Complication Poétique Midnight Planétarium By Van Cleef & Arpels

History
In 1895, Esther Arpels , the daughter of Salomon Arpels, married Alfred Van Cleef, whose family were sheet merchants living in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France. The couple shared a pioneering spirit and a passion for precious stones. Alfred and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels , created a company specializing in precious stones in 1896.
In 1906, following Arpels’s death, Alfred and two of his brothers-in-law, Salomon and Julien, acquired a space for Van Cleef & Arpels at 22 Place Vendôme, across from the Hôtel Ritz, where Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique shop. Place Vendôme attracted Russian and European aristocrats and American businessmen; it was a symbol of Parisian luxury and the benchmark for international elegance. The third Arpels brother, Louis, soon joined the company.
Van Cleef & Arpels grew quickly, opening boutiques in holiday resorts such as Deauville, Vichy, Le Touquet, Nice, and Monte-Carlo. In 1925, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet with red and white roses fashioned from rubies and diamonds won the grand prize at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts.