Peau d’Âne, the classic fairy tale known by every little girl in France, has come to life in glittering bijoux in Van Cleef & Arpels’ newest High Jewelry collection.

 

Peau d’Âne, the classic fairy tale known by every little girl in France, has come to life in glittering bijoux in Van Cleef & Arpels’ newest High Jewelry collection.

Meaning ‘donkey skin’, Peau d’Âne is a 17th century French fairytale by Charles Perrault that scaled new heights in 1970 with the film by the same name, directed by Jacques Demy and starring a spectacular Catherine Deneuve as the princess. 

 

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Image from the film Peau d’Âne, Jacques Demy (1970)

 

This time they have taken the story to a new place: the world of jewels. Van Cleef & Arpels learned that the film was being restored and was inspired to create this exquisite collection. “We wanted to give another, 21st century interpretation using our own art: exceptional stones and the magic of our workmanship, to recreate the magic and poetry of that fairy tale,” commented Nicolas Bos, Van Cleef’s CEO and Creative Director.

With more than 100 unique pieces, the Peau d’Âne collection recounts every detail of the original story, like the Enchanted Castle where the princess spent her childhood, interpreted as a diamond, sapphire and emerald encrusted brooch.

PRINCESSES

Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels

In the story, the princess’ impossible demands included three dresses that represented the sky, the moon and the sun. Van Cleef & Arpels re-imagined them as diamond brooches featuring turquoise, tourmalines and green garnets (for the sky), blue and mauve tanzanite and sapphires (for the moon) and yellow tourmalines and sapphires (for the sun). A suite of matching jewels accompanies the dresses in the collection.

 

Prince

Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels

And what is a fairytale without a charming prince? The French jewellery house commemorates the handsome character in the Prince rouge clip in white gold and pink gold with pink and purple sapphires, red coral, diamonds and one emerald of 2.25 carats

 

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White gold Cake Love ring with white diamonds, yellow diamonds and a central emerald cut 4.48ct Zambian emerald. Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels

 

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Star of the Night white gold ring with lapis lazuli, onyx, diamonds, tanzanite and a central 5.75 oval diamond. Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels.

 

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White gold Colour of Time Dress necklace with round diamonds, tourmalines, sapphires and 12 pear-shaped aquamarines totalling 129.87ct. Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels

The collection was launched at a spectacular event at the location of Jacques Demy’s film, the Chateau Chambord in the Loire valley and will be on show again at La Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris in September.

 

View the whole collection and enjoy the enchanting story at www.vancleefarpels.com.

 

 

What fairy tale would you love to be translated into the world of high jewelry?