Curious about Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest high jewellery collection? Here’s what the brand’s Asia Pacific president shared with us
In 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson published his famous Treasure Island, an adventure story filled with pirates, betrayal and buried gold. Nearly a century and a half later, Van Cleef & Arpels has drawn inspiration from that famous story to create a high jewellery collection of the same name, inviting jewellery editors on an adventure of their own—not on the high seas but to the balmy island of Phuket.
The Thai island was a clever choice on the part of the maison. Located in the Andaman Sea, it was a perfect setting in which to anchor the narrative of the new launch: once a bustling hub for spice traders and a pitstop for pirates seeking refuge from monsoons, Phuket could stand in for Stevenson’s fictitious island. One could almost imagine pirate Long John Silver plotting his course in the shaded corners of Patong, or Captain Flint burying his treasure beneath the swaying palms of Kata Noi.
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Stevenson’s Treasure Island inspired the entrance to the high jewellery showcase in Phuket (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
Van Cleef & Arpels, a master of transforming literary fantasy into reality, has not merely illustrated Treasure Island through a special edition of the book; it has dissected and reinterpreted it to create this latest high jewellery collection. As Julie Clody Medina, the brand’s Asia Pacific president, says: “ Van Cleef & Arpels has been inspired by literary works for decades—be it poetry, novels or theatrical productions. This year, the inspiration comes from Treasure Island. This classic adventure and travel novel, published in 1883, allowed us to create a story that goes beyond European and western influences.
I think all of us, no matter where we grew up, search for treasure and play at being pirates.” The collection is divided into three chapters, which Clody Medina explains are directly related to the popular tale. “There’s a universality and an imagination around the adventure at sea—which is the first chapter—and then discovering the lush island, with its enchanting and fascinating nature, which is a source of inspiration for the maison. And finally, the [third chapter is the] treasure hunt.”
Treasure Island high jewellery showcase in Phuket (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
The Adventure at Sea chapter opens with the Hispaniola, the ship upon which young Jim and his adult companions sail to find the buried treasure, reimagined as a diamond-encrusted clip. Rather than a literal depiction, it is a distillation of the ship’s spirit: the billowing sails suggested by pavé diamonds and the sturdy hull rendered in textured white gold. The Traversée Mystérieuse bracelet in rose gold, with its undulating, mystery-set sapphires, captures the waves on the surface of the ocean. And the Cordage Infini necklace, seemingly a simple knot of diamonds and sapphires, speaks to the binding agreements, loyalties and betrayals that propel Stevenson’s plot. The two pear-shaped Sri Lankan sapphires in the Cordage Infini necklace, weighing 18.07 and 17.30 carats respectively, can be interpreted as the embodiment of the hoped-for hidden spoils.
Within this chapter, Van Cleef & Arpels has taken a creative leap to reimagine the idea of pirates from the novel, with the Pirate John, David and Jim high jewellery clips. “I love the three pirates because they symbolise the collection,” Clody Medina says. “There’s this sense of adventure and appetite and curiosity for the horizon, and for a journey, a voyage, travel. I’m putting aside the mean side [of the pirates], of course, and focusing on the genuine, funny and quirky side.” She admires the “little touch of humour” in their design, a playfulness that resonates with her own approach to life: “I try really not to take myself too seriously, even if we work seriously.” Clody Medina describes them as “totally wearable” pieces, full of colour and fun, while the binoculars-sporting pirate Jim is symbolic of “a curiosity and desire to understand the vast and beautiful Asia Pacific region”. Pirate Jim highlights Van Cleef & Arpels’ adeptness in character portrayal through jewellery—the carefully chosen stones and the subtle expressions crafted in metal all contribute to a miniature portrait that speaks volumes about the story’s protagonist. “Every time you look at the pieces, you discover something new—a new detail, an overlooked pattern,” she says.
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Pirate John clip (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
The Exploring the Island chapter sees the wild, untamed beauty of Stevenson’s fictional land brought to life. The Palmeraie Merveilleuse necklace, with its yellow and white gold leaves and breathtaking, 47.93- carat Colombian emerald, sets in stone an intoxicating tropical vibe. But look closer—the emerald is a cabochon cut, not a perfectly faceted stone screaming for attention. This smooth, organic form, with beautiful inclusions, echoes the island’s own secrets. The Coquilles Mystérieuses bracelet, available in traditional mystery-set rubies or sapphires, continues this theme. Clody Medina says the maison embarked on its own quest to source the perfect gems: “We started four years ago to select the stones. It was, in itself, a treasure hunt, keeping in mind the theme of the collection. We were inspired by the colour, cut, clarity, weight and also the character and spirit of each stone. Then the design studio refined the design, and the artisans, stone experts and designers placed the stones in just the right pieces and places, so everything looks perfect. That’s the beauty of this collection.”
When asked about her personal connection to the collection, Clody Medina says: “You don’t need to jump on a boat and cross the sea to be someone who likes adventure; it could be a very internalised, personal journey as well. The third chapter of our collection, The Treasure Hunt, represents the gathering of memories from many places. It echoes so many people, beyond just my own experience”.
Palmeraie Merveilleuse necklace and matching brooch (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
The chapter’s Carte au Trésor brooch, featuring a yellow gold map scrolled up with a rose gold rope encrusted with diamonds, is a playful nod to the novel’s plot device; but beyond that, it’s a reminder that the true treasure is the hunt itself. Besides, if you look closely, between the folds of the map, a ruby awaits discovery. The Lumières d’Udaipur earrings, inspired by Mughal designs, cleverly illustrate the greed of exploring far-off lands and their historical riches. Featuring two emerald-cut fancy vivid orangey yellow diamonds of 4.52 carats each, the earrings can be worn instead as pendants. The Coffre Précieux ring features a 14.32-carat, cushion-cut sapphire; more than just a pretty stone, it’s evocative of the chests of sapphires, rubies and diamonds waiting to be discovered.
With Treasure Island, the maison has created a high jewellery collection that is not just beautiful but also thought-provoking. As Clody Medina so aptly puts it, the collection is “an invitation to dream, to dare and to discover, and it’s endless—from exploring the sea and the island to collecting and putting together a collection. It [represents] our collectors, who are, in a way, building their own collection and legacy, on their journey as high jewellery lovers.”
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