Wonders of Creation

The latest exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels explores the very origins of minerals and their transformation into exquisite adornments. Charlene Co discovers some fascinating tales

AS WELL AS ITS STRIKING size and beauty, the fancy vivid yellow briolette diamond hanging from the beak of a gem-encrusted bird brooch at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum has a fascinating provenance. The spectacular 96-carat stone once belonged to the flamboyant Polish opera singer Ganna Walska, who was arguably more famous for her extensive jewellery collection and fondness for men—she married six times—than her voice. The diva sold the gem and other jewels in 1971 at a Sotheby’s auction to fund renovations at her Californian estate. Van Cleef & Arpels outbid all rivals, which included Cartier, Boucheron and Chaumet, and named the stone the Walska Briolette Diamond, later incorporating it into the exquisite brooch. Whether by virtue of its provenance or its rarely seen quality and size, this gemstone tells a fascinating…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, June 1, 2016

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