Enthralled by Egypt since 1923, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels has infused colour, modernity and diversity into its new Fascinating Egypt High Jewelry collection. The fresh range of 180 abstract and figurative creations taps on recent interpretations of the ancient civilisation

There is no doubt that Ancient Egypt and its inventions have influenced modern society. The civilisation’s developments in timekeeping, hieroglyphics, architecture, agriculture and cultural continuity laid early groundwork, with their discoveries extending into our lives today. So it’s no surprise that for over 100 years, Egypt has ignited the imagination of <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/jewellery/van-cleef-and-arpels-latest-lucky-spring-collection-is-perfect-for-this-season-jewellery-accessories" title="Van Cleef &amp; Arpels Latest Lucky Spring Collection is Perfect for This Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Cleef &amp; Arpels</a>. Catherine Renier, President and CEO of Van Cleef &amp; Arpels, says that since the 1920s, the Maison “has wished to prolong the story and present its own vision of this ancient heritage”. And while over the years, <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/jewellery/jewellery-history-behind-van-cleef-and-arpels-delightful-diamond-dancers-ballerina-clips" title="The History Behind Van Cleef &amp; Arpels' Delightful Diamond Dancers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Cleef &amp; Arpels</a> has celebrated the influence of Egypt’s historical eras with a wide range of creations, the house is now revisiting Egyptian culture with a firm focus on modernity in this year’s Fascinating Egypt High Jewelry collection, a range of 180 abstract and figurative pieces.&nbsp;
Attending the launch of the collection in Paris, Jean Bienayme, <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/jewellery/van-cleef-arpels-reinvents-luck-heritage-alhambra-collection-jewellery-accessories" title="Van Cleef &amp; Arpels Encompasses Luck with its Alhambra Collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Van Cleef &amp; Arpels</a>’ International Marketing &amp; Communications Director, tells L’OFFICIEL SINGAPORE how the new pieces differ from the Maison’s Egypt-inspired pieces of the past. ”When you look at the pieces from the 1920s, they were very imbued with the Art Deco style, which was very strong at the time. At that time, it was [about] blending the very ancestral and antique motifs from Egypt with Art Deco style. This time, the approach is completely different. We didn’t have a scientific or an Egyptological approach. We really wanted to embrace all kinds of manifestations of Egyptomania over the centuries. And so when you look at this collection, it is really an expression of art and culture that has been influenced by Egyptomania. It is very diverse, with many sources of inspiration, and very modern inspirations such as the Memphis Group,” he explains.

This new and contemporary tribute to Egypt includes creations such as the Fleur de lotus Mystérieuse clip, which honours the Egyptian emblem, the lotus flower, with three blooms presented with clusters of round and baguette-cut diamonds, baguette-cut rubies, and motifs in the Maison’s patented Traditional Mystery Set. Another piece, the Beauté légendaire necklace referenced the breastplate jewels donned by the royals of ancient Egypt, incorporating a structure of double articulation for total flexibility and comfort for the wearer, and a central Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond of 10.02 carats. The house’s affection for wildlife is, in this collection, enhanced by masterpieces that depict figures from Egyptian mythology — the Bénou Mystérieux clip portrays the bird that symbolises the soul of Ra, the supreme sun god and creator deity; the Griffon Mystérieux clip represents a sphinx with a falcon’s head and the body of a lion; and the intricate Bastet Mystérieuse clip illustrates Bastet, the cat-headed goddess of the home and fertility.
For high jewellery collectors who prefer an even more modern and graphic interpretation of Egypt, there are designs like the trio of colourful Fragment clips, which utilise irregular shapes to evoke precious discoveries that are freshly unearthed. Fragment de bonheur, Fragment magnifique and Fragment de beauté feature geometric shaped ornamental stones (turquoise, coral or lapis lazuli) and gold Egyptian symbols juxtaposed with a cushion-cut spessartite garnet, mauve sapphire, or indicolite tourmaline.&nbsp;
The true trophy piece of the collection, for Bienayme, is the Déesse ailée Mystérieuse Transformable necklace and ring. A dazzling, graphic representation of the wings of deities in Egyptian mythology, the set adds to the Maison’s impressive repertoire of transformable jewellery, as a a pear-shaped DFL Type 2A diamond of 14.05 carats can be removed and placed atop a matching ring. “[This creation] is about the wings of a goddess so it really directly expresses the inspiration of the collection. Then, adding to this, are recognisable Van Cleef &amp; Arpels techniques, such as Mystery Setting, the baguettes of diamonds and rubies, the transformability and changeability of the ring and the necklace, and the flexibility. So in terms of jewellery techniques, this piece is extremely important,” says Bienayme.

