A RARE & COLLECTIBLE MYSTERY-SET SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND FLOWER BROOCH, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS The realistically modelled flowerhead mystery-set throughout with calibré-cut sapphires, with a brilliant-cut diamond cluster to the centre, mounted in 18K gold, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, numbered, maker’s mark for VCA, French assay marks, length 4.8cmPatented in 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrated ‘Serti Mystérieux’ or ‘Mystery Setting’ marked a serious advancement in jewellery making. Developed by the renowned jeweller Alfred Langlois, who had been creating work exclusively for the maison since the year prior, the technique which would soon become synonymous with fine jewellery craftmanship was simple in concept but complex in execution. Although other maisons such as Cartier and Chaumet had also investigated this technique in their respective workshops, it would Van Cleef & Arpels that would release this revolution in jewellery making to the world.The Mystery Setting “is a technique which allows the jeweller to model any form, any movement”. The setting is so called for the apparently invisible mounting of the stones, an effect which makes them almost look as though they are floating. The method involves setting precious stones independent of any visible claws or prongs, allowing the full richness of the stone to create a dazzling landscape of colour for the viewer without the intrusion of metals. However, achieving this effect requires great skill from the jeweller, of which only a few in the world hold the ability, and it can take months to produce just one piece of jewellery. First, the stones must be cut to size, creating even, small chips that will lay alongside each other in perfect symmetry. These small chips are then whittled even further to create a groove at their base. This groove then allows the stone to slot neatly into the lattice that will secure it in place. The lattice, or rail, which consists of tiny wires no more than 0.2mm thick, is then placed in the main structure of the piece, acting a keystone by locking the stones in position. Each stone must line up exactly with one another to remain set and avoid gaps to create the seamless look that catapulted Van Cleef & Arpels to the lofty position they hold in the jewellery world to this day.Once the technique was mastered, the maison moved quickly and the Mystery Setting would feature heavily in their output. Initially the setting could only be applied to flat surfaces, such as cigar boxes and beauty compacts, but in 1935 the highly coveted Boule ring would be released, a design consisting of a thick, convex dome studded with rubies and sapphires that still appears prominently in the maison’s contemporary collections. A flood of brooches, necklaces and bracelets would follow and with them, the attention of the era’s style icons, such as the Duchess of Windsor. The ‘Deux feuilles’, or two leaves, design in particular, lent itself well to capturing the depth of colour the Mystery Setting evokes.Other techniques would be developed from the Mystery Setting by Van Cleef & Arpels; the Navette Mystery Set, created in 2000, utilises marquise-cut stones to create a more 3D effect echoing the depth of a bird’s plumage and flower petals, while the Vitrail Mystery Set, created in 2012, also conceals the back of the mount and gives the stones a translucency that plays with light and reflection. Although rubies were initially preferred for the setting, the maison would gradually enter sapphires, emeralds (previously deemed too brittle), and diamonds into the roster, such as in the ‘Licorne’ brooch from their 2016 Noah’s Ark collection which featured sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and turquoise in the traditional Mystery Setting.The consistent appearance of the Mystery Setting speaks to its perfection as a method and in the resulting jewellery.Condition Report: Sapphires: Generally well matched and with good transparency, medium tone. Some with zoning at certain angles. One sapphire deficient, two sapphires next to the deficient sapphire loose with chip and would also need to be replaced.Diamonds bright and livelyFrench eagle’s head assay mark for 18K gold, dog’s head for platinum, maker’s mark for VCA, signed, numbered M39819Clip with good tension, one pin slightly misshapenGold with light wearTotal gross weight approx. 27.8g
