Born in the wake of the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, the Maison came into being at Place Vendôme in Paris in 1906, marking the debut of a bejeweled destiny. In 1895 in Paris, Estelle Arpels, daughter of a dealer in precious stones, married Alfred Van Cleef, son of a lapidary craftsman and diamond broker. The couple shared the same values: a sense of family, a spirit of innovation and a passion for precious stones.