One of the world’s foremost jewelry houses, Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly noted for a focus on technical virtuosity, craftsmanship and artistry, evident since its beginning. Rather than create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other adornments primarily for the aim of displaying of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce jewelry that projected the wearer’s taste and style.
The company was formed a year after the 1895 marriage of Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a gem cutter, to Estelle Arpels, daughter of precious-stones dealer Salomon Arpels. Ten years later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique on the Place Vendôme in Paris, setting the march on a square now crowded with dealers in bijouterie. (The company still occupies the New York flagship store opened in 1939 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.)
Born from a union of expertise in both jewelry making and gem selection, Van Cleef & Arpels distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. In doing so, the house would win a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its trademark Mystery Setting — a technique by which gems are fitted into an intricate matrix of slots and “drawers” that keep the setting hidden. Another signal innovation was the Zip necklace, introduced in 1951, which can be worn either around the neck or, with the zipper closed, as a bracelet.
But as much as to the firm’s craftsmanship, clients have been drawn by the insouciance and playfulness of Van Cleef & Arpels designers, as well as their attunement to the cultural climate. After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the company produced several lavish pieces featuring hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs to go along with the geometric Art Deco jewelry of that decade and the next. Following World War II, as symbols of freedom and rebirth, the firm focused on naturalistic forms such as birds, flowers, fruit and flying insects. High society’s 1960s fascination with the Near East and India prompted such pieces as the best-selling Alhambra necklace, popularized by Princess Grace.
Lately, attention among collectors and connoisseurs has centered on Van Cleef & Arpels’s quality of workmanship as much as its glamour. The firm was the subject of a 2012 show at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as well as exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in 2013 and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014.
Find an exquisite collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.
Van Cleef & Arpels 18K Gold Link Necklace, 20th Century, 66.7cm
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in New York, NY
A refined gold necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, composed of articulated scroll-shaped links that echo classical architectural volutes and mid-20th-century modernist elegance. The ...
18k Gold
$53,760Sale Price|20% Off
Van Cleef & Arpels Byzantine Alhambra Long Chain Necklace 18K Yellow Gold
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant Van Cleef & Arpels Byzantine Alhambra long chain necklace beautifully reflects the timeless sophistication and refined craftsmanship for which the maison is renowned...
10k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$42,240Sale Price|20% Off
L 36 in
Van Cleef & Arpels 18K Yellow Gold 36-Inches, Georges L'enfant Chain
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in New York, NY
A rare opportunity to acquire one of Van Cleef & Arpels' most desirable vintage chains, this authentic 18K yellow gold necklace was crafted by the celebrated Parisian atelier Georges...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels Zodiac Bracelet Necklace Set
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in London, GB
Here we have a striking 18ct yellow gold necklace come bracelet set from the world renowned luxury jewellery house of Van Cleef & Arpels. A trio of individual pieces including a ...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels Byzantine Link
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Sausalito, CA
Rare Van Cleef & Arpels Byzantine chain 31.5" consisting of: 18k yellow gold 60.4 grams
18k Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels figaro link necklace
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in New York, NY
A gold figaro link chain, in 18k. Van Cleef & Arpels, France #B4083-RB8 By the 1970s, Van Cleef & Arpels had refined the art of creating jewels whose elegance lay not in ela...
18k Gold
14K Yellow Gold Mariner Link Chain Necklace #25061
Located in Washington Depot, CT
14K Yellow Gold Mariner Link Chain Necklace- Classic and versatile, this timeless chain necklace features the distinctive mariner link design crafted in polished 14K yellow gold. An...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 9 Karat Yellow Gold Longuard Chain - Circa 1890
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive, antique 9k yellow gold longuard chain necklace; part of our diverse antique gold chain collections. This exceptional, fine and impressive antique chain has been crafted in 9k yellow gold with a 10ct gold clasp. The antique longuard chain necklace consists of rounded links. By virtue of its length, this Victorian chain in gold may be worn as a two strand or three strand necklace, either with or without a pendant via the swivel clasp; alternatively the chain may be wrapped multiple times around the wrist to be worn as a bracelet. The chain is hallmarked to the clasp with the fineness mark for 10ct gold mark (10) and the maker's mark (M&M), in addition to being independently tested using state of the art technology (Niton XL2 Analyzer) and verified as 10 and 9k gold. Condition: This impressive longuard chain necklace in yellow gold is excellent quality and a superior gauge of gold. The chain is in excellent condition, with a clear hallmark to the clasp. Reflections in photographs may detract from the true representation of this fine example of antique gold jewelry...
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 9K Yellow Gold Longuard Chain Necklace, Circa 1900, 28.05g
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A fine and impressive antique 9 karat yellow gold longuard chain necklace; part of our diverse antique gold chains collection. This exceptional, fine and impressive antique longuard...
Yellow Gold
Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels 18k Two-tone Gold Convertible Necklace & Bracelet
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Van Cleef & Arpels convertible necklace and bracelet crafted in two tone 18k gold, circa 1980s, designed with a distinctive open link pattern that alternates yellow gold and whit...
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Hans Richter Dada Wearable Artist Jewel 18 Karat Gold Necklace 1967
By Hans Richter
Located in New York, NY
This rare-to-market original necklace, made in 1967, is an articulated collar made of 18-karat polished white and yellow gold by Hans Richter, the G...
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
18 Karat Yellow and White Gold Link Bracelet, Italy Circa 1965
Located in New York, NY
This architectural and feminine 18-karat yellow and white gold link bracelet is by Annaratone & Magyary, Valenza jewelers between the 1940s and the ...
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Zoltan Popovitz for Lapponia Onyx, Diamond, and Gold Necklace 1990
Located in New York, NY
An onyx, diamond, and 18 karat gold necklace, by Zoltan Popovitz, for Lapponia 1990. The necklace is stamped with Finnish hallmarks, maker's mark, 750, and date mark for 1990. The ...
Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sigurd Persson Nordic Scandinavian Modernist Citrine and Gold Necklace 1960
By Sigurd Persson
Located in New York, NY
An important, large faceted citrine and 18 karat gold collar, by the highly collectible Swedish modernist designer, Sigurd Persson, 1960. The collar necklace wherein the light floods...
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Giorgio Facchini Yellow and Rose Gold Bracelet 2016
By Giorgio Facchini
Located in New York, NY
An 18 karat yellow and rose gold bracelet, by Italian artist jeweler Giorgio Facchini, 2016. Signed Giorgio Facchini and stamped 750.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Karl Stittgen Yellow Gold and Malachite Necklace, Earring Suite, c. 1970
Located in New York, NY
A collectible 18-karat yellow gold and malachite suite comprised of a pair of earrings and a necklace by the important Canadian modernist jewelry artist, Karl Stittgen...
Malachite, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
