Rare Mid-Century Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond Earrings Offered at Hancocks London

Hancocks London is offering a rare pair of mid-century Van Cleef & Arpels diamond flower earrings dated to approximately 1956, mounted in platinum and retaining their original platinum clip fittings. The gallery has priced the pair at £45,000 and lists them as its Jewel of the Month for March; they are available to view at Hancocks’ premises at 62 St. James’s Street, London.

The listing emphasizes condition and signature: the earrings are described as being in “fine condition” and are signed “Van Cleef & Arpels, New York.” The presentation of an American signature on a mid-century piece is a notable data point given the variety of Van Cleef & Arpels signatory practices across the period. The offering is presented as a standout example that “represent a high-water mark of the maison’s mid-century craftsmanship.”

The mid-1950s context matters for collectors because the era marked a stylistic shift at Van Cleef & Arpels and across high jewelry. As the report notes, “This era was defined by a transition toward sculptural design and a renewed fascination with stylized nature-inspired motifs. Unlike the heavy, industrial aesthetics of the preceding decade, 1950s jewelry-making prioritized proportions and a timelessness that remains highly attractive to jewelry lovers today.” That design language underpins the market interest in floral and sculptural earrings from the period.

Comparative market listings illustrate the range of mid-century Van Cleef & Arpels earrings on the secondary market. Macklowe Gallery offers a Paris-signed ruby and diamond clip pair dated to the 1950s–1960s, described as ribbed gold leaves centering a line of round diamonds over a field of 34 round-cut rubies, with 20 round brilliant diamonds totaling approximately 1.30 carats; the Macklowe example is 18K gold, 18.3 grams, measures 1.00" by 0.75", carries the item number ER-21821 and shows a Péry & Fils maker’s mark alongside a French assay mark. A separate listing via ModaOperandi for Kentshire Galleries describes a mid-century pair in 18K yellow gold with carved chrysoprase, onyx and pavé diamonds—pavé diamonds totaling 1.50 carats—signed and numbered “Van Cleef & Arpels, France” with a maker’s mark for André Vassort and product code 1078028.

Those dealer examples underscore that mid-century Van Cleef & Arpels production can bear different city signatures and workshop marks: the Hancocks pair is signed New York, while Macklowe and ModaOperandi listings show Paris/France signatures with maker marks such as Péry & Fils and André Vassort. The variance in signatures is an explicit characteristic of VCA’s mid-century output and figures into attribution and rarity assessments.

Notably absent from the Hancocks listing are detailed technical specifications that collectors rely on: the listing does not provide diamond counts, total diamond carat weight, dimensions, gram weight, any numeric stamp or maker’s mark beyond the New York signature, provenance or exhibition history, nor mention of certificates or laboratory reports. The piece is not described as transformable; Sotheby’s editorial context highlights transformable designs and categories such as Snowflake and Mystery Set as particularly collectible, but there is no explicit claim that the Hancocks pair fits those categories. Without published carat weights, maker’s atelier identification, or provenance documentation, the pair’s market position rests most tangibly on its New York signature, its original platinum clip fittings, its circa‑1956 dating, and Hancocks’ £45,000 asking price from 62 St. James’s Street.