Richemont-owned jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels is putting the finishing touches on its first New Zealand store, in downtown Auckland. 

The luxury retailer will open in the historic Dilworth building on the corner of Queen and Customs Sts, a stone’s throw from the Commercial Bay shopping centre, and rival luxury retailers Prada and Louis Vuitton.

While an opening date has not been set, the fitout is well underway with hoardings announcing the brand in the windows facing the pavements of both streets. 

Curiously, the brand is opening in the downtown retail precinct rather than in the new luxury retail hub being curated at Scentre Group’s Westfield Newmarket, where Burberry opened its first New Zealand store earlier this month, joining Mulberry, Moncler and Michael Kors, among others.

Founded in France in 1896, Van Cleef & Arpels built fame after being worn by celebrities including Grace Kelly, Eva Perón, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Duchess of Windsor.

Richemont bought the company in 1999 and over the years it has expanded outside European capitals into markets including the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. 

The company launched into Australia in 2016 and now has two stores in Melbourne and one in Sydney.