NEW YORK - LUXURY jeweller Van Cleef and Arpels sued German supermodel and television star Heidi Klum's company on Friday, claiming she copied a vintage clover jewellery design.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks more than US$25,000 (S$36,700) in damages from Klum's company Heidi Klum GmbH and Mouawad USA, another company she has designed jewellery for.

It said both companies attempted to gain benefit from Van Cleef's esteemed reputation by creating and selling a similar clover design from Van Cleef's vintage Alhambra jewellery line.

Van Cleef & Arpels Inc is owned by luxury goods group Richemont.

Klum is married to British singer Seal and has three children. She hosts the Bravo reality cable television show 'Project Runway,' which features aspiring designers vying for a chance to get a start in the fashion world.

She gained fame in the late 1990s modelling lingerie for retailer Victoria's Secret and swimsuits, most notably on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine's popular swimsuit edition.