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Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire and Diamond “Camellia” Earrings
$65,000
This pair of Van Cleef & Arpels "Camellia" earrings evoke the camellia flower in strikingly beautiful blue sapphires and diamonds. Modeled to hug the ear, these clip-back, sparkling flowers-to-wear enhance the eyes and face. Like their camellia-loving contemporary Coco Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels were inspired by the classic flower, designing this iconic line of stylized jewels that has been beloved since the 1950s.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: ER-18593
Artist: Van Cleef & Arpels Paris, sold in New York
Country: France
Circa: 1950s
Size: 1” diameter
Materials: 36 Round-cut sapphires (approximate total weight 3.60 carats); 86 Round brilliant-cut diamonds (approximate total weight 3.90 carats); Platinum
Signed: “Van Cleef & Arpels NY56890”
Literature: Earrings of the same design, in ruby and diamond, are pictured in Van Cleef & Arpels: L'Art De La Haute Joaillerie, by Évelyne Possémé, Les Arts Decoratifs, 2013, p. 187
The French love affair with the camellia was sparked around 1800, when Empress Joséphine Bonaparte began cultivating them in her palace garden at Malmaison. The conspicuous, opulent flower was quickly adopted by French fashionistas as a corsage ornament signifying love.