Malachite Quatrefoil
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Charm Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Malachite, Carnelian, Pearl, Tiger's Eye, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
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21st Century and Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Coral, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
2010s French Top Handle Bags
2010s Art Nouveau Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Pink Diamond
Vintage 1960s Italian Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s American Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Duffel Bags and Carry-On Bags
21st Century and Contemporary European Top Handle Bags
2010s Australian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Hoop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s French Pendant Necklaces
Opal, White Gold
Vintage 1960s French Modern Link Bracelets
18k Gold
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Center Tables
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century English Link Necklaces
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Chain Necklaces
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian More Silver, Flatware and Si...
Agate, Malachite, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Agate, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Onyx, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Onyx, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chandelier Earrings
Onyx, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chandelier Earrings
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Chalcedony, Pearl, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Cufflinks
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Turquoise, Agate, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Malachite Quatrefoil For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Malachite Quatrefoil?
Van Cleef & Arpels for sale on 1stDibs
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 Arpel. 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.
A Close Look at contemporary Jewelry
Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.
Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.
This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.
Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.
Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Van Cleef & Arpels is so expensive because it is a well-known company that has a fantastic reputation. Van Cleef & Arpels are universally renowned for high quality jewelry with a focus on detail. High-profile fans of the French jewelry house over the years have included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and many more. Find an extraordinary range of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.