Van Cleef & Arpels Lucky Animals Snake brooch

This Snake-themed brooch is a special creation from Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Lucky Animals” collection, launched to celebrate the 2025 Chinese Year of the Snake. Continuing the collection’s signature playful, sketch-like aesthetic, the design ingeniously combines yellow gold and malachite to depict a charming and lively serpent, bringing an auspicious and festive touch to the Maison’s poetic animal kingdom.

The “Lucky Animals” collection was first introduced in 2017, inspired by Van Cleef & Arpels’ 1950s animal-themed brooch series “La Boutique.” Each creation is crafted using hand-cut slices of natural stones, forming a variety of animal motifs. Over the years, the collection has featured pandas, squirrels, horses, dogs, rabbits, and many more delightful creatures—each full of charm and personality.

In this new interpretation, the serpent’s form is sculpted from hand-cut malachite, carefully assembled to shape its head and winding body. The natural striations of the stone beautifully evoke the texture of snake scales, while its vivid green hue pays tribute to the 2025 Yisi Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar—where Yi corresponds to wood, symbolized by the color green. Hence, 2025 is affectionately called the “Year of the Green Snake.”

The serpent’s golden markings are polished to a radiant shine, creating a striking contrast with the lush green malachite and exuding vibrant energy. Its eyes, set with cabochon-cut onyx, bring a lively expression to the face, further enhanced by the snake’s playful tongue. The brooch’s outline is adorned with Van Cleef & Arpels’ signature gold beaded contour, each bead meticulously mirror-polished to capture and reflect light with mesmerizing brilliance.