About French Jewelry
Vintage French jewelry is highly valued by jewelry experts and enthusiasts. Since the late Renaissance, France has established itself as one of the world trendsetters in art and fashion. A quick look at the top 5 French jewelry companies — Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermes, Chaumet, Chanel — describes the French level of greatness.
How did France reach the top of the jewelry world’s hierarchy? In a nutshell, it started with French apprenticeship system. In the beginning of 1950s, in France anyone at the age 14 could start learning the craft. Learning was primarily hands-on, with apprentices assisting in various stages of jewelry creation under the guidance of their mentors. They would start with basic tasks and gradually progress to more complex ones as their skills improved. This way French jewelers, like no others in the world, gained a substantial portion of experience in the early age. Even non-designer jewels were produced by highly skilled masters. The 1950s was a period when various design movements, such as Art Deco and the beginning of the Mid-Century Modern era, influenced jewelry aesthetics. Apprentices would be exposed to these design trends and learn to adapt their skills to create pieces reflecting these styles. Masters passed down not only technical skills but also their values, ethics, and artistic sensibilities.
Modern jewelry is not handcrafted anymore and mass market oriented production is prevailing. Jewelry designs are streamlined to use as less hand labor as possible. That’s why today vintage French jewelry is in such high demand. Nadine Krakov Collection offers the most desirable vintage jewelry online made by French experts.
About Van Cleef & Arpels Brand
Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry has been worn by celebrities and royalty since the first boutique opening in 1906. Being 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 in the jewelry world. Press used to call the power couple union “The Maison based on love.”Even 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 world. To make this prestigious jewelry affordable not only for the 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.
