Blue Van Cleef Necklace
Late 20th Century French Beaded Necklaces
Coral, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Link Necklaces
Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Chain Necklaces
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s French Pendant Necklaces
Agate, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Artist Chain Necklaces
Chalcedony, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Link Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 2000s French More Necklaces
Turquoise, White Gold
Late 20th Century French Modernist Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Link Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
20th Century French Modern Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Link Bracelets
Chrysophrase, Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Modern Cufflinks
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1950s American Choker Necklaces
Rhodium, Base Metal
2010s Italian Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Aquamarine, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Artist Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Natural Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, ...
Vintage 1910s French Edwardian Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Diamond, Steel, Enamel, Platinum, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 18th Century European Arts and Crafts Cluster Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold
20th Century French Art Deco Figurines and Sculptures
Rock Crystal, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Silver
Antique 1820s British Early Victorian Brooches
Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
Vintage 1950s French Retro Rope Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Coral, White Diamond, Onyx, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, White Diamond
Vintage 1960s American Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel
2010s French Modern Link Necklaces
Agate, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Necklace Enhancers
Ruby, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chain Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Pearl, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Choker Necklaces
White Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Choker Necklaces
White Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Retro More Necklaces
White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Pendant Necklaces
White Gold
2010s Link Necklaces
Chalcedony, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century French Modern Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire
Vintage 1970s French Retro Link Necklaces
White Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Blue Van Cleef Necklace For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Blue Van Cleef Necklace?
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.
Finding the Right necklaces for You
We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners.
Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers.
In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs.
For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone.
Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage necklaces designed by David Webb — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.
- 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.
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