Van Cleef And Arpels Knot
Vintage 1950s French Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Stone, Gold
Vintage 1950s American Art Nouveau Brooches
Gold Plate
1990s American Cocktail Dresses
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Romantic Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
1970s French Evening Gowns
1990s Evening Dresses and Gowns
1970s French Day Dresses
2010s Modern Band Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Wedding Dresses
Vintage 1960s More Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Platinum
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses
Early 2000s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
1990s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary French Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Lapis Lazuli, Agate, Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s French Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French More Necklaces
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Gold
Vintage 1980s American Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s French Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1940s French Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1950s French Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Cuff Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1980s French Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French More Rings
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French Cocktail Rings
18k Gold
1990s French More Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century French Contemporary Cufflinks
18k Gold
2010s Italian Day Dresses
Vintage 1920s American More Necklaces
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century French Contemporary Cufflinks
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s French Cufflinks
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Cufflinks
18k Gold
Vintage 1950s French Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Platinum, 18k Gold
French Fashion Rings
Vintage 1960s French Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1980s French Contemporary Brooches
White Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Brooches
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Diamond, Coral, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s American Drop Earrings
Diamond, Platinum, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Clip-on Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s American Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold
Vintage 1950s American Retro Cufflinks
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Brooches
Coral, Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s British Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
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.
- 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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