Is there a connection Benjamin? I mean. give me a break here. You’re
being a little radical. dontcha think? All right all right. Let me
start at my own pace. You listen. And in the end. tell me if I was
right. Ready?
So. where did they come from? Well. one theory has it that they were
a class of demoted angels. The really good ones. … the ones with
halos and all that. they reside in heaven. The really bad ones. well
they become demons and reside way way down under in the land of fire
and brimstone. Then there are the in-betweens. the ones that are
neither all that bad nor all that good. They can’t make it up on top.
nor do they deserve to be way down under with the real baddies. So
they reside here with us to ply their somewhat occasional underhanded
pranks. Ever hear of fairy gold (as long as we’re speaking jewelry
and its related topics)? Here’s what it is. You’re plying your trade.
selling this and that. bartering and bargaining with malice toward
none and all that. when there’s a knock on your door. A well dressed
and dapper young chap walks in. he wants this and that. and he’ll pay
you in gold. You agree and he then exits with his wares and leaves
you a 24 karat gold ingot. But here’s the thing of it. He’s a fairy.
(They can make themselves look like us). And no soon is he gone than
your precious ingot transforms into a pile of dead leaves. The chap
gave you fairy gold.
As to the jewelry part. well… there was once a jeweler named Alfred
who met and fell in love with his cousin named Estelle. They both
had. as it turned out. jewelry backgrounds. Al was the son of a
prominent jeweler in Paris and Estelle was the daughter of a dealer
in precious stones. And so. pragmatic theories aside. the two
lovebirds married and surely–at least in my mind–had children who
were each and every one gems. all puns intended. Alfred began working
as an apprentice in the workshops of Messrs. David and Grosgeat.
After six years Alfred left for greener pastures and he and Estelle
went into partnership with two of Estelle’s brothers. Alfred’s full
name was Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle’s full name was Estelle Arpels
and in 1884… together with Estelles two brothers Charles and
Julien. they founded a firm which they named–quaintly enough–Van
Cleef and Arpels. Any of you guys out there ever hear of them? Hmmm?
Which brings us to the big question. what to fairies have to do with
Van Cleef and Arpels? Why don’t you tell us that Benjamin? Yes. Well.
Ahem. If I may and if you please. I have an image for you all to see.
It consists of seven fairies. all made by Van Cleef and Arpels. They
are only a few of many… . each one more striking than the other.
Look at them. and tell me if the embracement of fantasy is as
endearing as most of us think and which the cynics amongst us would
have us deny.
And you know the rest. The visit to the image. also known as the
viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. [Tidbits]. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see fairies made
by Van Cleef & Arpels depicting the height of elegance and art and
make-believe.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark