Feather brooch (1945)

Three precious feathers floating in the air, each a delicate expression of airiness! These three clips from 1927, 1945 and 2004 attest to the recurring use of the feather motif in the Maison's creations. The earliest feather is typical of 1920s White Jewelry and marks the moment when feathers first became a Van Cleef & Arpels signature piece. The 1945 clip is similar in style with its highly-refined form, openwork structure and the inclusion of a variety of diamond sizes to maximize the amount of light reflected. In contrast, the shape of the 2004 piece is more irregular, giving the impression that it is being ruffled by a gentle breeze.

Feather jewels have taken many forms over the decades. Although such pieces were often monochrome and naturalistic, they have also been very colorful and more stylized, as you will see in the Exactitude section of the exhibition.