About Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef and Arpels is a prestigious French jewelry and watchmaking house founded in 1896 by Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels. The brand is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, creativity, and innovative designs.

The company initially began as a family-run business, producing exquisite jewelry pieces for the aristocrats and high society of Paris. Over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels became known for its distinctive design style, which is characterized by the use of precious stones, intricate designs, and imaginative themes inspired by nature, fairy tales, and mythology.

The brand's iconic jewelry pieces have been worn by some of the most glamorous and influential people of the 20th century, including Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlene Dietrich. The house's most famous designs include the Alhambra Collection, which features lucky clover motifs, and the Zip necklace, which can be worn as both a necklace and a bracelet.

Van Cleef & Arpels has also been a pioneer in the field of watchmaking, with their watches combining technical excellence with exquisite design. Their watches feature innovative complications, such as the Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, which features a butterfly that flutters its wings when the watch is wound.

In addition to jewelry and watches, Van Cleef & Arpels has expanded its offerings to include fragrances, accessories, and home decor. Their fragrances are known for their luxurious and sophisticated scents, and their accessories and home decor items feature the same level of attention to detail and craftsmanship as their jewelry and watches.

Today, Van Cleef & Arpels continues to be one of the most prestigious jewelry and watchmaking houses in the world, with boutiques in major cities across the globe. The brand's commitment to excellence, creativity, and innovation ensures that their pieces remain highly sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs of fine jewelry and watches.

History of Van Cleef and Arpels :

Van Cleef & Arpels is a company that was founded by two families, the Van Cleef family and the Arpels family. Alfred Van Cleef, the founder of the company, was born in Belgium in 1873. His father was a diamond cutter, and he learned the trade from him. Salomon Arpels, Alfred's uncle, was born in France in 1867. His father was a dealer in precious stones, and he also learned the trade from him.

Alfred and Salomon met in Paris and decided to start a business together. They opened their first boutique in 1906 at 22 Place Vendôme in Paris. At first, the company specialized in creating high-quality jewelry, and their designs quickly gained a reputation for their innovation and sophistication.

In the 1920s, Van Cleef & Arpels expanded their business to include watchmaking. The company's watches quickly gained a reputation for their innovative designs and technical precision.

Throughout the years, the company has remained a family business, with family members playing important roles in the company's management and design teams. Alfred's daughter, Renee, was a designer for the company, and his son, Jacques, oversaw the company's expansion in the United States. Salomon's sons, Claude and Jacques, were also involved in the company's management and design.

Van Cleef & Arpels set foot in the world of luxury retailing on June 16th, 1906. Their first boutique, located at number 22, Place Vendôme, was a strategic choice: it was situated next to Lalique, across from the Ritz, and in close proximity to Boucheron. This first store would be the first of many that the esteemed Maison would establish across the globe throughout the 20th Century.

Early advertisements of van Cleef ad Arpels showcase an impressive collection of fine jewelry, including long ropes of pearls, large sapphire and diamond rings, gem-set bracelets, and stylish drop earrings. The Maison's success was evident from the start. Only three years after opening on Place Vendôme, they established a second boutique in the chic seaside resort of Dinard, followed by stores in Nice in 1910 and Deauville in 1912. By that time, the company employed fourteen staff members.

During First World War Everyone except Alfred was called to serve, but due to health problems, he remained behind to manage the company. Esther,served as a nurse and tended to a wounded lieutenant named Émile Puissant. Later, Émile was introduced to Esther's daughter, Renée, and the two fell in love. They tied the knot in 1918, and Émile joined the family business as the administrative director. He played a crucial role in driving sales through advertising and introduced seasonal discount sales - a concept unheard of in the exclusive world of fine jewelry at the time.

Throughout the 1920s, the company thrived and expanded their product range to include not only stunning jewelry but also luxurious vanity cases and cigarette boxes, and even their very first wristwatch. Their exceptional craftsmanship was recognized in 1925 when they were awarded the Grand Prix at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes for a breathtaking ruby, diamond, and emerald rose bracelet and brooch.

Tragedy struck in 1926 when Émile, the company's founder and leader, passed away. In response, Renée, his widow, assumed the role of artistic director and worked closely with designer René-Sim Lacaze. Together, they created numerous pieces of extraordinary jewelry over the next thirteen years, cementing Van Cleef and Arpels as one of the leading French haute joaillerie brands.

In 1933, the company patented the 'Serti Mystérieux,' or mystery setting, which has since become synonymous with their name. This innovative technique involves setting small stones closely together with no visible metal, giving the illusion of the gems being held invisibly in place.

In 1939, VCA experienced great success at the New York World's Fair and expanded into the American market by opening an office in the Rockerfeller Centre. To cater specifically to American taste and aesthetics, a workshop was established to create jewelry. However, in Europe, the onset of war and German occupation caused turmoil for the Maison as most of the family had to flee France due to being of Jewish descent. Renée was left to hold everything together, and although the Place Vendôme boutique remained open, the company was forcefully Aryanized, and Renée withdrew to Vichy. Tragically, she took her own life after the Germans invaded the Free Zone in 1942.

In 1944, the Arpels family regained control of the company, with Julien's sons Claude, Jacques, and Pierre appointed as directors. They would lead the company to even greater success both domestically and internationally, with innovative jewelry designs, successful exhibitions, and the introduction of La Boutique in 1954. La Boutique sold jewels and accessories at a more accessible price point, aimed at a younger clientele. Among the most popular items were a range of charming animal brooches, which many clients collected to create their own personal collection of jewelry.

In 1956, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco chose a stunning suite of pearl and diamond jewelry from the New York boutique for their wedding. The couple's endorsement resulted in the Maison being named an "Official Supplier to the Principality of Monaco." The high-profile clientele continued to patronize VCA, including the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, Her Imperial Highness Princess Soraya, and Empress Farah Pahlavi, who commissioned a gorgeous coronation crown and necklace in 1967. The following year, VCA launched the now-iconic Alhambra design, and in 1972, they created the famous Walska bird brooch, featuring the 95-carat yellow briolette diamond that had previously belonged to the opera singer Ganna Walska.

In 1973, VCA started exploration of the Asian market by opening boutique in Japan. Meanwhile, the company continued to expand throughout Europe and the United States. In the 1970s, the jewelry was characterized by bold, brightly colored long pendant necklaces and earrings, featuring stones such as Coral, Turquoise, Amethyst etc set in yellow gold and Diamonds. Jacques' son Philippe and daughter Dominique also joined the company, but they would prove to be the last generation to do so, as the Maison was gradually bought out by the Richemont Group from 1999 to 2003.

Today, the Maison remains committed to creating innovative and stylish jewelry, while also drawing inspiration from its extensive archives.Van Cleef & Arpels' jewelry continues to be celebrated today as it has been for the last 110 years and its constatnt demand makes them one of the most highly appreciating and sought after pieces in the world of Jewelry.