Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry sparkles in the collections of many stars, including the Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly and one of the most renowned Greek soprano Maria Callas.
“Once upon time, there was a story of love and precious stones…” Van Cleef & Arpels has started to talk its establishment story with this sentence. The seeds of the brand were planted with the marriage of Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef in Paris in 1895. Their passion for precious stones was another bond that unites this young couple apart from love, and they founded Van Cleef & Arpels, the uniting these two names in a common, in 1906. Almost 20 years later, their daughter Renée Puissant was also included in the story of Van Cleef & Arpels as Artistic Director and created the unique style of the brand. The Maison’s collections such as Zip, Romeo & Juliet and Le Secret are inspired by art, whilst collections such as Flowers are inspired by nature. Van & Cleef Arpels has a unique and recognizable style and it is known for its jewels with artistic touches. It is inevitable that the Maison, which had a passion for love and jewelry in its establishment, has other stories throughout its history. We have compiled the stories of Van Cleef & Arpels, from princesses to sopranos, into an article that shines with sparkling jewels.
Wallison Simpson ve Prince Edward
We know Prince Edward as the first British King who abdicated in 1936 in order to marry Wallison Simpson. This great love that discouraged Prince Edward from the throne was also reflected in Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. And Prince Edward spent hours with Van Cleef & Arpels designers to design jewels for the Duchess Wallison. The ruby and diamond Cravate necklace (1936), and the sapphire and diamond Jarretière (1936) bracelet are one of the pieces that Prince Edward’s love is embodied by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Jarretière 
Cravate
Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly
In 1956, Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III, thus becoming Princess of Monaco. To celebrate their wedding, the Prince Rainier III offered a Van Cleef & Arpels wedding set with pearls and diamonds, which Princess of Monaco remained in her collection throughout her life. A few months later, Van Cleef & Arpels was named “Patented supplier of the Principality of Monaco”.
Florence Jay Gould
Florence Jay Gould was a writer and salon-holder who known as a patron of the arts at institutions. Gould was the inspiration for Minaudièr collection. Besides, she carried her accessories into a mundane white metal box and with this idea she created a new style among elegant women of this period.
Maria Callas
Maria Callas, one of the most renowned Greek sopranos of all time, was also a discerning jewelry collector with her own taste. Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cinq clasp was one of the jewelries Callas was particularly fond of. The soprano has completed her elegance style with this clasp on many special nights. The design is made of platinum and is set with Burmese rubies totaling 15.77 carats, and 16.35 carats of diamonds.
