Van Cleef & Arpels’ newest fine jewellery collection Fleurs d’Hawaï takes the maison’s signature floral motifs to vibrant new heights at Scotland’s Dumfries House

Jul 4 , 2025

Van Cleef & Arpels’ Fleurs d’Hawaï collection features necklaces, rings and earrings embellished with stones such as peridots and amethysts. Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels CEO Catherine Rénier on the inspirations behind the collection, which combines the ageless appeal of precious stones with floral motifs

Parisian jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels took over Dumfries House, one of Scotland’s most beautiful estates, for the unveiling of a fine jewellery collection – of two fine-jewellery collections – Flowerlace and Fleurs d’Hawaï – both inspired by the floral motifs that have always been at the heart of the maison’s visual vocabulary.

Van Cleef & Arpels is the principal patron of the gardens and estates of The King’s Foundation, which owns Dumfries House. In recognition of the maison’s support, The King’s Foundation has renamed the rose garden at Dumfries House – one of the most beautiful public gardens in Scotland – The Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Garden.

Given the theme of the collections, the 18th century stately home and its grounds, which were saved by King Charles when the foundation acquired them in 2007, were an apt setting for the launch of the ranges.

Fleurs d’Hawaï clip in rose gold, rhodolites and diamonds stands out for its vivid pink hue. Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

“The idea was to bring our blooming flowers from our creative garden to a real garden that was meaningful to us. That garden is the rose garden here, which the maison has helped bring to life through our collaboration with The King’s Foundation, which we’ve worked with for almost 20 years,” says Catherine Rénier, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, the day after the launch. “The King’s Foundation shares many values with the maison: protecting craftsmanship, [passing down knowledge] and respect for heritage, so it was a good match for this to take place here.”

As its name suggests, Flowerlace combines two signature motifs of Van Cleef’s repertoire: flowers and haute couture. Made of yellow gold and diamonds, the pieces in the range – some of them transformable – stand out for their openwork and deft use of empty space. The gold ribbon that recreates the shape of the flowers is a reference to the Silhouette clips Van Cleef & Arpels made in the 30s. The yellow gold gives the creations an almost vintage feel while still exuding the easy elegance of everyday jewellery thanks to the clean lines and simple pairing of gold and diamonds.

Fleurs d’Hawaï, on the other hand, boasts a rainbow of hues and is meant to evoke a garden in full bloom, just like the grounds of Dumfries House at the height of summer. The five gemstones used in the creation of the pieces – citrine, amethyst, rhodolite, aquamarine and peridot – truly shine in their vibrant shades: orange, purple, deep pink, light blue and green respectively. The pear-cut coloured gems representing the petals of the flowers surround pistils made of seven diamonds, for a dainty and elegant look that stays true to the house’s codes.

The Fleurs d’Hawaï collection also features timepieces, including this secret watch in white gold, aquamarines, mother-of-pearl and diamonds, which can also be worn as a necklace and a brooch. Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels has been making flower-inspired pieces since its early days – its archives mention a daisy brooch dating back to 1907. A peony clip from 1937 – made of platinum, gold, rubies and diamonds – is one of the brand’s earliest examples, while the 1939 Passe-Partout – a necklace, belt and bracelet all in one – is a direct inspiration for Fleurs d’Hawaï.

“Both collections are inspired – but are not replicas – by collections from the 1930s,” says Rénier. “Flowerlace is this mix of couture and nature and for Fleurs d’Hawaï the idea is that the fine stones embody the petals of the flowers. These inspirations brought us back to the drawing board and we wanted Fleurs d’Hawaï to be joyful and colourful and for Flowerlace it was all about the design and we wanted it to have volume and be a demonstration of the asymmetrical designs that are very typical of Van Cleef & Arpels.”

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