Van Cleef & Arpels

Gold and diamond necklace, 'Zip' | 梵克雅寶 'Zip' 黃金及鑽石項鏈

VAT applies to hammer price and buyer's premium

Auction Closed

May 16, 05:44 PM GMT

Estimate

220,000 - 320,000 CHF

Lot Details

Description

Property of a Lady of Title

Gold and diamond necklace, 'Zip', Van Cleef & Arpels

梵克雅寶 'Zip' 黃金及鑽石項鏈

Of zip design, set with brilliant-cut diamonds, length approximately 400mm, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, numbered, French maker's marks and assay marks for gold and platinum, fitting to transform necklace into a bracelet deficient.

Cf.: Evelyne Possémé, Van Cleef & Arpels. The Art of High Jewelry, Paris, 2012, pgs. 158-162 for illustrations of a similar Zip necklace dated 1951.

Legend has it that, during a Parisian evening in the 1930s, the Duchess of Windsor wore an Elsa Schiaparelli dress, adorned with a zipper. This audacity even for Haute Couture made her tell Renée Puissant, artistic director of Van Cleef & Arpels and daughter of the founders of the Maison, that she should try to invent a jewellery interpretation of the fastener… Whether this episode actually took place or not, the design of the Zip necklace appeared at this time and, after long technical experiments, saw the light of day in 1950. Inspired by the world of textile, a trimming bell adorns the slider and allows you to close the necklace like a real zipper, in order to transform this jewel into a bracelet. This icon of the Maison has known multiple variations, in metals and gems. However, this pink gold piece is a highly fabrication of a truly iconic design.