1953. The continued support ofVan Cleef &Arpels, particularly after theWar, was integral to the success of Maison Péry. Each generation of the VCA has strengthened the links between the companies.With Pierre Arpels, the creation of smaller and more affordable pieces of jewellery allowed Maison Pery to move into the emerging market of serial manufacturing.With the opening of the firstVCA shop ‘La Boutique’ in 1954, Pierre understood the importance of making the brand more accessible to the general public and a younger clientele. In the 20th century, the connection between the master jeweller and the designer was of the up-most importance, with the creation of sig- nature pieces made to the highest quality by incredibly skilled individuals.The Péry workshops were behind some of the most iconic ‘best- sellers’ such as the Domino jewellery sets; the flexible curved ribbons of the ‘couscous passementri’ and most notably the Ludo bracelet. Maison Péry also worked exclusively onVCA’s couture collections, using highly complex techniques to realise the elaborate designs. Amongst the most notable are the production of string chains and pompoms, and the infamous zipper, which has gone on to become a classic of the house. The third generation to take over the management of the company, Bernard Péry was alert to the potential risks of being too heavily reliant on a single client. He began to make connections with other jewellery houses and started collaborations, first with Paolo Bulgari, which lasted for two decades, followed by Boucheron, Mauboussin,Templier andTiffany. His daughter Brigitte was of similar business acumen and when she took over, she continued to pursue this strategy.Amongst her collaborators were Graff, Dior, Fabergé and Mikimoto. The development of the company was of paramount importance for Brigitte, to ensure Maison Péry remained relevant in the 21st century. In 2008 she launched a large-scale training program for the workshops in order to promote innovation and modernise the production tech- niques of the company.Adopting new design processes ensured versatility and allowed Maison Péry to compete on an international stage. In 2011, she finally decided to sell her family’s company to the then President of the Richemont Group, Stanislas de Quercize. The Boutique of Van Cleef & Arpels