VAN CLEEF & ARPELS has always been inspired by the unique creative energy of love, for it was love which brought the Maison into being.

Towards the end of the 19th century, a young girl named Estelle Arpels – the daughter of a dealer in precious stones – met a boy named Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a stone-cutter. It was the beginning of a love story like no other, a great adventure beyond expectation. In 1895, they were married. The young lovers had much in common: youthful enthusiasm, a pioneering spirit, an ethic of family solidarity, and a passion for precious stones.

But above all, they were inspired by the desire to create something lasting together. That desire led them to found VAN CLEEF & ARPELS.

Over the years that followed, they succeeded in making VAN CLEEF & ARPELS synonymous with the most exquisite jewellery in the world which in turn led to a range of luxury goods including fine fragrances. With that achievement, the love, which first brought Estelle and Alfred together, lives on to this day through the many enchanting love stories of the Maison.