TOP 5 JEWELRY

Graff is a fine jewelry boutique which specializes in high quality and rare stones. It was founded in the 1960s in London by Laurence Graff, a Jewish English jeweler. It operates worldwide as a cutter of raw stones, jewelry manufacturer and retailer with 26 boutiques around the world. In 2008, Graff bought the Wittelsbach Diamond for $24.3 million (£16.4 million) and set a record in 2010 for the highest price ever paid for a jewel at auction – $46 million dollars (£29 million) – for a pink diamond. Graff is estimated at $2.5 billion USD as of 2011.

Chopard is a Swiss luxury watch, jewelry and accessories company. It was founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who was 24 at the time. Chopard initially made precise pocket watches and chronometers. In 1921, Chopard's son, Paul Louis Chopard, opened a branch in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He relocated the company headquarters there and in 1937, he moved the firm to Geneva. In 1943, Paul André Chopard, grandson of Louis-Ulysse, took over. In 1963, after searching for a buyer capable of reviving and perpetuating the brand’s heritage (since none of his sons wished to take over the company), Paul André Chopard sold the company to Karl Scheufele.

Cartier S.A. is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer with headquarters in Paris. It carries the name of the Cartier family of jewelers, whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces, including the "Bestiary" (best illustrated by the Panthère brooch of the 1940s created for Wallis Simpson); the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala; and "Santos," the first practical wristwatch. Cartier operates more than 200 stores in 125 countries.

The company has a long history of serving royalty, stars and celebrities. One Prince of Wales hailed Cartier as "Joaillier des Rois, Roi des Joailliers" (Jeweler to Kings, King of Jewelers"). Cartier was asked to provide 27 tiaras for the coronation of the future King. In 1902, King Edward VII was crowned and in 1904 he honored the company with the Royal warrant of supplier to the Royal Court of England. Similar warrants soon followed from the courts of Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Greece, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Egypt and Albania as well as from the House of Orleans and the Principality of Monaco.

Van Cleef & Arpels is a French jewelery, watch and perfume company that was founded in 1896 by Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels. In 1906, they opened their first boutique at 22 place Vendôme, Paris. Van Cleef & Arpels are well known for their expertise in precious stones and are recognized for a groundbreaking gem-setting procedure known as the Mystery Setting.

The company began when Esther Arpels, daughter of Salomon Arpels and dealer in precious stones, married Alfred Van Cleef, whose family members were sheet merchants in Paris. That same year, in 1896, Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels already had a company with aim of “founding and running a jewelery business”. In 1906, they registered the “Van Cleef & Arpels” trademark and opened a boutique at place Vendôme. Soon after, they were joined by Esther’s brothers, Salomon, Jules and Louis. The company prospered from the period of 1909 to 1939, resulting in many boutiques being opened in south of France. Alfred Van Cleef died in 1938.

As the years passed, the second generation joined the business. In 1942, the Arpels immigrated to America and opened their first boutique on 5th Avenue in New York. Later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened boutiques in Japan and China, becoming the first French jewelers to do so. The firm had always been managed by a descendant of the Arpels family up until its acquisition by the Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. in 1999.

The company’s prestige was largely helped by prominent commissions issued by royal and imperial courts, financiers and industrial moguls, allowing Van Cleef & Arpels to have a presence not only in Europe and the United States but also in Asia and the Middle East.

Tiffany & Co. is an American fine jewelry company, founded in New York City in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young. It began as a "stationery and fancy goods emporium," initially selling a variety of stationery items, operating under the name Tiffany, Young and Ellis in lower Manhattan. When Charles Tiffany took control in 1853, they shortened their name to Tiffany & Co. while switching their focus to jewelry. Since then, Tiffany & Co. has opened stores in major cities around the world.