THE ART OF MYSTERY SETTING BY VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS

A mystery set ruby and diamond peony clip by Van Cleef and Arpels.

In the annals of grand, old jewellery houses, Van Cleef and Arpels is a relative newcomer.  The maison was founded in 1896 by Alfred Van Cleef and his uncle Salomon Arpels and right from the very beginning they were preoccupied with invention and innovation, which became the hallmarks of the brand.  Historically, they are well known for their transformable pieces, their Cadenas padlock wristwatches and their technically accomplished zip necklaces.  But their pièce de résistance and crowning achievement is the setting technique known as the Serti Mystérieux, or Mystery Setting.

It is named so because the technique allows large areas to be set with small, square stones with seemingly no metal in between holding the stones.  The theory is relatively simple: a lattice is created which is criss crossed with tiny wires no more than 0.2mm thick.  Grooves are then cut into the sides of stones which are then slid on next to each to each other, creating the illusion of invisible setting.

The practice is more complicated.  It requires quite a large team of craftsmen to put a single piece of jewellery together.  For the best possible effect, the stones must all be evenly matched in colour, so it is up to the gemmologist to assemble the stones.  The lapidary must then cut each stone precisely so that it fits exactly in its allocated place within the jewel- if the stone is out by even 0.1mm not only will it rattle in its setting, but a gap will show too.  The master goldsmith will then set and assemble the piece.  It takes a minimum of 300 hours to construct each piece and for that reason only a limited few are made every year.  The preferred stones for this technique are rubies and sapphires because of their hardness- emeralds are tricky, soft stones, requiring even more labour, and it was only in the 1990s that the technique was perfected for diamonds.