Born in 1896 from a love story, the French Maison has always paid tribute to beautiful romances and has maintained an unconditional passion for the most precious of crystals.
From its very beginnings, Van Cleef & Arpels was created with gemstones at its heart, shortly after the marriage of Estelle Arpels, daughter of a precious stone dealer, and Alfred Van Cleef, son of a diamond cutter. The history of Van Cleef & Arpels would go on to be marked by romantic acquisitions, brought to auction and discussed in the press, with historic stones that traveled from Golconda, India, to Place Vendôme in Paris, and princesses’ jewels that were admired by royal courts and movie stars alike.
A HISTORY OF PASSIONATE ACQUISITIONS
The Maison’s most prestigious creations highlight the appeal of white diamonds, traditional symbols of power and love, as well as colored diamonds, which are rare and often surrounded by mystery. Several spectacular stones have become part of the House’s history, including the Blue Heart, a 31-carat heart-cut blue diamond discovered in South Africa in 1908 and acquired by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1953 after passing through the hands of several owners. The stone was topped with a pear-cut pink diamond and a triangular blue diamond, together forming the pendant of a glittering river of diamonds. The piece, which traveled to Paris by registered mail, dazzled dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, who wore it to the Versailles Ball in June 1953. She is said to have looked at herself in the mirror and cried out with joy.
In 1960, a 34.64-carat cushion-cut pink diamond mesmerized the cameras. The stone was auctioned by Sotheby’s in London in a sale that the press nicknamed “39 Millionaires” because of the wealthy bidders in attendance. Van Cleef & Arpels won the auction for £46,000. Described in the catalog as extremely rare for its combination of weight, color and brilliance, the diamond immediately caught the attention of jeweler Louis Arpels, Alfred’s brother-in-law. He said, “If you are very lucky, you will see a stone like this once in your lifetime. […] The moment I heard there was one for sale, I rushed to see it. It was in London, but believe me, I would gladly have gone to India, China, or the farthest reaches of Africa or America.”
In December 1964, a historic diamond that had belonged to the French Crown Jewels was sold at Sotheby’s in London. Once again, Van Cleef & Arpels was there. The 30.58-carat Mazarin featured an emerald cut that retained traces of the cushion shape given to it by Parisian diamond cutters in the 17th century at the request of the famous cardinal. Setting a world record for the public auction price of a diamond at £70,000, it entered the Van Cleef & Arpels collection after a fierce bidding battle.
ABSOLUTE DEVOTION TO BRILLIANCE
The Maison’s love for exceptional gemstones has remained unwavering, with new chapters added to its history over the decades. In 1971, when singer Ganna Walska’s jewelry collection came to auction, Van Cleef & Arpels purchased a 96.62-carat briolette-cut yellow diamond and created the Bird clip, now part of the heritage collection, with the brilliant faceted drop held in its beak.
In the 1990s, the 30.99-carat white Arcot 1 diamond was used as a pendant on a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace. The pear-cut stone had a remarkable history. Given to Queen Charlotte of England by the Nawab of Arcot in the late 18th century, it moved from crown to tiara, was dismantled several times and recut before being sold in a setting by the Maison in 1993.
Such is the life of legendary stones: collected, cherished and enhanced. Van Cleef & Arpels demonstrated this tradition once again in 1999 with a group of stones purchased from a collector who had a passion for colored diamonds. More than five hundred gemstones, 523 in total, with extraordinary colors drawn from the depths of the Earth, entered the Maison’s workshops. Ten shades of yellow, ranging from the palest straw to radiant orange, mingled with delicate pale pinks and purples, celestial blues and blue-grays, and olive greens, represented in most of the listed diamond cuts: brilliant, heart, cushion, emerald, marquise, pear, princess, radiant and oval, creating an endless range of possible combinations of shapes and colors. For two years, the Maison’s designers and artisans worked to enhance them in the Collection of the Century, which seemed to herald a new millennium devoted to gemstones.
LEGACY AND MODERNITY
Over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels has paid tribute to the beauty of precious stones, celebrating their colors, brilliance and elegant shapes. Continuing this tradition, since the early 2000s the Maison has dedicated a number of High Jewelry collections to gemstones, including Collection of the Century (2002), Pierres de Caractère (2006), Pierres de Caractère – Variations (2013), Émeraude en majesté (2016) and Treasure of Rubies (2019).
This year, the Maison presents a significant selection of pieces featuring exceptional white diamonds, the result of an extraordinary journey shaped by passion and expertise. Van Cleef & Arpels’ exacting standards and refined taste have inspired it to build a network of diamond specialists. This search for the rarest stones is inseparable from great patience, precisely the kind that great love requires.