Van Cleef & Arpels Retro Bracelets

Mystery, luck and the natural world inspire the elegant bracelet designs of Van Cleef & Arpels, the French luxury house founded on a love story. The marriage of a precious stone dealer’s daughter, Estelle Arpels, to the son of a diamond cutter, Alfred Van Cleef, in 1895 led to the creation of Van Cleef & Arpels. Its first shop opened in Paris in 1906.

Over a century later, the brand provides a fresh take on its enduring motifs as well as innovations that show off high-quality rare stones and expert gem settings. Bracelets are just one of its acclaimed jewelry offerings.

At Van Cleef & Arpels, bracelets range from the understated Perlée bracelets with loops of golden beads to the extravagant Mystery Set pieces created through an intricate and laborious technique patented in 1933 for holding dazzling rows of precious stones, such as sapphires and emeralds, on a hidden gold-rail setting. This can take a skilled jeweler up to eight hours to accomplish.

In addition to the modern-day attention that British royals have lavished upon necklaces from the maison’s Alhambra collection, various Van Cleef bracelets have accrued high-profile admirers over the years too. A stately platinum, pearl and diamond bracelet was part of the wedding set gifted by Prince Rainier III to Grace Kelly for their 1956 marriage; a decadent ruby and diamond buckle-like cuff produced by Van Cleef & Arpels for Marlene Dietrich in 1937 made an eye-catching appearance on the actress’s wrist in the 1950 Alfred Hitchcock film Stage Fright.

Many of the most popular Van Cleef bracelets have been interpretations of natural forms, such as the Alhambra motif — based on a four-leaf clover, the theme was introduced in 1968 on a long gold chain. The Camellia Ruby convertible bracelet features radiant flowers with petals made from tiers of non-heat-treated rubies and diamonds. Whether it’s the playful Lucky Alhambra bracelet, with its dangling charms of good fortune, or the elaborate bracelet in the 2017 Le Secret collection that can change its colors from onyx to mother-of-pearl as if by magic, each Van Cleef & Arpels accessory is a wearable work of art.

Find a sprawling collection of Van Cleef & Arpels link bracelets, yellow-gold and diamond bangles and other items on 1stDibs.