History of Jewellery - Part XI

Pave stone settings that were popular in the 1930s. Pave (pah-VAY) is a French term meaning paved or cobblestoned. The stones are set directly into the metal. More recently, micro-pave has become more popular, but my impression from my reading is that perhaps the stones are not as secure. My notes seem to describe pave setting in an arch shape, perhaps exemplified by this reproduction ring?

Susan showed us something she called a 'flat, sculptured' piece and my sketch looks something like these:

VanCleef and Arpels, of course!

I love this one even more, from the Couture Collection in 2004, but inspired by the Mystery Set technique developed in the 1930s. This looks to me like the epitome of 'flat and sculptured'. 

Ruban Necklace

Which brings us to this technique she described but didn't name. Developed by Van Cleef and Arpels it produced invisible settings in a slightly different approach to 'pave'. By buffing the edges of the stones the 'cobblestone' look was enhanced  - and to my mind completely magical. 

You can enjoy more examples of this technique on the Van Cleef and Arpels website. 

We were reminded that the Duchess of Windsor was influential in the design of jewellery from the 1930s all the way through the 1970s. You can see a number of other pave-type designs on the portion of their website to do with her. More about Wallis and Harry Winston next time...