VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS, A Gold Zodiac Pendant
View Similar Items
VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS, A Gold Zodiac Pendant
About the Item
- Creator:
- Place of Origin:
- Date of Manufacture:c1970
- Condition:perfect.
- Seller Location:Cincinnati, OH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: U0904092469
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.
- Gilbert Albert 1970's Virgo Zodiac Pendant NecklaceBy Gilbert AlbertLocated in Cincinnati, OHVirgo Zodiac Pendant and Chain by Swiss Designer Gilbert Albert. The 800 silver 3" ( with bale) x 2" round medallion with attached bale made up a freeform frame encircling a stylized Virgo Zodiac symbol. Including a similar freeform 29.5" chain. Gilbert Albert , winner of 10 Diamonds International Awards, Designer for both Patek Phillip...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Modernist Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsSilver
- Gilbert Albert Silver 1970s Virgo Zodiac Pendant NecklaceBy Gilbert AlbertLocated in Cincinnati, OHVirgo Zodiac Pendant and Chain by Swiss Designer Gilbert Albert. The 800 silver 3" ( with bale) x 2" round medallion with attached bale made up a freeform frame encircling a stylized Virgo Zodiac symbol. Including a similar freeform 29.5" chain. Gilbert Albert , winner of 10 Diamonds International Awards, Designer for both Patek Phillip...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Modernist Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsSilver
- 1970s Gold Pearl and Diamond Freeform Pendant BroochBy Arthur KingLocated in Cincinnati, OHBrutalist 70s Pendant/brooch in the manner of Arthur King. The large 3 1/4 x 2" 14k tendril-like gold work freeform pendant/brooch with four freshwate...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
- 1970s Modernist "Tribal" Mask Style Horn and Gold PendantLocated in Cincinnati, OHHeavy Modernist 60's 18k pendant necklace. The 2" x 1 3/4" 18k filigree and wirework pendant in the shape of a stylized tribal mask with claw "horns" suspended from a 1/2" bale. An ...Category
Vintage 1970s Unknown Modernist Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold
- Modernist Gold Brutalist Pendant, C 1960Located in Cincinnati, OHGold Modernist pendant necklace. The 2" x 2" 14K squircular shaped , heavily textured yellow gold pendant with a hinged bale and pin clasp. Inspired by nature of some form, this pendant could relate to the texture of the moon, a close-up of foliage or perhaps the artists rendition of his own inner feelings. Many studio jewelers of the 60's and early 70's were influenced by not only nature, but grew out of a period of "Abstract Expressionism" that seemed to inform the bold jewelry...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Materials14k Gold, Gold
- Cartier 1970s 18 Karat Gold Ankh PendantBy CartierLocated in Cincinnati, OH70s Ankh Pendant by Cartier. The 1 3/4" x 1" ( with bale) 18k yellow gold pendant in the shape of an Ankh. A Groovy vintage pendant by Cartier. Looks gre...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modernist Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Pisces Zodiac PendantBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYDating from the 1970s, this Pisces pendant by Van Cleef & Arpels is composed of 18K gold, diamond, and emeralds. The ribbed bail suspends a circular pendant, within ropetwist frame, ...Category
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Gold Van Cleef & Arpels Locomotive CharmBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Amsterdam, NLA bi-color 18 carat gold locomotive charm, with two diamond headlights and one emerald headlight, signed and numbered: Van Cleef & Arpels, 97265, with an 18 carat gold Van Cleef & Ar...Category
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsWhite Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
- Jumbo Van Cleef & Arpels Aquarius Zodiac PendantBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Amsterdam, NLSo rare! This 18 carat gold jumbo size Aquarius zodiac pendant. The Aquarius explores boundaries and challenging conventions. The pendant is signed: VCA for Van Cleef & Arpels, numbe...Category
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef and Arpels Pisces Zodiac Pendant On A Chain NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYEnter the celestial realm with the contemporary Zodiaque long necklace, specifically the Piscium (Pisces) design by Van Cleef & Arpels. Crafted in 18K rose gold, this necklace is a m...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chain Necklaces
Materials18k Gold, Rose Gold
$23,040 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - Van Cleef & Arpels Georges L'enfant Taurus Zodiac PendantBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Beverly Hills, CADESIGNER: Van Cleef & Arpels CIRCA: 1970s MATERIALS: 18K Yellow Gold WEIGHT: 6 grams MEASUREMENTS: 3/4" Diameter HALLMARKS: VCA, 18K A vintage (circa 1970s) 18k gold Taurus Zodiac ...Category
Vintage 1970s Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold
- Art Deco Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond ClaspBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Hummelstown, PADating back to the second or third decade of the 20th century, this sleek and sophisticated Art Deco diamond clasp was designed and meticulously...Category
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Necklace Enhancers
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
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?