History of the 1896 wedding of Estelle Arpels to Alfred Van Cleef They met at the end of the Nineteenth Century, Alfred Van Cleef, a precious stone-cutters’ son, and the young woman, Estelle Arpels, her father a leading precious raw gems merchant. It was Paris, 1895, a marriage between two deep loves, joining together two…
Read more
When designers create a multi-thousand dollar jar for a major partnership between a global cosmetic company and renowned jeweler, they do it in style. This is the case with the project between Estée Lauder Cos.’ La Mer and jeweler Boucheron. The magical creation comes in the form of a moisturizing lotion decanter that is assembled…
Read more
Gold has been one of the most important metals in all of human history. As far back as the ancient Egyptians, gold bars were used as a store of wealth for the middle class and nobility, and many currencies, including the Roman Denarii and other ancient currencies, were made using precious metals like gold. More…
Read more
Some of the world’s most dazzling jewellery has a cult-like following. The renowned Paris based jeweler JAR, Joel Arthur Rosenthal, created jewelry masterpieces that are objects of desire for everyone. Actress Ellen Barkin once called him “the single greatest jeweler of our time.” JAR pieces have sold world over at crazy high prices due to…
Read more
Aqua and gold bridesmaids ensembles are pretty high up there on our list of favorite wedding color palettes. When we saw this wedding with bridesmaids in this aqua and gold polka dot Shoshanna gown we were obsessed. Not only is the wedding itself lovely and full of pastels and natural beauty, but this dress is…
Read more
With the December Solstice rapidly approaching, it’s no surprise that many luxury watch designers have found their head in the clouds…and who could blame them? These next luxury designs shine as brightly as the stars and constellations that they were inspired by. Each piece offers their own unique ability to track the moon phases, your…
Read more
A Quest for Beauty: the Art of Van Cleef & Arpels: Lasting from October 27, 2013 through February 15, 2014 visitors to The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California will be treated to a one of a kind exhibit entitled “A Quest for Beauty: the Art of Van Cleef & Arpels. The items exhibited will…
Read more
Everyone knows that colors evoke certain emotional responses. The degree to which this occurs depends on the person. But grocery marketers, major corporations, and everyone in between has harnessed the influence of color to portray a certain sensibility. The application of color also works with gem stones. There are thousands of gem stones in the…
Read more
THIS JUST IN: Only Watch auction has brought in an unheard-of amount for charity funding! When fashion meets philanthropy, our hearts melt. At the fifth edition of the biennial Only Watch auction on September 28, €5,066,000 was raised to go towards research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. That comes out to a total of over $6.8 million…
Read more
BaselWorld is by far the most exciting event in the watch world. It’s where all the luxury watch designers unveil their latest creations. From the highest of high end timepiece technology to the latest trends that will dominate the watch world for years to come, Basel is the place to find them. While perusing one…
Read more
Our Van Cleef and Arpels case has been filling up lately! It’s never a bad day when we get to buy vintage or pre owned Alhambra pieces, but when customers want to sell rarer pieces of VCA jewelry – like these Van Cleef and Arpels Flowerlace earrings – we get extra excited. Not only are…
Read more
This week the streets of Paris are teeming with fashion industry figures from all over the world. They are getting a first hand glance at the haute couture fashions and accessories slated to hit the fashion world in the autumn and winter of 2014. The French maison of high end jewelry Van Cleef & Arpels,…
Read more
You might have noticed that malachite doesn’t get a lot of love among the gemstone world. Precious stones like diamonds, rubies and sapphires get most of the love in the jewelry world. And even semi-precious stones like opals, pearls and topaz seem to get a lot more attention than the deeply mysterious malachite. But, there’s…
Read more
This week shows us jewelry and watch auctions at both Christie’s and Bonham’s. At Christie’s we spotted a Chopard Happy Fish watch (plus plenty more familiar looking pre owned watches) along with a gorgeous gold Tank Americaine, which is somewhat hard to come by pre owned (of all the clients who want to sell watches,…
Read more
For well over a century, Van Cleef & Arpels has spelled romance in jewelry. The Van Cleef love story began in 1895 when Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef declared their deep passion and love for all things beautiful into the creation of jewels that would befit celebrities and royalty, most especially those lucky in…
Read more
