BROOCH, Van Cleef & Arpels. 146 brilliant and baguette cut diamonds c. 13.50 ct ~ G-H/vs.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Ever since the sunny summer morning in June, 1906, when the hopeful, just-married young couple Estelle Arpels and Alfred van Cleef opened the doors to their new jewellery boutique at prestigious Place Vendôme in Paris, the name Van Cleef & Arpels has signified glamour, elegance, exile and triumph. The newly established firm quickly found itself a dazzling clientele among the royal and aristocratic families of Europe as well as celebrated opera, ballet and theatre stars. Also involved in the business were Estelles three brothers, Julien, Louis, and Charles Arpels. Louis, the youngest brother, was passionately interested in ballet, an interest he would come to share with his nephew Claude.

Exile and emigration had coloured the fates of both families, and in 1939 the time had come for yet another departure. Claude and Louis journeyed to New York to open another boutique on Fifth Avenue, and before long the city became enchanted with Van Cleef & Arpels. Paris was considered the epicentre of fashion, style and sophistication, and the unique designs of the firm were hailed as the quintessence of ”le style parisien”. The first collections echoed Claude Arpel's passion for ballet, featuring brooches shaped like ballerinas with jewel-encrusted tutus.

Twenty years later, the world of ballet yet again crossed paths with Van Cleef & Arpels. A strange, slightly frightening man entered the boutique and gazed for a long time at the glimmering displays. The strange man turned out to be the world-famous choreographer George Balanchine, who became so infatuated with the jewels that he created a ballet, Jewels!, in their honour. It premiered in 1967 and still features as part of the repertoire of many of the great opera houses. For more than a century, the world's most admired and celebrated women have proudly worn jewellery from Van Cleef & Arpels.