By Ashok Soman

Parisian high jewelry star Van Cleef & Arpels is the subject of an ongoing high-profile exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City. In fact the whole city is enchanted by the brand, with Mayor Michael Bloombeg proclaiming February 16 Van Cleef & Arpels Day in New York City.

Cate Blanchett wears the Passe-partout necklace set in yellow gold serpent chain with rubies and sapphires

Running through June 5, the Cooper-Hewitt exhibition is called Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels and drew a large group of celebrities and society’s elite at the official gala dinner.

Van Cleef & Arpels President and CEO Nicolas Bos with Marisa Berenson

Cate Blanchett, Marisa Berenson, Du Juan (seen top wearing Cyclades necklace set in white gold with diamonds and Socrate earrings and ring set in white gold and diamonds), Kelly Rutherford, Piper Perabo, Carolyn Murphy, Vera Wang, Jason Wu, Waris Ahluwalia, Neville Wakefield, Olympia Scarry and Patrick Jouin were all present and accounted for.

Berenson wars the iconic Zip necklace set in white gold with diamonds, onyx motives and emerald-cut Colombian and Zambian emeralds

Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels is organized by Sarah Coffin, Curator and Head of the museum’s Product Design and Decorative Arts department. The exhibition takes visitors through the principal creations of Van Cleef & Arpels that show the “historical significance of the firm’s contributions to jewelry design in the 20th century,” according to Cooper-Hewitt.

Claire Rutherford wears the full Clelia suite, including earrings, necklace and ring all set in white gold and diamonds

More than 300 pieces of jewelry, watches, fashion accessories and art objects will be on display alongside commission books, manufacturing cards and many of the Maison’s archives.

Carolyn Baumann wears Dentelle earrings and a Palmyre necklace. Patrick Jouin wears the Midnight in Paris watch, with aventurine dial (not visible)

According to both the official release from Van Cleef & Arpels and Cooper-Hewitt, the exhibition will lay bare the essential spirit of Van Cleef & Arpels, in six parts – innovation, transformation, nature as inspiration, exoticism, fashion and celebrities.

Carolyn Murphy wears Falbala earrings and the Zip Trocedero ring, both set in white gold with diamonds

Piper Perabo wears Birds of Paradise earrings and the Volutes ring, both set in white gold and diamonds 

Neville Wakefield and Olympia Scarry

All pictures are (c) Patrick McMullan

Cooper-Hewiit

Van Cleef & Arpels