The economic crisis of the Great Depression inspired a vogue for many versatile jewels, particularly clip brooches that could be worn on lapels, hat trims and the latest hairstyles. Forms were developed that imitated an increasingly mechanical age while settings of small stones took precedence over the expense of big rocks.
Van Cleef & Arpels was particularly innovative throughout the 1930s – a decade that included the creation of the Minaudière and the ‘Serti Mystérieux’ or ‘mystery setting’ technique, which Van Cleef & Arpels perfected and patented in 1933.