Cute animals as jewellery? Why not?

The L'Arche de No high jewellery collection by Van Cleef & Arpels features a series of clips inspired by the story of Noah's Ark. The Hiboux clips feature a pair of owls, one in violet sugilite and the other in chrysoprase. Photos: Van Cleef & Arpels

A pair of jewelled zebras nuzzle within a niche on the wall, bathed in serene blue. The delicate score floating in the background – Arvo Part’s Spiegel Im Spiegel – embraces the viewer, drawing them into the affectionate tableau. Suddenly, without warning, thunder crashes over the scene as the lights urgently flash on and off.

This was the emotive setting for Van Cleef & Arpels’ (VCA) latest high jewellery collection, inspired by the tale of Noah’s Ark. Presented at a recent exhibition at the Asia Society in Hong Kong, the L’Arche De Noe racontee par Van Cleef & Arpels is as much a story as it is a collection.