The history of the jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels is a love story. It begins in Paris at the end of the 19th century, when two young people – Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a gemstone dealer, and Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a jeweler – met and fell in love. It is truly hard to find a more romantic beginning for a brand whose fame and prestige have remained unchanged to the present day.
A great romance and a great success
The couple got married in 1895, and it was their pioneering spirit and immense passion for gemstones that led them to create jewelry. The first jewelry boutique was established in 1906 by Alfred and Estelle’s brother, Charles (later joined by Estelle’s other brothers). The two opened a boutique at 22 Place Vendôme in Paris, directly opposite the Ritz Hotel. Place Vendôme was and still is the epicenter of luxury goods in the city, and this location was undoubtedly strategic for the new jewelry house, as it quickly attracted many wealthy European aristocrats who fell in love with Van Cleef & Arpels creations, thereby helping to spread the brand’s timeless works around the world. Between 1910 and 1920, Van Cleef & Arpels opened additional doors in French resort towns such as Nice, Deauville, Vichy, Lyon, and Cannes. In the early 1940sThe company opened boutiques abroad, including in New York and Palm Beach.
Development and innovative projects of the brand
In 1926, Alfred Van Cleef’s daughter, Renée Puissant, began leading projects as creative director, along with designer René-Sim Lacaze. Together they created iconic designs, such as the Cadenas watch and the Ludo bracelet, as well as techniques like the Mystery Set, where stones appear to float in the air thanks to invisible settings. In the 1930s, Van Cleef & Arpels launched the firstminaudière, that is a fashionable accessory for women, usually considered a piece of jewelry, intended to replace an evening bag – a case with compartments, allowing the storage of several items in a small space, such as a makeup compact, lipstick, watch, reading glasses, or keys.
Famous Van Cleef & Arpels Collections
Creating beautiful works of art, which jewelry creations undoubtedly are, takes weeks, months, and sometimes even years to achieve the effect intended by the creator. This is known by the outstanding jewelers of Van Cleef & Arpels, who are famous for their fantastically, masterfully crafted jewelry. From delicate flowers to playful animals, fairies, and graceful ballerinas, collections signed by the brand are desired by jewelry lovers around the world.
Over the following decades, the more famous collections became the definition of Van Cleef & Arpels, such as the beautiful brooches with fairies and ballerinas, inspired by the American Ballet School and flamenco dancers from the Lower East Side in New York.
The first “Zip” necklace, a transformable piece based on a zipper, which was a true design achievement, was created in the 1950s. The Alhambra collection, reportedly born from a conversation between Renée Puissant and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was launched in 1968 and was inspired by the shape of Moorish tiles at the Alhambra palace. Since then, this collection has symbolized luck.
In the 1970s, stones such as turquoise, malachite, and coral dominated the jewelry scene, also finding their way into Van Cleef & Arpels designs, including the collection.
Today the company still inspires imagination and leads in innovative, collectible projects. The latest collection of French fine jewelry, Sous Les Étoiles, pays tribute to the sun, moon, stars, galaxies, and planets that make up our majestic solar system. Drawn from the influential text by Camille Flammarion on astronomy, the collection imitates Halley’s Comet, the Milky Way, and stars such as Alcor and Mizar, to transport the wearer to unknown heights.
Mystery Set
Van Cleef & Arpels is known for the Mystery Set technique, was established by the brand in 1933 and is still in practice today: gemstones are set in jewelry in such a way that no joints are visible. While other high-end jewelry houses have also attempted this technique, none match the skill of Van Cleef & Arpels’ masters. To correctly create jewelry using the Mystery Set, it is necessary to have perfectly color-matched gemstones that have been meticulously cut to fit seamlessly together and next to each other. According to Van Cleef, work on any project using this technique can take over 300 hours, so it is not surprising that only a few Mystery Set pieces are made each year.
Order jewelry at 79Diamonds
In the 79 Diamonds workshop, we create jewelry out of love for gemstones and precious metals, and we also love fulfilling our clients’ dreams. Rings, necklaces, or earrings are timeless gifts that beautifully express our feelings and devotion. Check out our ready designs on the website https://79diamenty.pl/en/home/ and get inspired!