April 25, 2016
Van Cleef & Arpel's "The Art & Science of Gems"
Jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels is exploring gemology and the craft that goes into its pieces through an exhibition at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore.
“The Art & Science of Gems” focuses on both the artistic capabilities necessary to develop fine jewelry, as well as the science that leads to the formation of precious stones and minerals. For those who cannot make it to Singapore, Van Cleef & Arpels is making the museum experience available through a dedicated microsite.
Elementary education
The exhibit, open from April 23 through Aug. 14, is split into nine galleries, which consumers can explore room by room on the Web site. Throughout the galleries, more than 400 pieces and 200 gems are on display.
The first of these galleries is titled “Masterpiece,” focusing on a bird clip and pendant that contains a 96.62-carat yellow diamond. A video takes consumers back 4.5 billion years, to the Big Bang.
From there, it animates the process by which carbon atoms turn into a diamond. This stone is then pushed closer to the surface by a volcano eruption, and it eventually becomes the high jewelry piece.
“Van Cleef & Arpels: The Art and Science of Gems” exhibition, at ArtScience Museum
Another gallery explores “Couture,” homing in on pieces inspired by fashion, including its Zip necklace.
The “Influences” gallery investigates jewelry inspired by Far Eastern culture and explores the influence temperature has on quartz.
Inside Van Cleef & Arpels' exhibit
Van Cleef & Arpels has also created an accompanying app to enhance the visitor experience. From the touchpoint, consumers can listen to an audioguide to hear the stories of the jewelry pieces and the gemstones.
Beacons placed at the entrance of each gallery automatically trigger the audio guide for consumers who have opted in. A “poetic surprise” is promised once the complete tour is over.
Screenshots of Van Cleef & Arpels' app
While luxury brands often stick to strictly heritage-based exhibits, sometimes they venture into scientific topics that reflect their DNA.
In 2014, Italian fashion label Salvatore Ferragamo’s museum in Florence launched the exhibit “Equilibrium” to explore its roots in footwear.
The nine room exhibit honored Salvatore Ferragamo’s dedication to the science and the art of the human foot. The display likely presented consumers with a deeper understanding of the brand’s origins (see story).
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