Van Cleef & Arpels 'Frivole' White Gold and Diamond Earrings, Small Model
View Similar Items
Van Cleef & Arpels 'Frivole' White Gold and Diamond Earrings, Small Model
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:Frivole EarringsFrivole Collection
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Stone Cut:
- Weight:7.2 g
- Dimensions:Width: 0.6 in (15 mm)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2010s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: AM0122265AC1stDibs: LU1740111062032
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.
- Van Cleef & Arpels Frivole Flower Rose Gold Diamond EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-1511 Brand Van Cleef & Arpels Model VCARP7RJ00 Date ...Category
2010s French Clip-on Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Frivole Diamond Emerald 18k Yellow Gold Small EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYThese rare Van Cleef & Arpels lever-back earrings from the gorgeous Frivole collection feature a flower design crafted in 18k yellow gold, prong-set with emeralds in the center, and ...Category
1990s French Lever-Back Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Yellow Gold EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAClassy and timeless ear clips created by Van Cleef & Arpels in the 1980s. Feminine, wearable and French chic, the earrings are a great addition to your jewelry collection. Made of 1...Category
Late 20th Century French More Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Darnestown, MDVan Cleef and Arpels pear shaped diamond earrings that are the ultimate in elegant simplicity. The earrings are made of 154 diamonds with a total weight of approximately 7 carats. T...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Lever-Back Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYClassic Van Cleef and Arpels clip on earrings!!!! Designed as flower-heads with round diamonds with large center diamonds Weigh...Category
20th Century French Romantic Clip-on Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire & Diamond EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels Sapphire & Diamond Earrings Round cut sapphires & diamonds set in 18k white gold. Measurements: 1" long Back Type: clip on with post Signed, VCA & numberedCategory
Vintage 1960s Clip-on Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold