Take Me There

I don't usually notice jewelry ads, it seems that no matter how gorgeous the jewelry is I just don't linger on the page. Likely as I don't enjoy looking at things I can't possibly have. Of course on a daily basis I indulge in high-end fashion-peeping but I look at it as art, a thing of beauty to admire rather than own (regarding haute couture, especially) - and that helps avoid enying the girlfriends of billionaires, which I will never lower myself to doing. (Being a bit covetous of Daphne Guinness' couture collection, for example, is fine - she's earned her place by her own achievements. But envy's a stinging feeling and I don't have much room for it. Admiration takes its place nicely). My 'shopping eye' is reserved for the things that might actually work in the life I have and find a happy place in my wardrobe - without risking foreclosure.

Then there's the campaign that Van Cleef & Arpels has been running for the past few years, featuring Canadian model Lisa Cant (there's a new campaign now, photographed by Jean-François Campos). Her face is so innocent and doll-like - how well-suited she is for these Magrittian portaits in her forties-style dresses and hairstyles. And such vibrant colour. But take her out and I'm still intrigued - I always fall into these kinds of polished, green and sunny, slightly surreal landscapes. So I can't help but look and stare - at the imagery, not the jewelry (though it is beautiful). I talk about daydreaming a lot, mostly because there are so many of these idyllic worlds imagined and created for us to indulge in, and I do.

Older - Not Lisa Cant, not sure of her name!

Poppies also make good models (I ADORE poppies)

Their nature-inspired campaign:

I found these wonderful ads from 1961 at on Milky Way Jewels:

And from 1976, their ad for their First perfume:

While we're on the subject, I found these photos of Van Cleef & Arpels' new jewel box-inspired salon on Place Vendome, Paris on - of all places - their Facebook page! There's quite an extensive write-up on their history, some YouTubes and one photo album, most of which you see here: