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Van Cleef & Arpels

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Van Cleef & Arpels
Industry
  • High jewelry
  • watches
  • perfumes
Founded1896
FounderAlfred Van Cleef
Salomon Arpels
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Number of locations
155 (2022)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Nicolas Bos (CEO)
Julien Arpels
Louis Arpels
Claude Arpels
OwnerRichemont
Websitevancleefarpels.com
Van Cleef & Arpels-designed crown of EmpressFarah PahlaviofIran.She wore the crown in 1967 coronation ceremony.
Pop up exhibition in The Landmark, Hong Kong (2013)

Van Cleef & Arpelsis a French luxury jewelry company.[1]It was founded in 1896 by theDutchdiamond-cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels inParis.[2]Their pieces often feature flowers, animals, and fairies, and have been worn by style icons and royalty such asGrace Kelly,Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,Diana, Princess of Wales,Ava Gardner,[3]Farah Pahlavi,[4]Eva Perón,[5]Elizabeth Taylor,theDuchess of Windsor,Queen Nazli of Egypt,andQueen Camilla.

History

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TheDutchdiamond-cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels, founded the company in 1896. In 1906, following Arpels’s death, Alfred and two of his brothers-in-law, Charles andJulien,acquired space for Van Cleef & Arpels at 22Place Vendôme,across from theHôtel Ritz,where Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique shop.[6]The third Arpels brother,Louis Arpels,joined the company in 1913.[7]

Van Cleef & Arpels opened boutiques in holiday resorts such asDeauville,Vichy,Le Touquet,Nice,andMonte-Carlo.In 1925, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet with red and white roses fashioned from rubies and diamonds won the grand prize at theInternational Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts.[8]

Alfred and Esther’s daughter, Renée (born Rachel) Puissant, assumed the company’s artistic direction in 1926. Puissant worked closely with draftsmanRené Sim Lacazefor the next twenty years.[8]Van Cleef & Arpels were the first French jewelers to open boutiques in Japan and China.

Van Cleef & Arpels was charged with the task of making the crown of Queen Nazli of Egypt in the 1930s.[9]

In 1966, Van Cleef & Arpels was charged with the task of making the crown ofEmpress Farah Pahlavifor 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,[10]the company presented the empress with a crown made of emerald velvet set with 36 emeralds, 36 rubies, 105 pearls and 1,469 diamonds.[11]

Compagnie Financière RichemontS.A. acquired the firm in 1999.[12]

Boutiques

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Van Cleef & Arpels has 155 stores. Products are in standalone boutiques, boutiques within major department stores, and in independent stores. Standalone boutiques are present inGeneva,Zürich,Vienna,Munich,London,Milan,Shanghaiand Paris, where the company has multiple locations, including its flagship store atPlace Vendôme.

In theUnited States,the company operates standalone boutiques inBoston,Dallas,Las Vegas,Manhasset,Naples,Palm Beach,San Francisco,Bal Harbour,Chicago,Houston,McLean,King of Prussia,Short Hills,Aspen,Beverly Hills,Costa MesaandMiamialongside theirNew York Cityflagship store, which was redesigned in 2013.[13][14]The Chicago boutique opened in 2001 at 636 North Michigan Avenue and moved to a larger location within theDrake Hotelin November 2011. They also operate boutiques within selectedNeiman Marcusstores.

The brand expanded to Australia in 2016, opening a boutique atCollins Street,Melbourne.[15]The following year, another boutique opened atCastlereagh Street,Sydney.[16]A second Melbourne boutique opened in 2018 in theChadstone Shopping Centre.[17]They continued their expansion intoOceaniain 2022, when a store opened inNew ZealandonAuckland'sQueen Street.[18]

They also operate independent boutiques in theMiddle East,South AmericaandAsia.

The Mystery Setting

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On 2 December 1933, Van Cleef and Arpels received French Patent No. 764,966 for a proprietary gem setting style it callsSerti Mysterieux,or "Mystery Setting", a technique employing a setting where the prongs are invisible.[19]Each stone is faceted onto gold rails less than two-tenths of a millimeter thick. The technique can require 300 hours of work per piece or more, and only a few are produced each year.[20]

Chaumetreceived an English patent for a similar technique in 1904 as didCartierin 1933, however neither used the process as extensively.[20]

Value

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In 2010/2011, the company's estimated sales were €450 million in total sales and €45 million in watches.[21]

A 1936 Van Cleef & Arpels custom jewelry piece with a "Mystery Setting" sold for $326,500 during an auction atChristie'sNew York in 2009.[22]

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In the 1952 novel,To Catch a Thief(later adapted into anAlfred Hitchcock film), a character buys multiple pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels inCannes.

In the 1971 James Bond film,Diamonds Are Forever,Van Cleef & Arpels gets mentioned by Bond when Tiffany Case discusses the story behind her name: that she was born atTiffany & Co.as a pre-term baby. Bond responds that she should be fortunate her name is not Van Cleef & Arpels.

