Van Cleef & Arpels is opening a new exhibition on rubies this month at Les Jardins Secrets, the jewellery maison’s hidden sanctuary-slash-exhibition space at the Raffles Hotel. This will be the second exhibition at the space in Singapore, after it debuted earlier this year with a show titled Precious Nature that explored how the maison interprets and imbues motifs from the natural world with beauty and wonder. The new exhibition is simply titled “Ruby”, and its name is fairly self-explanatory.
Instead of centring on finished jewellery designs by Van Cleef & Arpels with a theme, Ruby simultaneously expands and narrows the scope to focus on one type of coloured gemstone itself. This will be the first exhibition at Les Jardins Secrets in Singapore to be presented by L’École, the school of jewellery arts founded with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels. According to Olivier Segura, the managing director of L’École’s Asia Pacific arm, the school was founded out of a desire to invite a general public to discover and learn about the world of jewellery—from its art historical side, to the artisanal crafts and even the mineral, gemological sides.
Part of the “Discover the Gemstones” series, Ruby will immerse visitors on a journey from rough, barely revealed stones, to the proud, gleaming form of cut and polished gems that adorn high jewellery creations. In the exhibition, for example, are a number of ruby samples from deposits and mines around the world that are still embedded in its mother rock. There are chunks from famously prized provenances like Myanmar, or Burma, and even newer sources like Greenland.
Here, an observation of how rubies look before they are fully extracted, faceted, cut, polished, or even set into jewellery. The exhibition’s scenography also highlights this gemological focus. On the walls are microscope photographs by award-winning photomicrographer Billie Hughes, which paint a large and vibrant (read: easy to see) picture of the fascinating inclusions and details of ruby gemstones.
And if you were worried it might be entirely scientific, have no fear. There are, naturally, ruby-centric high jewellery creations by Van Cleef & Arpels on display. The maison has curated a selection of pieces from its own archives, as well as loans from private collectors, that show off the brilliance and range of the gemstone, as well as how the maison has applied it to its designs.
Of particular note: a brooch from the maison’s archives that features star rubies. Star rubies take their name from an optical effect—when cut and polished, they reflect light with a six-rayed star. Star rubies are some of the most prized versions of this gemstone, and are said to make up just one percent of gem-grade rubies.
This clip, in particular, is set with nine cabochon star rubies. There are three larger star rubies framed in a floral shape with round, baguette and marquise diamonds, with six trailing diamond fringes that are each anchored with oval cabochon star rubies. A treat, to be sure, for gem-lovers who can appreciate rarities of nature.
‘Ruby’ will run from 29 July to 20 October 2024, at Les Jardins Secrets by Van Cleef & Arpels at the Raffles Hotel Arcade. Register here for complimentary admission..
