Van Cleef & Arpels' history is inextricably linked to Paris - it was founded in the city in 1906 and became the first maison to open in the prestigious Place Vendome. But there's another side to its story that began more than 30 years later when its first boutique opened in New York, which helped make the brand the success it is today.
The jeweller now has such a strong identity in the United States that many of its clients believe it's an American house, says Nicolas Bos, Van Cleef & Arpels' worldwide creative director, and president and CEO for the Americas.
'We've been here for 70 years and it's an institution,' he says.
The brand's role as a major jeweller in the US and its many contributions to jewellery design are the subject of an exhibition showing at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.
'New York chose us in a way - we've always had a strong history here,' Bos says. 'Part of the family moved to America in the 1930s and we opened in New York in 1939 during the second world war.'
Cooper-Hewitt approached the brand a year ago looking to host an exhibition that explored 20th-century design. It was keen to involve a major jeweller and Van Cleef & Arpels was a natural choice, says Sarah Coffin, curator and head of the decorative arts department.