Arts Council Benefit Dazzles

The scene: Opening night of “The Art of Van Cleef & Arpels,” an exhibition of compacts, minaudieres, brooches, bracelets, earrings, watches, clocks and one crown created by the famed jewelry house from the 1920s through the 1970s, at the Los Angeles County Museum where the exhibition continues through June 17. The formal event Saturday doubled as a fund-raiser for the museum’s Decorative Arts Council.

Dress Code: Tuxedos for men, including eight debonair armed bodyguards. For women, the rule of thumb was to wear something strapless or open-necked, the better to show off some staggering jeweled necklaces and matching earrings. Much of the jewelry worn that night was VCA, as insiders say, as in, “It’s VCA New York,” which is in no way related to the machine next to the TV set that records movies. Other gems which sprang from bank vaults across town bore the marks of Harry Winston, David Webb, Cartier and--can we talk?--Kenny Jay Lane, otherwise known as Barbara Bush’s favorite costume jeweler.

The buzz: You just can’t find workmanship to match that of the ‘20s and ‘30s. How actually very light it feels wearing $1 million worth of diamonds around one’s neck. How in Italy women wear their serious gems strictly in private. How the world is in dire straits now and wearing major jewels seems in bad taste.

Who was there: Philippe Arpels, president of VCA, USA; Decorative Arts Council chairman Carlyle and Patricia Eubank; Frances Brody and Rupert Allen; Caroline Ahmanson; Decorative Arts curator Leslie Bowman; Suzanne and Michael Tennenbaum; Nancy Powell; Ken and Ava Kercheval; gala committee chair Pat and Bernadotte Lester; Bea and Philip Gersh; Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert; Terry and Dennis Stanfill; Joyce MacRae; Hutton and Ruth Wilkinson; Patricia Fox and Robert Cohen; Patti and Tom Skouras.

Quoted: When asked about the whereabouts of the Imperial Iranian crown made for Farah Dibah, seeing that the exhibit contains a full-sized replica made of silver and paste, Philippe Arpels replied, “You’re asking me? One can only guess. I have no idea. Most probably it’s in a bank in Tehran, but that’s only guessing.”

Chow: Liquid refreshments such as vodka martinis, Scotch and soda, vodka tonics and Schramsberg champagne, plus a buffet of beef stroganoff, shrimp Newberg, chicken breasts, Caesar salad, cherries jubilee and espresso.

Overheard: Between two women fantasizing which piece in the collection they most coveted, “We have to pretend we’re the Duchess of Windsor.”

Trendwatch: Forget the exhibition poster. The museum store is currently selling a selection of new VCA jewelry; the first piece, a choker, sold earlier that day.