HEIGHTENED SENSIBILITIES

As Charmaine Ho discovers, L’École Van Cleef & Arpels offers masterclasses that no jewellery lover President of L’École Van Cleef & Arpels, Marie Vallanet- Delhom should do without.

An array of precious stones on display for inspection

The Pégase necklace is so named for the winged horse that can be found on the underside of its detachable clip

These earrings come with detachable parts that transform its look

A butterfly brooch that is part of a bigger floral clip

Watchmaking classes are also sometimes available

The top part of the Le Secret Métamorphose du Cygne brooch rotates to reveal a princess

Inspecting the metal frame of a jewellery design

President of L’École Van Cleef & Arpels, Marie Vallanet- Delhom

The room is filled with excited chatter and as I sit at my designated work station waiting for the class to start, I realise that I too am eagerly anticipating what the afternoon promises. Despite the fact that I’m no newcomer to L’École Van Cleef & Arpels (I attended a gemstone class when the Institution travelled to Hong Kong three years ago), this is the first time I am going to get my hands dirty—in a savoir-faire workshop under the tutelage of a VCA master jeweller, no less. Four hours later, as we’re gently instructed to finish up with our task for the end of the session, I wonder at just how fast time has passed as I scramble to make the final adjustments to my piece. Of my shaped waxen butterfly wings, I am told I show a lot of potential and a sharp eye for detail. My gemsetting skills with rhinestones in both bezel and prong setting, on the other hand, need a bit more work—a fact that is readily supported by a bleeding finger caused by overenthusiasm and characteristic clumsiness.

As I make my way back onto Place Vendôme after the class, I can’t help but stop at VCA’s store window to marvel at the wondrous creations on display, this time with a heightened sense of appreciation for the immense skills and mastery that went into the making of each piece. And this, to a certain point, is the raison d’être behind L’École; which was launched in 2012 to welcome members of the public into the gilded universe of jewellery making—all to better understand and appreciate its revered crafts and trappings. I start thinking of signing myself up for yet another one of the Institution’s 13 classes, but can’t decide on what. With the ready availability of experts and specialists each letting you into their field of expertise—from the history of jewellery and gemstone identification, to the more hands-on workshops of lacquering and enamelling (amateur painters will fully appreciate the gouache classes)—I realised that it’s a question more easily asked than answered. 

For more information on its courses, visit www.lecolevancleefarpels.com