A Cosmic Jewelry Odyssey Through Van Cleef & Arpels’ Glittering Creations

Now through January 4, 2026, the American Museum of Natural History unveils a glittering voyage across time and space—Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry from the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels.

Step into a space where the stars are sculpted in gemstones, and the mysteries of the cosmos are captured in precious metals. Set within the glowing halls of Gems and Minerals, the exhibition showcases more than 60 celestial-inspired pieces of high jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels.

A fusion of science and imagination, Cosmic Splendor invites visitors to explore how the cosmos has shaped human creativity—from Galileo’s pioneering telescopes to the cutting-edge revelations of the James Webb Space Telescope. These masterpieces, drawn from the Maison’s historic archives and private lenders, explore themes of astronomy, space exploration, and mythology that have inspired humanity for centuries.

The exhibition unfolds in seven immersive chapters, each a galaxy of its own. Vivid gems—from mandarin garnets and verdant tsavorites to deep blue lapis lazuli—illuminate the display, transforming each piece into a miniature constellation of craftsmanship and creativity.

Take Me Away evokes the wonder of interstellar travel, featuring the fantastical 2010 Tampa necklace, inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon.

Across the Universe captures the majesty of galactic forms, including the Double Galaxies clips (circa 2021), whose swirling pink and mauve hues echo the Virgo constellation’s Butterfly Galaxies.

Lunar Wonders pays homage to our moon, highlighting a 1969 Moon pendant and brooch that commemorate the Apollo 11 landing, punctuated with ruby accents.

Our Star radiates with solar brilliance, featuring designs like the vintage Sun pendant-clip from the 1970s and the radiant Fleur de soleil clip.

Beyond Earth turns its gaze toward distant worlds, with stellar pieces like the Trappist necklace and earrings—named for the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet system—and the Midnight Planétarium watch, which elegantly tracks the motions of the planets.

Burning Bright celebrates the ethereal light of stars, featuring works such as the Astre necklace with a luminous black opal, and the vintage Asterisk set from the 1960s.

Lucky Stars brings the Zodiac to life, offering symbolic interpretations of celestial signs that reflect humanity’s timeless fascination with the night sky.

“Drawing on the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, which tell the story of Earth’s extraordinary diversity of minerals, and the Hayden Planetarium, where visitors explore the glory of the universe, Cosmic Splendor is a particularly fitting offering for our Museum,” said Sean M. Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “It joins a long tradition of sharing with our visitors the natural world, science, and the great variety of cultural expression at the intersection of nature and art.”

Co-curated by Alexandrine Maviel-Sonet of Van Cleef & Arpels and Kate Kiseeva of the Museum, this luminous collaboration continues the partnership that brought visitors the celebrated Garden of Green exhibition and the upcoming Hayden Planetarium Space Show.

By intertwining the precision of gemology with the boundless curiosity of astronomy, Cosmic Splendor invites us to consider how the language of science can inspire beauty—and how beauty, in turn, can deepen our understanding of the universe. It’s a reminder that both scientists and artists are, at heart, explorers of the unknown.