Lovebirds brooch (1945)

The history of Van Cleef & Arpels begins with a love story: the 1895 wedding of Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. Ever since, the Maison has exalted tender feelings in its creations. For instance, and as the archives show, love inspired the very first piece sold in 1906: a heart set with diamonds.

Combining two of its major sources of inspiration ̶ love and nature ̶ the Maison launched its Lovebird jewels in the 1940s. On this 1945 brooch, two diamond birds are perched on a yellow gold branch decorated with briolette-cut diamond flowers. The birds evoke a loving couple, looking in the same direction with their ruby eyes. As they are positioned very close to each other, their bodies seem to form a heart, a symbol of tenderness.