Jean Bienayme, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels’ International Marketing &amp; Communications Director dives into the details of the Fascinating Egypt High Jewelry collection with L’OFFICIEL SINGAPORE.
Why do you think Egypt resonates with jewellery collectors today?
Egypt resonates a lot with audiences today. A new museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, just opened in Cairo and there are so many visitors. There is really a strong echo of Egypt in this moment. The collection is based not only on ancient Egypt, but comes from all the artistic and cultural current inspired by Egypt in ancient Rome and the Renaissance period, in the 19th century with Champollion, books, drawings and so on, and also the beginning of the 20th century with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the Egyptomania of the time. And more recently, with cinema. All the inspiration for Fascinating Egypt comes from these different currents. In itself, it is about modernity and it has resonance.&nbsp;

Egypt is defined by a deep historical legacy and the Maison has drawn inspiration from Egypt since the 1920s. How does the Fascinating Egypt collection differ and reflect the modernity of the Van Cleef &amp; Arpels in 2026?
What is very interesting is when you look at the pieces from the 1920s, they were very imbued with the Art Deco style, which was very strong at the time. And so at that time, it was [about] blending the very ancestral and antique motifs from Egypt with Art Deco style. This time, the approach is completely different. We didn’t have a scientific or an Egyptological approach. We really wanted to embrace all kinds of manifestations of Egyptomania over the centuries. And so when you look at this collection, it is really an expression of art and culture that has been influenced by Egyptomania. It is very diverse, with many sources of inspiration, and very modern inspirations such as the Memphis Group. If you look at our moodboard, which is what we have when we start working on the collection, you can see a very broad palette. In the centre, we have the library from the Memphis Group from the 1980s, which is very graphic with lines and bold colours, and this is something that we wanted to highlight in the collection. From the drawing to the finished product, it takes around two years. It depends on the difficulty of a piece — sometimes it takes four years.&nbsp;
Which piece from the Fascinating Egypt High Jewelry collection best conveys the brand’s heritage and Egyptomania with modern sensibility?&nbsp;
Probably the Déesse ailée Mystérieuse Transformable necklace and ring. First, the inspiration: It is about the wings of a goddess so it really directly expresses the inspiration of the collection. Then, adding to this, are recognisable Van Cleef &amp; Arpels techniques, such as Mystery Setting, the baguettes of diamonds and rubies, the transformability and changeability of the ring and the necklace, and the flexibility. So in terms of jewellery techniques, this piece is extremely important. It is very Van Cleef &amp; Arpels while expressing the idea of Fascinating Egypt. And it is a piece with a very important stone — the diamond of 14.05 carats.

The stories of Egypt can be deep and abstract. Has this collection been more difficult to explain?
We have presented the collection since last week, and what’s interesting with this collection is that you can choose the inspiration that you like. There are symbols, you have the lotus flower, there are themes like rebirth and eternity, you have different colours. Some people who are familiar with the Memphis Group love certain pieces and the contrasting colours in the collection. There are so many different treatments in terms of colours, couture- or architecture-inspired. In the end, many found pieces that resonated with what they love.
Could you share more examples of how the house’s hallmarks appear in the Fascinating Egypt collection?
We have many examples of how our cherished themes appear in this collection. For example, something that we love to share is the secret messages. It is something that we worked on in this collection because secret meanings have always been in our collections. First, we have a little signature on the pieces of this collection, and this means, in hieroglyphs, “VCA”. And this ring is inspired by the signatures of Egypt, and when we turn the spinning roll, a little spinning message appears. You have “sky”, “secret”, “happiness”. Maybe one of the best examples is the Fleur de lotus Mystérieuse clip — when you look at it, of course you see the lotus flower motif, which symbolises eternity, but you have the Mystery Set technique, the very floral inspiration, you have an openwork structure. And in a way, this collection is quite in line with previous ones such as California Rêverie and Le Grand Tour. The collections are an appreciation of landscape and travelling through the eyes of a photographer, in the case of California Rêverie, and certain groups in the case of other collections.&nbsp;

Why is craftsmanship and artistic expression so important to the brand?
This is a high jewellery Maison. This is why we are here and doing what we are. Van Cleef &amp; Arpels was created to serve high jewellery. It is important to, collection after collection, push the techniques, to push the innovation, to mix the colours and shapes of stones. To convey the idea that high jewellery is a decorative art, and to bring design to life. There is no compromise in the selection of the stones and quality of the stones. And we always find the best way for the beauty of the object and the comfort of the wearer. For example, we have the necklace inspired by the Egyptian goddess of truth, Maʽat, and she is represented with beautiful wings. So in this case, we wanted something architectural with graphic lines, but we also wanted the idea of wings, so we have three layers. This was quite a challenge for the workshop, to create these different layers and volume.

Discovering Fascinating Egypt Through Van Cleef & Arpels' New High Jewellery Collection

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