Van Cleef & Arpels Pendants
View Similar Items
Van Cleef & Arpels Pendants
About the Item
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, 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.
- Vintage Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Link NecklaceLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Link Necklace. Featuring eight round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of approximately 0.75 carat, graded colorless...Category
Vintage 1980s Link Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels French Emerald Diamond 18k Yellow Gold RingBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels French Emerald Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Ring. Featuring one cabochon cut emerald weighing approximately 3.00 carats. Accented by 12 round brilliant cut ...Category
Vintage 1970s Engagement Rings
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage French Van Cleef & Arpels Wood 18k Yellow Gold Band RingBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage French Van Cleef & Arpels Wood 18k Yellow Gold Band Ring. Crafted in wood and 18 karat yellow gold signed VCA, serial #124232 with French hallmark. Circa 1970. The ring i...Category
Vintage 1970s Band Rings
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Starburst Dome RingLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Starburst Dome Ring. Featuring ten round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 0.2...Category
Vintage 1980s Dome Rings
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels GIA Burma No Heat Sapphire Diamond 18k Yellow Gold RiBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels GIA Burma No Heat Sapphire Diamond 18k Yellow Gold Ring. Featuring one GIA double cabochon sapphire weighing approximately 5.30 carats, accompanied by ...Category
Vintage 1970s Engagement Rings
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
$23,000Free Shipping - Vintage French Dinh Van 18k Yellow Gold Paperclip NecklaceLocated in Beverly Hills, CAOne Vintage French Dinh Van 18k Yellow Gold Paperclip Necklace. Crafted in 18 karat yellow gold signed Dinh Van with French hallmarks, weighing 24.40 grams. Circa 1970. The necklace ...Category
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Multi Gem Sautoir Pendant NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels Multi Gem Sautoir Pendant Necklace An 18 karat gold chain necklace set with 141 round cut diamonds with a removable pendant set with carved lapis lazuli, turquoise and diamonds Pendant is removable and can be worn as a brooch Chain: Signed VCA and numbered Pendant: Signed Van Cleef and Arpels and numbered Chain Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 7.25 carats Chain Length: 28...Category
Vintage 1960s French Chain Necklaces
MaterialsLapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Collection Diamond Turquoise Pendant BroochBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels Vintage Collection 1970s Diamond Persian Turquoise Pendant Brooch Diamond weight approx. 15.00 carats total. Measures appr...Category
Vintage 1970s French Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Coral NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels composed of seventy-five coral beads, measuring approximately 11.9 to 4.6mm, interspersed with textured gold spheres Signed VCA NY, no XXXXXX length: 24in. 18k ...Category
Antique Early 1900s French Artist Beaded Necklaces
MaterialsCoral, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Gold & Diamond NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels Articulate Gold and Diamond Necklace An 18 karat gold necklace set with 69 round cut diamonds Signed Van Cleef & Arpels NY and numbered Approximate Total Diamon...Category
Vintage 1970s American Chain Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Onyx & Diamond Sautoir NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels Onyx & Diamond Sautoir Necklace This exquisite Van Cleef & Arpels Onyx Necklace is a stunning vintage piece from the 1970s...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels "Miroir Des Eaux" NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYVan Cleef & Arpels 'Miroir Des Eaux' Multi- gem and Diamond Necklace. This necklace has rectangular-shaped MOP and black onyx on white gold with pear s...Category
Late 20th Century French Artist Drop Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
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?