Van Cleef & Arpels Gold Box
View Similar Items
Van Cleef & Arpels Gold Box
About the Item
- Creator:Van Cleef & Arpels (Designer, Jeweler)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)Width: 1.88 in (4.78 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Litchfield, CT
- Reference Number:Seller: 205761stDibs: LU939512104293
Van Cleef & Arpels
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, the 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.
- Amazonite Italian Hardstone BoxLocated in Litchfield, CTThis fabulous Italian hardstone box is a sleek, colorful example of seventies decorative objects, Amazonite, Italy, circa 1970s. The Amazonite used in th...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Decorative Boxes
MaterialsMalachite
- Italian Hardstone 'Rhodonite' Box, circa 1970sLocated in Litchfield, CTThis fabulous Italian hardstone box is a sleek, colorful example of seventies decorative objets, Italy, circa 1970s. The Rhodonite used in this one was c...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Decorative Boxes
- Tiffany & Co. Navajo-Element Decorated Sterling BoxLocated in Litchfield, CTNavajo pin and buttons, circa 1920s, Tiffany sterling box, circa 1950s. Navajo pin and buttons, all American. We have decorated an understated Tiffany & Co ...Category
20th Century American Decorative Boxes
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Hedwig Bollhagen Biscuit Box Group of ThreeLocated in Litchfield, CTBy Hedwig Bollhagen, Germany, circa 1960-1970s. These canisters are brilliantly Deco and fabulously Post Modern. Their colorful geometry is perfect fo...Category
Vintage 1960s German Post-Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsCeramic
$2,100 / set - Lars Hakansson Sterling Box, circa 1991 Lund SwedenBy Lars HakanssonLocated in Litchfield, CTSterling, Lars Hakansson, Sweden, circa 1991. Known for his modernist pieces Swedish silversmith Lars Hakansson brings and elegance to postmodern design. This box is a wonderful occa...Category
1990s Swedish Minimalist Decorative Boxes
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Gilt Bronze Box with Cloisonné & Champlevé Enamel work c1880s JapanLocated in Litchfield, CTCirca 1880s, Japan. This late 19th-century Japanese box features a stunning floral scene primarily of morning glories. The enamel work is superb with deli...Category
Antique 1880s Japanese Japonisme Decorative Boxes
MaterialsBronze
- Van Cleef & Arpels Cabochon Ruby and Gold MinaudiereBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels ruby & gold compact makeup box, 2 cabochon rubies on top. Inside the box consists of 2 compartments and a gold lipstick holder ...Category
Vintage 1970s French Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsGold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Paris 1932 Art Deco Mechanical Desk Clock Box Sterling SilverBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Miami, FLAn art deco mechanical box clock designed by Van Cleef & Arpels. This is an extremely rare multifunctional desk piece, created in Paris France during t...Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
MaterialsSterling Silver, Steel
- Luna Box by Jean-Baptiste Van den HeedeLocated in Geneve, CHLuna box by Jean-Baptiste Van den Heede Signed, Limited edition Dimensions: L 22 x W 20 x H 6 cm Materials: Birch, oak and elm plywood LUNA is an author design with elegant cur...Category
2010s Spanish Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPlywood
- Hug Gold BoxLocated in Paris, FRBox Hug Gold all in hand-crafted porcelain, in white finish and gold-plated with 24K. Box with lid. Delivered in luxury gift box.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold Plate
$516 Sale Price / item20% Off - 1920s Van Melle's Toffees Tin - Antique Candy Box Holland - Dutch WindmillLocated in Antwerp, BEExceptional large lithographic Candy Tin - Toffee Tin - Candy Box for Van Melle's Toffees Holland. This 1920s Antique Tin made by Wed. J. Bekkers and Son -...Category
Early 20th Century Dutch Art Nouveau Decorative Boxes
MaterialsTin
- Van Nelle Yellow Metal Tea Box by Jacques Jongert, circa 1930Located in Barcelona, BarcelonaTea box designed by Jacques Jongert circa 1930 in ' De Stijl ' design manufactured for Van Nelle in Netherland. Metal, painted in color In good o...Category
Vintage 1930s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Tea Caddies
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Gems by David Webb, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels Anchor The Back Vault’s Treasure Trove
Boasting one of the largest collections of David Webb in the world, the firm offers exceptional jewels — always in demand yet never in short supply.
This Turquoise Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Necklace Is a Rare and Alluring Find
You know the French maison’s famous motif well. But why is this particular piece so in demand?