VELVET BOX SOCIETY
  • Antique & Vintage
    • Shop By Era
    • Engagement Rings
    • Cocktail Rings
    • Timepieces
    • Gentlemans Accessories
    • Bracelets
    • Earrings
    • Necklaces & Pendants
    • Diamonds
    • From The Vault
    • The Archives: A Collection of Sold Items
  • Custom
    • Custom Jewelry
    • Custom Engagement Rings
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Family Crest Jewelry
    • Design Process
    • Schedule Consultation
    • For The Trade
    • More For The Trade
  • Sell To Us
  • Services
    • Appraisal Services >
      • Appraisals
      • SELL TO US
      • Museum Collection Services
    • Schedule Consultation
    • Design Custom Jewelry
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
    • Jewelry Repair
    • Timepiece Repair
    • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
    • Find Jewelry For Me
    • Find a Watch For Me
    • Insurance Replacement
    • Host a Trunk Show
    • Layaway Plan
    • Private Collection Management
  • The Brand
    • Our History >
      • Sustainability
      • Military and First Responder Discounts
      • Kimberly Process
    • Our Experts
    • Press
    • Jewelry School >
      • Educational Session
      • Antique & Vintage Education >
        • Ancient
        • Medieval & Renaissance
        • Baroque & Rococo
        • Georgian
        • Victorian
        • Edwardian
        • Art Nouveau
        • Arts & Crafts
        • Art Deco
        • Retro
        • Hollywood Glam
        • Mid-Century Modern
        • Brutalist
        • Art Organique
        • Contemporary
        • Simplistic
      • Diamond Education >
        • Diamond Carat Weight by MM
        • Comparative Round Size Info
      • Gemstone Education >
        • Gemstone Laboratories
        • All About Gemstones
        • Approximate Gemstone weights
        • Carat to MM Conversion
        • Gemstone Colors
        • Created, Synthetic & Simulated Gemstones
        • Equivalents Chart
      • Engagement Rings
      • Diamond Earrings
      • Timepieces >
        • Vintage Rolex
        • Watch Terms
      • Ring Designs & Sizings >
        • Men's Wedding Band Finishes
        • Ring Width
        • Ring Size
        • Wrist Size
      • Custom Jewelry
      • Metals
      • Engraving
      • Birthstones
      • Jewelry Care
      • Jewelry Terms
      • French Terms
    • Be Social
    • Gems by VBS The BLOG
    • Reviews
    • Advice >
      • The Courtship
      • The Wedding
  • Contact

Van Cleef & Arpels

On June 16th 1906 Van Cleef & Arpels opened the doors at number 22, Place Vendôme.   Esther Arpels married her cousin Alfred Van Cleef in 1895.  Their fathers had both entered the jewelry business after moving to Paris in the 1860’s.  Esther’s father was a salesman and Alfred’s father was a lapidary.  Alfred initially followed his father in becoming a lapidary before setting up his own retail company.  Eventually he and his his wife’s brother Salomon (also known as Charles) who was a diamond broker combined their businesses registering their company on February 10th 1906.  Two years later Esther’s brothers Jules (Julien) joined them and specialized in gemstones.  In 1912 her youngest brother Louis also joined and Esther also became involved in the business.  Three years after opening in Place Vendôme they opened a second boutique in Dinard  followed in 1910 by one in Nice and in 1912 Deauville.  They had a total of fourteen people on staff at the time.  World War I changed their business as many were called to be part of the war effort.  Émile Puissant met Esther who was a nurse during the war and later introduced to her daughter Renée.  The young couple went on to marry in 1918 and Émile joined the business.  They won a Grand Prix at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925.  Émile passed away in 1926 and Renée joined as artistic director working closely with René-Sim Lacaze then designer.  In 1939 VCA exhibited very successfully at the New York World’s Fair.  A workshop soon followed but Paris was in turmoil as the onset of war and German occupation had forced most of the family to flee France.  Renee stayed behind to run the Place Vendôme boutique and it managed to remain open.  Renée withdrew to Vichy France, working from the branch there, before tragically taking her own life after the Germans invaded the Free Zone in 1942.  In 1944 the company was returned to the Arpels family with Julien’s sons Claude, Jacques, and Pierre as directors.   Success followed and in 1954 they opened a brand new concept, La Boutique, which focused on a younger clientele.  They became an ‘Official Supplier to the Principality of Monaco’ when Grace Kelly was married to the prince of Monaco.  In 1973, they became the first French jewelry company to open in Japan while continuing their expansion throughout Europe and the United States.  Jacques son Philippe and daughter Dominique joined the company and became the last generation to do so as the company was bought by the Richemont Group between 1999 and 2003.

​​​​WE ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS JEWELRY, JEWELRY SKETCHES, DOCUMENTS!

THE BRAND

Contact Us
About
The Company
Press
​
Policies
​
Refer A Friend
Military, Police, & First Responders

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Contact Us
Sell To Us 
​Product Care & Repair
​
Ring Size Chart
Call Now: 215-479-5913
Make an Appointment
Sustainability

SOCIAL

Picture
Submit
leave us a review
Picture
Picture
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. .All Rights Reserved. All logos, images, and graphics copyright and credit to their respective owners.
  • Antique & Vintage
    • Shop By Era
    • Engagement Rings
    • Cocktail Rings
    • Timepieces
    • Gentlemans Accessories
    • Bracelets
    • Earrings
    • Necklaces & Pendants
    • Diamonds
    • From The Vault
    • The Archives: A Collection of Sold Items
  • Custom
    • Custom Jewelry
    • Custom Engagement Rings
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Family Crest Jewelry
    • Design Process
    • Schedule Consultation
    • For The Trade
    • More For The Trade
  • Sell To Us
  • Services
    • Appraisal Services >
      • Appraisals
      • SELL TO US
      • Museum Collection Services
    • Schedule Consultation
    • Design Custom Jewelry
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
    • Jewelry Repair
    • Timepiece Repair
    • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
    • Find Jewelry For Me
    • Find a Watch For Me
    • Insurance Replacement
    • Host a Trunk Show
    • Layaway Plan
    • Private Collection Management
  • The Brand
    • Our History >
      • Sustainability
      • Military and First Responder Discounts
      • Kimberly Process
    • Our Experts
    • Press
    • Jewelry School >
      • Educational Session
      • Antique & Vintage Education >
        • Ancient
        • Medieval & Renaissance
        • Baroque & Rococo
        • Georgian
        • Victorian
        • Edwardian
        • Art Nouveau
        • Arts & Crafts
        • Art Deco
        • Retro
        • Hollywood Glam
        • Mid-Century Modern
        • Brutalist
        • Art Organique
        • Contemporary
        • Simplistic
      • Diamond Education >
        • Diamond Carat Weight by MM
        • Comparative Round Size Info
      • Gemstone Education >
        • Gemstone Laboratories
        • All About Gemstones
        • Approximate Gemstone weights
        • Carat to MM Conversion
        • Gemstone Colors
        • Created, Synthetic & Simulated Gemstones
        • Equivalents Chart
      • Engagement Rings
      • Diamond Earrings
      • Timepieces >
        • Vintage Rolex
        • Watch Terms
      • Ring Designs & Sizings >
        • Men's Wedding Band Finishes
        • Ring Width
        • Ring Size
        • Wrist Size
      • Custom Jewelry
      • Metals
      • Engraving
      • Birthstones
      • Jewelry Care
      • Jewelry Terms
      • French Terms
    • Be Social
    • Gems by VBS The BLOG
    • Reviews
    • Advice >
      • The Courtship
      • The Wedding
  • Contact