Why is Van Cleef and Arpels so expensive?

Van 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.

Van Cleef Arpels Used

Rare Alhambra

Gold Ribbon Bow

Vintage White Gold Flower Ring

Vca Ring

Van Cleef Vintage Butterfly

Vca 750

Vca Set

Vca Vintage

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Mystery-Set Ruby Dress Set

$33,000

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Mystery-Set Ruby Dress Set

By Van Cleef & Arpels

Located in New York, NY

Crafted in rich 18K yellow gold, the set comprises a pair of cufflinks and four matching dress studs, each adorned with vivid calibré-cut rubies meticulously arranged using Van Cleef...

Category

1990s Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Necklace 18k Gold

$30,000

$49,000

$37,624Sale Price / set|20% Off

Oval Diamond Constellation Cluster Earrings 18k White Gold 6.86 Ct Bridal Gift

Located in Diera, AE

It is the standard of the great European jewelry houses. It is what Cartier uses. It is what Van Cleef & Arpels uses. It is the metal choice that signals uncompromising intent.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Emirian Modern Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold

Leon Mege True Antique French cut diamond eternity wedding band with engraving.

$12,600

Leon Mege True Antique French cut diamond eternity wedding band with engraving.

By Leon Mege

Located in New York, NY

Venerable brands like Boucheron, Cartier, Mauboussin, Van Cleef & Arpels have spurred the creative use of rare diamond cuts in modern jewelry.

Category

2010s American Art Deco Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Materials

Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Van Cleef & Arpels Late 20th Century Ruby Diamond Platinum 'Mystère' Earrings

Sold

Sold

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Resizing charge* Van Cleef & Arpels Black Onyx Pear Cabochon 18k Gold Ring

By Van Cleef & Arpels

Located in Birmingham, GB

Fine jewellery houses like Van Cleef & Arpels only use the best diamonds and gemstones in their pieces.

Category

20th Century French Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

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GIA Certified 56 Carat Tennis Diamond Necklace

$1,600,000Sale Price|20% Off

GIA Certified 56 Carat Tennis Diamond Necklace

Located in Chicago, IL

This exceptional necklace showcases a breathtaking arrangement of round brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximately 56 carats. At its heart lies a dazzling 3-carat centerpiece, sea...

Category

2010s American Contemporary Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold

1982 Van Cleef & Arpels 0.8ct pavé diamond 18k yellow gold band dome ring

$8,024

1982 Van Cleef & Arpels 0.8ct pavé diamond 18k yellow gold band dome ring

By Van Cleef & Arpels

Located in Malmö, Skåne län

An 18k curved dome yellow gold band ring, partially pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Signed VCA and numbered, with maker’s mark for the workshop of Péry et Fils. Gross weight:...

Category

1980s French Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Van Cleef & Arpels 1975 Gem Set Coral Band in 18Kt Yellow Gold with VVS Diamonds

$6,985

Van Cleef & Arpels 1975 Gem Set Coral Band in 18Kt Yellow Gold with VVS Diamonds

By Van Cleef & Arpels

Located in Miami, FL

Gem set coral ring designed by Van Cleef & Arpels. Beautiful vintage ring band, made in Paris France by the house of Van Cleef & Arpels, back in the 1951-1975. It was crafted in sol...

Category

1970s French Modernist Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Hermes Birkin 50 Limited Edition Endless Road Bleu De Prusse Palladium Hardware

$59,500

H 10.5 in W 19.5 in

Hermes Birkin 50 Limited Edition Endless Road Bleu De Prusse Palladium Hardware

By Hermès

Located in Aventura, FL

The Hermès Blue de Prusse Limited Edition Endless Road Birkin 50 Haute à Courroies is a remarkable fusion of artistry and craftsmanship. This exclusive piece from the 2019 Collection...

Early 2000s Van Cleef Arpels Used

Van Cleef & Arpels French Ruby Diamond 18K Yellow Gold Butterfly Ring Size 5

$2,500

Van Cleef & Arpels French Ruby Diamond 18K Yellow Gold Butterfly Ring Size 5

By Van Cleef & Arpels

Located in Simpsonville, SC

Introducing the Van Cleef & Arpels French Ruby Diamond 18K Yellow Gold Butterfly Ring—a captivating symphony of color, sparkle, and craftsmanship that embodies the essence of timeles...

