Van Cleef Gold And Diamond Necklace
Vintage 1980s Artist Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Artist Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage 1970s More Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Link Necklaces
White Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Contemporary Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1980s More Necklaces
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s Modern More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Drop Necklaces
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1980s More Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s More Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s Retro Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century Modern Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Post-War Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Turquoise, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1990s More Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Beaded Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Modern Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Chrysophrase, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Link Necklaces
Yellow Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s Beaded Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Platinum
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Retro Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Modern Choker Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
20th Century More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Choker Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
2010s More Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Artist Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
2010s Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Link Necklaces
Chrysophrase, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1940s Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Choker Necklaces
White Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Choker Necklaces
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Link Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
White Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Necklace Enhancers
Emerald, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1990s Artist More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Chain Necklaces
Chrysophrase, Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Coral, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Van Cleef And Arpels Biography and Important Works
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 jewelry whose primary aim was the display of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce pieces that projected the wearer’s taste and style — winning the house a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.
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, the firm distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. 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.
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 universally beloved 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.