By Meg A. Parsont
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but what about emeralds? And peridot? And jade? There’s a whole world of gorgeous green gemstones, many of which are showcased in a new exhibit that opens on June 10 at the American Museum of Natural History: Garden of Green: Exquisite Jewelry from the Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels. The first exhibition in a five-year partnership between the museum and the legendary French high jewelry maison, Garden of Green features 44 pieces from the collections of Van Cleef & Arpels, 32 of which will be on display for the first time in the United States.
“Green stones and minerals owe their unique colors and patterns to various causes—malachite from the copper in its chemical composition, and peridot from the minor quantity and ionic charge of iron in the stone—and each specimen in this exhibition is a beautiful example of the amazing products of natural Earth processes,” explains George Harlow, curator emeritus of the Museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.
DID YOU KNOW?
Jade can be found naturally in various colors including green, white, black, and purple. Before it was used in decorative and ceremonial objects, it was an important material in creating tools like blades and hammers for thousands of year.
Housed in the intimate Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, which is part of the Museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, Garden of Green is a simply elegant exhibit with deep green displays and black backdrops to perfectly spotlight each piece. The treasures range from the newest piece in the collection—the classic Quatre Chemins necklace, created in 2019, which features a unique set of 16 emerald-cut Zambian emeralds (27.79 carats)—to an Art Deco silk evening bag with a jade and rose-cut diamond clasp from 1920 to a whimsical 1970s flower-shaped clip with a distinct Flower Power vibe.
One especially opulent object in the collection is an emerald and diamond necklace that was commissioned by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in 1971 for his wife, notable for containing 477 carats and for being designed to transform into five different pieces of jewelry. Other diverse pieces include a malachite-faced watch from the 1970s; an Art Deco-era vanity case made of jadeite jade, platinum, yellow gold, rose gold, enamel, and diamonds; and a massive emerald, ruby, and diamond Pongal cocktail ring.
DID YOU KNOW?
Cocktail rings, the showy, oversized rings popular today, originated in the 1920s and 30s during Prohibition when women wore them for a night on the town. Wearing a flashy ring drew attention to the forbidden cocktail in hand and signaled that the wearer was a free spirit.
Since it was founded in 1906, Van Cleef & Arpels took inspiration from the forms and colors found in nature. Among the many pieces in this collection with a natural motif are the charming 2008 Reverie clip—a chartreuse-toned peridot tree interspersed with diamonds and mauve sapphires to amplify the color and bring light to the tree’s foliage—a bracelet from the 1970s made of green chalcedony that resembles a leafy garland, and the 2009 Cydonia necklace and earrings set which is comprised of more than 900 emeralds in a design that evokes the branches and large flowers of the quince tree.
DID YOU KNOW?
The unique pattern of inclusions found within almost every emerald resembles branches and leaves and is called its jardin (French for “garden”).
Museum President Sean M. Decatur says of this exhibition, “We hope that, with their curiosity piqued, our visitors will explore further throughout the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and enjoy learning about the physical properties of gems and minerals, their intriguing qualities, and what they tell us about our planet and its history.”
Garden of Green will be open to the public through January 2024.
Admission to this exhibit is included with general admission.
American Museum of Natural History, floor 1, Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery (part of the Museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals)
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The new building is really wonderful, and the Halls of Gems and Minerals is truly amazing. I spent about 90 minutes there and only saw a small portion. The items on display and the texts are inspiring.
Looks like a great exhibit. Informative article.
Thx!
The new Hall of Rocks is so much better than I ever could have imagined, given what the old one looked like. It’s beautifully lit and there are way, way more rocks on display than there were in the past. Total home run by the Museum. If you haven’t been in a while, go 🙂
Also, the Gilder Center is fabulous on the inside (from the outside I think it’s ugly) and the real treat is the new insect wing WITH LIVE INSECTS that will knock your socks off. Prepare to be totally charmed.
In the “old, old days” the Hall of Rocks was very popular as a great place for toddlers to play, I can’t remember exactly why, but I also took little ones there. I think it provided excellent climbing for that sized humans.