Van Cleef & Arpels Steel and 18 Carats Yellow Gold Travel Clock

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.

Pierres de Julie combines distinction, finesse and audacity in the search for exceptional jewelry and stones as precious as they are rare. Pierres de Julie is a boutique jeweler located in the heart of Paris, a stone's throw from the esplanade des Invalides, and knows how to find the brand name jewel that will suit you. Specialized in vintage jewelry, Pierres de Julie will help you make your choice. A ring for an engagement, a distinguished wedding band for a wedding, elegant earrings for a birthday, a refined bracelet, a luxury watch to give as a gift: you can trust Julie Mialet, an expert gemologist, always attentive to your desires and preferences. Pierres de Julie is also a creative workshop and offers a unique experience to each client, whether it is an original creation, a reinterpretation of a family jewel or a signed creation. Nourished by the potion of elegance, Julie Mialet began by studying exceptional gastronomy before embarking on a professional career in the luxury hotel industry in London. Raised in Paris, in the heart of the City of Light, Julie Mialet welcomes you in her antique shop in the exclusive setting of the Swiss Village in the 15th arrondissement, not far from the Eiffel Tower and the École Militaire. After graduating in 2004 from the National Institute of Gemology, Julie decided to offer jewelry lovers a rare and demanding selection of original gems and unique creations.