In season 4, episode 23 ofFrasier,the characterNiles Craneis speaking on his mobile phone with his wife Maris, from whom he is recently separated at the time. On the phone, Niles says to Maris 'I miss you more...than Van Cleef would miss Arpels'.

In Issue 116 ofNew X-Men (2001 series),the characterEmma Frost,who has recently gained the power to turn into organic diamond, tells a taxi, "the Van Cleef and Arpels store on Fifth at Fifty-Seventh, driver. I intend to have myself valued."

Bibliography

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  • Alba Cappellieri (2023).Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love.Skira.ISBN9788857241777.
  • Sylvie Raulet (1998).Van Cleef & Arpels.Universe/Vendome.ISBN9780789302014.
  • Vincent Meylan (2014).Van Cleef & Arpels: Treasures and Legends.Antique Collectors' Club.ISBN9781851497706.
  • Éditions Xavier Barral (2016).Van Cleef and Arpels: the Art and Science of Gems.Éditions Xavier Barral.ISBN9782365110983.
  • Éditions Xavier Barral (2018).Alhambra - Van Cleef.Éditions Xavier Barral.ISBN9782365111911.

References

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  1. ^Chevalier, Michel; Mazzalovo, Gerald (18 May 2012).Luxury Brand Management: A World of Privilege.Singapore: John Wiley & Sons.ISBN9781118171790.Retrieved19 October2016.
  2. ^"Van Cleef & Arpels love story".www.perfumesociety.org. 10 July 2018.
  3. ^"Understanding Jewellery in the news: Tribune des Arts - when David met Ava - Understanding Jewellery".
  4. ^The Queen of CultureArchived5 March 2016 at theWayback Machine,The official website of Queen Farah
  5. ^"Reflecting Personalities: Jewelry on the Famous and Its Impact on Design".New York: Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. 2011.Retrieved25 August2014.
  6. ^vancleefarpels.com
  7. ^"Van Cleef & Arpels".British Museum.Retrieved20 June2021.
  8. ^abSerafin, Amy (Fall 2012). "The Family, The Jewels, The Legend".France Magazine.
  9. ^"The Royal Treatment: Van Cleef & Arpels and the Royalty Who Wore Them".Prestige Online - Indonesia.23 March 2021.Retrieved14 September2021.
  10. ^Mun-Delsalle, Y-Jean."Emeralds Are The Gemstone Of Choice In Van Cleef & Arpels' New Fine Jewelry Collection".Forbes.Retrieved4 October2017.
  11. ^Lee, Jeffrey (2000).Crown of Venus: A Guide to Royal Women Around the World.iUniverse.ISBN9780595091409.
  12. ^LUXUS + (15 October 2021)."A brief history of luxury: the crazy Richemont adventure".Mag Luxus+.Retrieved17 June2023.
  13. ^Lee, Chai (11 January 2011)."Rolex and Van Cleef Play Mich Ave Retail Space Musical Chairs".Chicago.racked.com.Retrieved25 August2014.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  14. ^"Blake Lively In Marchesa – Van Cleef & Arpels Celebrates The Redesigned New York 5th Avenue Flagship Maison".Red Carpet Fashion Awards.11 December 2013.Retrieved25 August2014.
  15. ^Hayes, Jacquie (6 December 2016)."Australia the finishing jewel in Van Cleef & Arpels' global crown".Australian Financial Review.Retrieved4 April2017.
  16. ^Gore, Victoria (17 February 2017)."Van Cleef & Arpels opens largest Australian boutique".Vogue Australia.Retrieved4 April2017.
  17. ^Wallace, Francesca."Inside Van Cleef & Arpels' newest Australian flagship boutique".Vogue Australia.
  18. ^Denizen, The (1 August 2022)."The fascinating story behind the iconic jewellery maison that has just opened its first NZ store".Denizen.Retrieved17 June2023.
  19. ^"The Mystery Set™".Van Cleef & Arpels.Retrieved17 November2016.
  20. ^abRevy, Stephanie (24 August 2013)."The Mystery Revealed – The Invisibly Set Gemstones of Van Cleef and Arpels".Retrieved25 August2014.
  21. ^Chevalier, Michel; Mazzalovo, Gerald (18 May 2012).Luxury Brand Management.Singapore: John Wiley & Sons.ISBN978-1-118-17176-9.Retrieved25 August2014.
  22. ^Mulier, Thomas; Campbell, Keith (13 September 2009)."Hyperinflation Worries? Buy My Jewelry, Richemont's Rupert Says".Bloomberg News.Archived fromthe originalon 6 November 2014.Retrieved2014-08-25.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toVan Cleef & Arpels.
  • Official website
  • Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in Kyiv was opened up by the exhibition of they jewelers in the National Art Museum of Ukraine in 2019. Anzhela Cherkashyna filmed this event. Tetiana Chorna, Kyiv modern art jeweller, was featured in thisvideo
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