Van Cleef & Arpels Celebrates Dubai’s New School of Jewelry Arts With a Stunning Emerald Exhibit

Van Cleef & Arpels Collaret necklace, 1929: Platinum, emeralds, diamonds, from the former collection of Her Royal Highness Princess Faiza of Egypt. Photo: Courtesy Van Cleef & Arpels

After Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Dubai is now all set to become home to the fourth permanent campus of L’École School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. And in true Dubai fashion, the milestone moment is being celebrated in the grandest of manners — with a special jewelry exhibition titled “Garden of Emeralds”.

Take a peek inside the “Garden of Emeralds” exhibit

A mesmerizing tour that takes visitors through the lifespan of the beautiful green gemstone, “Garden of Emeralds” is part of the “Discover the Gemstones” series and features all varieties of the large beryl gemstone family —think emeralds, aquamarines, morganites and heliodors. The exhibit presents guests with emerald-related research carried out by L’École School of Jewelry Arts, starting from the inception of the stone deep inside the earth when elements unite, to the many processes that result in a final, glistening piece of jewelry.

Split into three main sections — nature, craftsmanship and symbolism — “Garden of Emeralds” also displays some incredible treasures. Guests can expect to see rough and cut specimens from the collections of the Mineralogy Museum Mines ParisTech, like the whopping 33kg Zambian emerald cluster specimen named Goliath, as well as rare pieces from both, Van Cleef & Arpels and private collectors, like HRH Princess Faiza of Egypt’s iconic Collaret necklace from 1929. Also available to view at the exhibit will be rare jewelry pieces loaned by VIP clients from the Middle East, and original gouache drawings that illustrate the full range of nuances of this gem.