Born from the union of Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef in 1906, Van Cleef & Arpels quickly set its foundations at the prestigious 22 Place Vendôme and became synonymous with Parisian luxury and craftsmanship. As the first Van Cleef & Arpels boutique opened its doors, it marked the beginning of an era: a time that would come to redefine the aesthetics of high jewellery.
The maison’s journey through the early 20th century was nothing short of a fairy tale written in diamonds and precious stones. By the time the Art Deco movement swept through Europe, Van Cleef & Arpels was already at the forefront of this new aesthetic wave. The 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts was a defining moment for the brand. Here, it unveiled the Entwined Flowers bracelet—a harmonious blend of two-coloured rose branches and brilliant-cut diamonds.The piece not only won them the Grand Prix at the event, but also solidified the house’s place in jewellery history.
The subsequent years saw Renée Puissant, the spirited daughter of Alfred and Esther, steering the maison’s creative helm. Under her guidance, the 1930s bloomed with innovation. Pieces like the Circle brooch, the Minaudière vanity case, the Ludo bracelet and the Cadenas watch emerged, each a tribute to the maison’s daring and creativity. The Peony clip, introduced at the 1937 International Exposition, with its rubies and Mystery Set technique, was a standout, showcasing an unparalleled level of craftsmanship and elegance.
Clips became a huge trend in the late forties (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
As the world pivoted towards modernity, so did Van Cleef & Arpels. The late 1930s marked their expansion to New York, a move that coincided with the World’s Fair of 1939. Here, the maison introduced the Passe-Partout, a marvel of versatility that combined floral motifs with a functional, industrial-inspired design.
“I find the 1940s a very interesting and moving period, because we had a workshop and offices in Paris, and they were occupied by the Germans for four years [during the second World War], so it was very difficult to produce jewellery,” says Natacha Vassiltchikov, international deputy heritage director of Van Cleef & Arpels. “Clothes were made with thick, rough material, and this did not always [bode well] with elegant jewellery. The rise of functional clothing led to shorter necklaces and versatile, jewellery-like clips, “because you can wear them on the jackets, on the waist, on the hat you know in many different ways”.
Platinum was used for armament and telecommunication, which also meant it could no longer be used in jewellery. In the late 1930s, “a bit of yellow gold jewellery” started showing up, but it was only when the 1940s arrived that Van Cleef & Arpels started to explore working with the metal again. “It was mostly polished yellow gold—not the kind of intricate yellow gold that you see in the 1960s and 1970s,” she says.
Fleur brooch circa 1936 (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
As Europe began to recover after World War II, the maison revisited the opulence of earlier times, leading into what it describes as the “retro years”. Vassiltchikov says, “The word retro comes from a French word that means ‘going back’, so it was a time [of] going back to the elegance and design codes of the 1930s.” This period was marked by a return to the use of platinum and large gemstones, facilitated by their renewed availability post-war. This allowed for designs with different cuts of diamonds and intricate motifs. This was also the era of Hollywood glamour, epitomised by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, whose timeless elegance continues to inspire fashionistas today.
As the 1950s dawned, the world was on the cusp of cultural shifts. Rock and roll was emerging, signalling imminent changes in societal norms and fashion. This era also saw the continuation of yellow gold being in vogue: it was featured in pieces like the 1952 retro diamond bracelet, which was bolder, boasted more volume and hence all the more striking, compared to art deco bracelets, says Vassiltchikov.
The late 1950s introduced ornamental stones, like high-quality turquoise, from Iran, adding a distinctive touch to the house’s collections. “Today, it is not possible to source this quality of turquoise,” says Vassiltchikov.
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Turquoise started showing up in the collection in the late 1950s (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
The 1960s saw the introduction of gemstone certifications, marking a significant shift in how gemstones were perceived and valued. “Clients started to look at gemstones as an investment.” This new perspective influenced Van Cleef & Arpels’ designs, which incorporated large, valuable gemstones that promised both aesthetic pleasure and financial value.
In the 1960s, the Arpels brothers travelled often to India. After the independence of India in 1947, the Maharajas had amazing gemstone collections that they were interested in selling, she says. These travels significantly influenced their design philosophy, where Eastern motifs are blended with Western aesthetics. A notable example is a necklace once owned by Princess Salimah Aga Khan, now part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ patrimonial collection. The necklace features “carved melon cut emeralds, which are very common in jewels from the Maharaja’s collections, and set in Western designs.
Preservation is key to legacy, and in the 1970s, Van Cleef & Arpels embarked on a mission to safeguard its storied past through the establishment of the patrimonial collection. Curated by Jacques Arpels, this collection was envisioned as a living archive. Today, it encompasses over 2,700 pieces, each narrating unique stories from their eras. From high jewellery to intricately designed horological wonders, that are restored and maintained.
White diamond and emerald bracelet circa 1925 (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
The 1980s and 1990s marked another significant shift, this time reflecting the sweeping changes brought about by globalisation and evolving fashion trends. The maison adeptly navigated these decades, which were characterised by the rise of the power woman and a notable shift in sartorial preferences.
“We go back to tight waists, very large shoulders—and it was really the beginning of the power women and strong makeup,” she says. Creations by iconic fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent had major influence—his X-shaped figures, in particular, complemented the strong, assertive lines of the art of the period. “If you look at the jackets [worn at that time]—it was very difficult to have a long necklace with this kind of look. So the necklaces became short again,” she says.
This shift was not just in length, but also in style, with polished gold becoming the material of choice. It was a move away from the intricate and highly creative designs of the previous decades. The preference for simplicity and elegance was evident in the popularity of matching sets—earrings, necklaces and brooches that were designed to be worn together, reflecting the coordinated aesthetic of the era.
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Malicieux clip circa 2007 (Photo: courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels)
“What is interesting is, in the last few years, the fashion and the tastes in the heritage collection were very much about the seventies. Our clients love the Bohemian look and it fits well with what we could wear,” says Vassiltchikov.
However, as trends evolve, there’s a resurgence of preferences from earlier decades. “We are now moving back to the eighties’ tastes, so we are expecting to see a rise in the taste for these short necklaces and more polished artworks.”
As we look forward to the chapters yet to be written, one thing is certain: the maison will continue to enchant and inspire with its stories from the past, by including style sensibilities and trends from the present.
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