Van Cleef & Arpels

In 1895 in Paris, Estelle Arpels, daughter of a dealer in precious stones, married Alfred Van Cleef, son of a diamond broker. In 1906 Alfred Van Cleef partnered with Estelle’s brothers to open the first Van Cleef & Arpels boutique at 22 Place Vendôme, a centre of Parisian elegance. The business has never moved from that address.

Between 1910 and 1920, Van Cleef & Arpels also opened boutiques throughout France in Nice, Deauville, Vichy, Lyon, and Cannes.

Van Cleef & Arpels is known for its exclusive clientele, dressing the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, and Princess Fawzia of Egypt, among others.