Some pieces come across our counter and we barely blink. Gold chains, diamond studs, wedding bands — beautiful things, but familiar ones. And then, every once in a while, something arrives that makes everyone in the building stop what they're doing.
This is one of those pieces: an authentic, signed Van Cleef & Arpels bee brooch — sapphire, rubies, and diamonds in 18k yellow gold. And it's sitting in our Lexington showroom right now.
The name on the back matters
If you know jewelry, you know the name. Van Cleef & Arpels was founded in Paris in 1896 and has spent more than a century at Place Vendôme — the square that is to fine jewelry what Cooperstown is to baseball. Alongside Cartier and Tiffany, VCA sits in the small circle of houses whose work is collected, archived, and fought over at auction.
In the years after World War II, the maison turned to nature for inspiration. Birds, blossoms, and flying insects — symbols of freedom and renewal — became the signature of the era. Its whimsical animal and insect clips grew into one of the most beloved lineages in 20th-century jewelry, worn by women like Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Today, brooches from this period are among the strongest performers whenever Van Cleef & Arpels crosses the auction block.
The bee held special meaning in that menagerie: industry, loyalty, wisdom. The maison returned to it again and again — and original examples rarely come up for sale.
This bee, specifically
Ours is a jewel-box piece in every sense. The openwork lattice wings are set with round brilliant diamonds. The body is an oval blue sapphire. The thorax is a ruby set beneath a baguette diamond, and the head is a square-cut diamond finished with two tiny ruby eyes. It weighs 5.8 grams of 18k yellow gold and measures approximately 28.3mm from antennae to feet and approximately 25.86mm across the wings — small enough for a lapel, unmistakable from across a room.
Flip it over and you'll find what collectors look for first: the Van Cleef & Arpels signature and serial number 20422, photographed in the listing gallery. Our on-site jewelers have inspected the piece.
How does something like this end up in Kentucky?
The same way most of our best pieces do. The Castle has spent 35+ years buying estates, handling pawn, and trading fine jewelry in Lexington. Extraordinary things pass through college towns, horse country, and old Kentucky families — and when they do, they come to us. That's the whole reason our prices work the way they do: we're not a Place Vendôme boutique with Place Vendôme overhead. We're the place where a piece like this surfaces quietly, gets authenticated, and gets offered at a number the auction houses can't touch once you add their buyer's premium.
Signed VCA insect brooches in precious stones are listed by big-city estate dealers at prices well above ours — when they can find one.
Come start a conversation
Here's the honest truth about one-of-a-kind pieces: they don't sell like chains and studs. They find one right owner, and that usually starts with a conversation, not a checkout click.
So consider this an open invitation. If this bee belongs in your collection — or on your lapel — make us an offer. Use the Make Offer button on the product page, call us at 859.309.0041, or come see it under the glass at our New Circle Road location in Lexington. Layaway is available, and we take trade-ins if you have pieces of your own to put toward it.
One bee. One serial number. First conversation wins.
While you're here: explore our full designer jewelry collection — including Tiffany & Co. — plus vintage jewelry and vintage brooches & pins. Curious what your own pieces are worth? Learn about appraisals and trade-ins.
