Van Cleef & Arpels vintage hammered 18kt. yellow and white gold link bracelet

Van Cleef & Arpels vintage hammered 18kt. yellow and white gold link bracelet. Designer: Van Cleef & Arpels Made in the 1970s. Stamped with Van Cleef & Arpels mark, serial numbers, and a hallmark for 18k gold. Dimensions – Length: 21 cm Width: 2 cm Weight: 125 grams Condition: Pre-owned, age-related wear and tear, otherwise good and pleasant condition overall. The history of Van Cleef & Arpels Alfred Van Cleef (1872-1938), the son of a diamond cutter, married Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a dealer in precious stones, in 1895. The following year Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels, formed Van Cleef & Arpels. After Salomon died in 1903, Alfred and two of his brothers-in-law, Charles (1880-1951) and Julien (1884-1964), officially founded Van Cleef & Arpels with the opening of their shop in 1906 at 22 Place Vendôme, where the firm remains today. The third Arpels brother, Louis (1886-1976), joined the firm in 1912, no doubt to cope with their expansion, as branches had been opened in Nice, Deauville, Vichy, Lyon and Cannes, all between 1910 and 1920. Alfred’s daughter, Renée Puissant (1897-1942), took control of the company’s artistic direction in 1926, and for the next 12 years worked closely with the talented designer René-Sim Lacaze. Always at the forefront of innovation, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its ‘Mystery Set’ — a technique that allows for the setting of stones so that no prongs are visible — in 1933. Originally used for adorning minaudières, the Mystery Set allowed for swathes of colour unbroken by the flash of metal.