Category

Late 20th Century Van Cleef Arpels Used

Materials

Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold

Hermes Birkin Sellier 25 Gold Epsom Leather Rolled Handles Gold Hardware Handbag

$29,500

H 8.75 in W 5.25 in L 10 in

Hermes Birkin Sellier 25 Gold Epsom Leather Rolled Handles Gold Hardware Handbag

By Hermès

Located in Aventura, FL

This is an authentic HERMES Epsom Birkin Sellier 25 in Gold. This Sellier model is expertly constructed of Epsom calfskin leather in golden brown. This bag features rolled leather to...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Van Cleef Arpels Used

$4,800

rare ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER COUTURE micro bead embellished plunge neck evening gown

By Alexandre Vauthier

Located in Hong Kong, NT

rare ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER COUTURE Prototype gold micro bead sequin embellished plunge neck evening gown Reference: TGAS/F00716 Brand: Alexandre Vauthier Designer: Alexandre Vauthier Ma...

Category

2010s Italian Van Cleef Arpels Used

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Van Cleef Arpels Used For Sale on 1stDibs

Find the exact van cleef arpels used you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. Each design created in this style — which was crafted with great care and often made from Gold, 18k Gold and Yellow Gold — can elevate any look. In our selection of items, you can find a vintage example as well as a contemporary version. Making the right choice when shopping for a van cleef arpels used may mean carefully reviewing examples of this item dating from different eras — you can find an early iteration of this piece from the 18th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century, both of which have proven very popular over the years. A van cleef arpels used can make for a versatile accessory, but a selection from our variety of 4474 Diamond versions can add an especially stylish touch. See these pages for a round cut iteration of this accessory, while there are also brilliant cut cut and uncut cut versions available here, too. When shopping for a van cleef arpels used, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for unisex or men today than there are for women.

How Much is a Van Cleef Arpels Used?

On average, a van cleef arpels used at 1stDibs sells for $9,015, while they’re typically $39 on the low end and $1,560,000 for the highest priced versions of this item.

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 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.

Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship

Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.

Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.

Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.

For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.

Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.

In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.

Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.

Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.

BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.

A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.

Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.

Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.

Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.

The Legacy of Diamond in Jewelry Design

Antique diamond rings, diamond tiaras and dazzling vintage diamond earrings are on the wish lists of every lover of fine jewelry. And diamonds and diamond jewelry are primarily associated with storybook engagements and red-carpet grand entrances — indeed, this ultra-cherished gemstone has a dramatic history on its hands.

From “A Diamond Is Forever” to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” pop culture has ingrained in our minds that diamonds are the most desired, the most lasting and the most valuable gemstone. But what makes the diamond so special? Each stone — whether it’s rubies, sapphires or another stone — is unique and important in its own right. April babies might claim diamonds for themselves, but just about everyone wants this kind of sparkle in their lives!

There are several factors that set diamonds apart from other stones, and these points are important to our gem education.

Diamonds are minerals. They are made up of almost entirely of carbon (carbon comprises 99.95 percent; the remainder consists of various trace elements). Diamonds are the hardest gemstones, ranking number 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Even its name, diamond, is rooted in the Greek adamas, or unconquerable. The only object that can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Diamonds are formed deep within the earth at very high temperatures (1,652–2,372 degrees Fahrenheit at depths between 90 and 120 miles beneath the earth’s surface) and are carried up by volcanic activity. Diamonds are quite rare, according to the Gemological Institute of America, and only 30 percent of all the diamonds mined in the world are gem quality.

In the 1950s, the Gemological Institute of America developed the 4Cs grading system to classify diamonds: clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Not all diamonds are created equal (there are diamonds, and then there are diamonds). The value of the diamond depends on the clarity (flawless diamonds are very rare but a diamond's value decreases if there are many blemishes or inclusions), color (the less color the higher the grade), cut (how the diamond’s facets catch the light, certain cuts of diamonds show off the stone better than others) and carat weight (the bigger, the better).

When you start shopping for a diamond engagement ring, always prioritize the cut, which plays the largest role in the diamond's beauty (taking the time to clean your diamond ring at least every six months or so plays a role in maintaining said beauty). And on 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings.

Shop antique and vintage diamond rings, diamond necklaces and other extraordinary diamond jewelry on 1stDibs.