About Van Cleef & Arpels Brand
Van Cleef & Arpels, a prestigious French luxury jewelry and watchmaking maison, opened their first boutique in 1906. Ever since, the brand's jewelry has been worn and beloved by celebrities and royalty.
Founded by a daughter of a precious stone dealer and a son of a stone cutter, Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef, the brand was meant to be big the jewelry world. Press used to call the power couple union “The Maison based on love.”
Before Art Deco was pronounced as a style, VCA brand was known for their skillfully made, bold geometric pieces. Later, during the century, the maker mastered this design approach to the top-notch jewelry level. The experimental spirit, fearless usage of the exotic materials and truly unique gemstone combinations brought Van Cleef & Arpels to the top three of the jewelry worlds.
One of the most distinctive aspects of Van Cleef & Arpels’ philosophy is applying storytelling and thematic elements to their design. Many of the VCA collections draw inspiration from fairy tales and exotic locales, infusing each piece with a narrative. The brand's Alhambra collection, for instance, features the iconic quatrefoil motif inspired by the four-leaf clover, symbolizing luck, health, fortune, and love. This mix of artistic expression and meaningful storytelling adds a unique depth to their designs, making Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations wearable works of art that resonate on an emotional level.
In order to make this prestigious jewelry affordable not only for a prestige clientele, Nadine Krakov Collection offers a wide selection of estate Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry without the high markups.
Shop for our Van Cleef & Arpels ring collection, Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and VCA earrings.
About Malachite Jewelry
Malachite is a mineral with a mesmerizing green color. That color comes from a compound called copper carbonate. The malachite coloration may vary from pastel green to dark bottle green shades. The shades appear in gorgeous swirling patterns, providing fascinating look to the stone.
A malachite cut process requires skills and knowledge. When jewelers cut the stone, they position it in a certain way enhancing the layers of color. This is how fascinating malachite colors get revealed in jewelry pieces to be appreciated by the tasteful clients.
Top 3 jewelry brands – Cartier, Bulgari and VCA — value this dramatic gemstone. Malachite beads and malachite jewelry with inlays are admired and consider classic jewels worldwide.
Malachite meaning varies in different cultures, however in many of those it has long been associated with protection, transformation, and healing. Its vibrant green hues are often linked to the lush vitality of nature, representing the cycles of life. In addition to its protective qualities, malachite is considered a powerful stone for emotional healing, helping to promote emotional balance.
As a gem malachite is accessible for the makers and rather affordable to source. Gorgeous malachite jewelry is a popular choice as it's affordable and wearable. Put on a bead dark green malachite necklace with a white shirt, and your look is instantly elevated.
About Lapis Lazuli Jewelry
A distinct combo of a deep blue color and gold flecks makes lapis lazuli easy to recognize. This semi-precious gemstone has been in use since antiquity. It's 6,500 years old and considered one of the oldest gems in history. Being a base for ultramarine color, lapis had a crucial meaning for the Renaissance and Baroque artists. For instance, a famous bright blue scarf of Vermeer's Girl with a pearl earring was painted by using ultramarine. Today an amazing color of lapis remains in favor among jewelry designers and their clients.
Lapis contains such minerals as lazurite, pyrite and calcite. The sulfur content of lazurite provides the blue color. The gold specks come from pyrite inclusions. The color palette of the gem varies from deep purple and royal blue to turquoise and even greenish blue. Quality of the rock is measured by the content of blue lazurite along with golden color iron pyrites.
The most common cuts for lapis are cabochon or beads. Inlays are widely used for lapis cufflinks and bracelets. Cartier's and Webb's greatest hits have been made of lapis within the history of the brands.
