Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels, founded Van Cleef and Arpels. in 1896. In 1906, following Arpels’s death, Alfred and two of his brothers-in-law, Charles and Julien, acquired space for them at 22 Place Vendôme, across from the Hôtel Ritz, where they opened their first boutique shop. The third Arpels brother, Louis, soon joined the company.
The company opened boutiques in holiday resorts such as Deauville, Vichy, Le Touquet, Nice, and Monte-Carlo. In 1925, one of their bracelets with red and white roses fashioned from rubies and diamonds won the grand prize at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts.
Alfred and Esther’s daughter, Renée (born Rachel) Puissant, assumed the company’s artistic direction in 1926. Puissant worked closely with draftsman René Sim Lacaze for the next twenty years. They were the first French jewelers to open boutiques in Japan and China. Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. acquired the firm in 1999.
In 1966, the company was charged with the task of making the crown of Empress Farah Pahlavi for her upcoming coronation in 1967. A team was sent to Iran to choose the major gems to use for the crown. After 11 months of work, the company presented the empress with a crown made of emerald velvet set with 36 emeralds, 36 rubies, 105 pearls and 1,469 diamonds. Reference: Wikipedia
They first opened a New York branch in October 1929. The stock market crash made this a short-lived venture but ten years later, following the New York World’s Fair, they re-established their presence in New York. Reference: The Victoria and Albert Museum
Van Cleef & Arpels Makers Mark
Diamond necklace, 1950s Set with alternating baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds, length approximately 350mm, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, French assay marks for platinum, gross weight 83.50 grams, fitted case also signed by the designer
Sold for 212,500 EUR at Sotheby’s
A curved panel of gold set with rubies swept around a narrow gold rod.
The honeycomb surface patterning in which each hexagon has a star-set ruby was devised by Van Cleef and Arpels in the late 1930s, initially as articulated units of a flexible bracelet. The motif remained popular throughout the 1940s and into the ’50s.
Reference: Victoria and Albert Museum
A turquoise lipstick holder, circa 1960 Of woven mesh design, highlighted by a row of circular cabochon turquoise, signed by the designer, numbered, length 7.4cm
Sold for £ 1,657 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2019
Gold, Diamond, Green Chrysoprase and Hardstone Love Bird Bangle Bracelet, France 18 kt., centering two facing love birds of coral, black onyx and green chrysoprase with round lapis heads and accent, amidst a pavé-set section of round diamonds approximately 2.25 cts., flanked by black onyx bands and tapered green chrysoprase panels, signed Van Cleef & Arpels NY, Made in France, no. 2K409-5, with maker’s mark and French assay mark, approximately 26.4 dwts. gross. Inner circle 6 inches, with swiveled hinged back. With signed box.
Sold for $15,000 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle New York in 2019
This exquisite pair of Van Cleef & Arpels diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire earrings, c 1967, is crafted in solid 18K yellow gold. These stunning earrings weigh 26.32 grams and measuring 24mm x 16mm. Embellished with 16 high quality prong-set round-cut rubies, collectively weighing 2.54 carats. Further accented by 20 prong-set, round-cut emerald collectively weighing approximately 3.8 carats, 18 prong-set round-cut sapphires collectively weighing approximately 2.9 carats and 14 prong-set round-cut diamonds collectively weighing approximately 1.62 carats. Secure with post and clip-backs. These earrings are signed Van Cleef & Arpels, Stamped “c 1967”, “750”, series No. NY 40612, with original box. Diamond total weight: 5.0ct
Sold for $17,500 at Lueur Auction in 2019
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