Case in point: the Peony Brooch  (rubies, diamonds, gold and platinum), with mystery-set rubies. This was a gift to the princess-daughter of King Fouad I of Egypt by her husband, Mahmoud Fakri Pasha, a former foreign minister of Egypt and its first ambassador to Paris. The firm’s 1976 American Bicentennial brooch (rubies, diamonds, and sapphires — i.e., red, white and blue!) boasts mystery-set rubies and sapphires. It was made in Paris but is an obvious bow to American style.

Versatility is another trademark of this design house and another important theme of the exhibition. VC&A prides itself on crafting multi-use items — necklaces that convert into bracelets, and brooches that convert into earrings and pendants. A spectacular example is the 1971 stork brooch ("Walska brooch/pendant"), commissioned to celebrate the birth of a client’s first child. It features a 95-carat yellow diamond suspended from the bird’s beak and meant to depict a newborn bundle. The diamond detaches and can be worn as a pendant; the bird’s wings detach to form a pair of earrings, while the tail transforms into a brooch.

Another notable invention showcased here is "Zip" jewelry — literally jewelry with a zipper. The Duchess of Windsor proposed the idea in the late 1930s. By 1951 VC&A designers arrived at an ingenious solution: a necklace that zips up into bracelet after removing a segment from its back; that segment, in turn, functions as the bracelet’s clasp.

Visitors to the Cooper-Hewitt will thrill to the sight of the many dizzy splendors on display in this gem of a show. The tech savvy can pick up free iPad digital guides  with interviews and videos that add context and depth to the museum experience. Or they can tune out the chatter and just get up close and personal with a girl’s best friend.

©2011 Val Castronovo for SeniorWomen.com

Images:
(1. ) Goddess Head brooch. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, 1970. Gold, turquoise, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds; Courtesy of Richters of Palm Beach. Photo: Lucien Capehart Photography

(2.) Varuna ship-form bell push. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, 1908. Yellow gold, silver, ebony, enamel, jasper; Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Photo: Patrick Gries/Van Cleef & Arpels

(3.)  Peony brooch. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels,  1937. Gold, platinum, diamonds, Mystery Set rubies; Van Cleef & Arpels Collection. Photo: Patrick Gries/Van Cleef & Arpel

(4.)  Brooch/pendant of bird and briolette diamond owned by Ganna Walska. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, 1971. Yellow gold, sapphires, yellow diamonds (briolette 95 carats), white diamonds; Courtesy of Private Collection. Photo: Patrick Gries/Van Cleef & Arpels

(5.) Zip necklace/bracelet. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels,  1952. Yellow gold, diamonds; California Collection. Photo: Tino Hammid

http://beta.cooperhewitt.org/microsites/set-in-style

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