Van Cleef and Arpels is one of the very best luxury French jewelry designers. The company
was founded by Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels and they introduced their
very first luxury boutique in 1906 in Paris. The pair quickly became known for
the amount of expertise in excellent precious stones and in particular for
their settings, known as the mystery setting.
The company
saw the second generation of family join them in 1942 and the Arpels moved to
America where they opened a luxury boutique on 5th Avenue. The luxury jewelers
were the first French jewelers to open luxury stores in Japan and China. The
family run business of some of the very best jewelers has always been managed
by a member of the Arpels family right until it was taken over in 1999. During
the reign of Van Cleef and Arpels the company has seen members of royalty and
industrial magnets become clients. Today the brand name is located throughout
Europe, the USA, Asia and the Middle East and is recognized as being among the
very best for luxury jewelry.
Since the
founding the company has marked many milestones. They were the first luxury
jeweler to manufacturer a watch with a leather strap, they designed the padlock
wristwatch, the Cadenas, a luxury zip necklace that is opened and closed the
same as a traditional zipper. Collections have consisted of such as the Couture
collection, the Pierres de Caractere collection and the Jardins collection in
2008. Van Cleef and Arpels are considered to be among the very best due to the
excellent stones used in their jewelry. The stones are said to be among the
very best in the world, some of the most unique and beautiful, the finest
around the globe. Rare luxury stones have in the past included aquamarines,
mandarin garments and unexpected luxury treasures such as mother of pearl. The
unique mystery setting is something else that is unique to the luxury French
jewelers. The excellent paving has no visible claws and the setting has been
perfect and protected by the company over the years. The quality of stones used
in the setting is of the very best; only the most excellent and finest of
stones are used. Stones are chosen based on their clarity and color. These
stones are then set on a very fine net of gold or platinum.
Van Cleef and Arpels have attracted famous clientele over the years: The Duchess of
Windsor, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Queen of Spain and the Princess of Wales
have all purchased their luxury jewelry. Stars of the stage and screen have
also chosen the French jeweler as being the very best. Names such as Jacqueline
Kennedy, Mariah Kennedy and Annie Lennox have been seen wearing the luxury
creations.
Love Story..
© Passion4Luxury 2012
