Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels Coral and 18k Hammered Gold Bracelet Circa 1970s

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Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels Paris in the 1970s, this hinged bracelet is bombe in form with a field of bright and lively brilliant-cut  diamonds and an arched section of coral which is edged in double gold arcs. The hammered gold is an unusual feature for Van Cleef & Arpels but hints back to antiquity.

Hammered gold has been used since antiquity as one of the earliest methods of shaping precious metal, long before casting or mechanical rolling existed. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman goldsmiths formed jewelry entirely by hand, hammering native gold into sheets and rounded forms, a process that naturally produced subtle surface irregularities and a luminous, living texture. This tactile finish was not decorative alone but structural, associated with permanence, ritual, and power.

In the 1970s, Van Cleef & Arpels deliberately revived hammered gold in its bangles and cuffs as an intellectual reference to classical civilization and pre-industrial craftsmanship. The softly faceted surface breaks light in a manner reminiscent of ancient torch-lit gold, rejecting modern mirror polish in favor of weight, warmth, and timeless authority.

  • 18k gold and platinum
  • 21 brilliant-cut VS diamonds 
  • Approximate total diamond weight is 0.85 carats 
  • Internal circumference is approximately 6.65 inches 
  • Weight is 40.5 grams 
  • Signed Van Cleef & Arpels, 750 for 18k gold
  • Numbered B 2175 K44
  • Makers mark for Georland Paris
  • French Assay Marks