In Conversation with Van Cleef & Arpels’ Ceo

What is the importance of a jewelry patrimony – and its conservation – to the development and the strategy of the brand? This is the main question we asked Nicolas Bos, the Ceo of Van Cleef & Arpels. «Having accurate knowledge of our history and enriching our heritage are true priorities for the maison. For almost thirty years, we have been gathering Van Cleef & Arpels vintage creations, such as jewels, timepieces, objects and accessories. Today, the collection holds over 1,000 pieces and we count numerous new acquisitions every year. It is the living memory of Van Cleef & Arpels and it illustrates the historic, stylistic and technical evolution of the maison. It allows us to share our creative universe and jewelry know-how through exhibitions held in our boutiques and in important museums around the world. Curating this collection also helps us reinvent ourselves without forgetting our roots. This way, we find a balance between preserving our history and living with our time. Actually, we can say that we write new chapters of the same story. For example, we stay true to our main sources of inspiration while inventing new themes for our High Jewelry collection. And in the workshops, we challenge our traditional techniques to develop and optimize them. We look to our heritage as a reference but we also do not want to repeat it: it is all about continuity while focusing on evolution.» The heritage department has a team of people with different skills. One archivist is dedicated to protective conservation, restauration and digitalization of the considerable document collection of retail cards, debit books, special order books, gouachés, photographs, mock-ups and transparencies. All these elements are indispensable and allow the maison to get a better understanding of its history and DNA. «It is one of our main missions. Our museum is a vivid treasure, the messenger of the maison, and it is constantly enhanced by auction sales, dealers and private owners or collectors. Each piece has its special history and stories that take you back in the time. For instance, Egyptian Queen Nazli’s collaret from the Fifties or jewels from notable women’s collections, such as Florence Jay-Gould, give off a special aura when held. There are no specific conservation techniques for these materials. When the maison purchases pieces for the patrimonial collection, they are checked by our High Jewelry workshops in Place Vendôme, but they usually need very few restorations as the maison prefers to keep the piece in its original condition and appearance.»