The Enchanting World of Jewels

“We initiate conversations about everything and everyone throughout history—all cultures, traditions, continents, and the vast range of different jewellers and jewellery makers.”
—Marie Vallanet-Delhom, president of Van Cleef & Arpels’s L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

A 14th-century Mengdiexuan hairpin depicting a mythical bird and a four-clawed dragon chasing a flaming pearl; a striking Neo-classical men’s ring accentuated with intaglios, cameos, and ancient coins; a sublime 1960s Mauboussin Quetzal bird brooch encrusted with engraved sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.

These are the kinds of exceptional specimens that representatives from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts search for across the world to feature in thoughtfully curated exhibitions, hands-on courses, and engaging talks at their permanent campuses in Paris and Hong Kong, or indeed as part of one of their travelling schools in Dubai, New York, and Tokyo.

The magnificence of these objects notwithstanding, what L’ÉCOLE endeavours to demonstrate to its students and guests is the history, materials, and artistry of the pieces.

As the first jewellery school targeting the general public, L’ÉCOLE’s mission is to reveal and decipher the mysterious yet fascinating world of jewellery—turning intrigued enthusiasts into enlightened connoisseurs.

While L’ÉCOLE was established and continues to be supported by jewellery brand Van Cleef & Arpels, the school operates independently. In fact, it takes pride not only in teaching various jewellery disciplines but also in featuring and celebrating jewels from a variety of brands for their unique characteristics and merits.

This echoes the business ethos of Van Cleef & Arpels.

“Transmission, education and culture are at the very heart of the maison,” says Nicolas Bos, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “Our goal is to ensure that jewellery craftsmanship, as well the appreciation for it, is disseminated and lives on.”

“While productivity is crucial, we remain deeply invested in training and the handing down of knowledge to a new generation of craftsmen and consumers. This is also why we often either conceive or participate in exhibitions where we display creations by many other brands, focusing instead on specific eras, genres, inspirations, or materials.”

This sentiment is shared by L’ÉCOLE’s president, Marie Vallanet-Delhom. “We initiate conversations about everything and everyone throughout history—all cultures, traditions, continents, and the vast range of different jewellers and jewellery makers,” she says.

L’ÉCOLE brilliantly merges these areas of interest into singular and often monumental events. One example is The Art of Gold: 3,000 Years of Chinese Art exhibition, which is making stops in Hong Kong and Paris.

The exhibition is a fascinating display of centuries-old, intricately crafted gold ornaments selected from a vast Mengdiexuan collection, which brings to the fore the brilliance of ancient Chinese goldsmithing craftsmanship, featuring bronze, gold and silver metalwork with repoussé, casting, granulation, filigree, inlay, and stone setting techniques.

L’ÉCOLE also recently held its Men’s Rings, Yves Gastou Collection exhibition in Hong Kong, showcasing close to 300 men’s rings, ranging from ancient rings found in Mesopotamia and Egypt to Neo-Gothic and contemporary ones.

Through its diverse courses, engaging conversations, and riveting exhibitions, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts aspires to uncover arcane and often misunderstood details about the enchanting world of jewellery and gemstones. One just needs curiosity to embark on this learning journey.