Van Cleef & Arpels, perfume?  Yes, this celebrated French jewelry house also created some great fragrance.   The house of Van Cleef & Arpels was created in 1896.  It was brought to life in Paris by husband and wife team, Alfred Van Cleef and Esther (Estelle) Arpels, Estelle’s brothers, Louis, Juilien and Charles Arpels joined the team.  

With brilliant long-term success in the jewelry industry in Europe, this house opened their first boutique in the US in the early 1940s.  They have had their jewelry masterpieces worn by royalty, entertainers and politicians.  

In the 1970s Van Cleef & Arpels launched their first fragrance called First for Women.  This was a classic floral aldehyde created by Jean-Claude Ellena.  What is an Aldehyde?  It is an organic compound present in natural materials that can be synthesized artificially.  You can sample Van Cleef & Arpels First for women.  In 2008 this house gave us Feerie for women, presented in a unique bottle featuring a fairy siting on a twig as the cap, a magical, delicate woody floral violet perfume created by Antoine Maisondieu.  Try a sample of Van Cleef & Arpels Feerie.  

In 2009/2010, Van Cleef & Arpels gave us Collection Extraordinaire, a total collection of seven fragrances.   You can try the first six released in our sampler Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire all six sampler.  The compositions of the Collection Extraordinaire fragrances  are luxurious, using high quality raw materials in their creation.   This collection was inspired by the beauty of nature.  They were created by the following perfumers:  

Gardenia Petale – Nathalie Feisthauer, Gardenia rich and sensual

Orchidee Vanille – Randa Hammami, Vanilla in all its states, distinguished and mysterious

Lys Carmin – Nathalie Cetto, seductive sensual spicy

Muguet Blanc – Antoine Maisondieu, Lily-of-the Valley delicacy

Bois d’Iris – Emilie Coopermann, sparkling, woody, mysterious

Cologne Noire – Mark Buxton, for men and women, fresh spices.  

In 2010 this house added one more to this lineup, Precious Oud, perfumer – Amandine Marie – warm and sensual.