François Arpels was born into one of jewellery’s most celebrated families. Now, as chief executive and co-owner of Korloff, he is drawing on that inheritance to reposition the independent French Maison for a new generation of clients.
I met François Arpels aboard the 54.5-metre sailing yacht Meira during the Monaco Yacht Show, where Korloff had partnered with Ocean Independence to present its collections and one-of-a-kind pieces through a series of private appointments.
The collaboration brought together two worlds with a natural overlap in clientele, while the yacht itself reflected the identity Arpels is building around Korloff: strong but elegant, distinctive without being ostentatious.
“To me, a sailing yacht is bold and strong, but it also glides effortlessly across the water in a very elegant way,” he told Monaco Life. “That is very much Korloff. It is the attitude we like and the sports-elegant style that is becoming part of the Maison’s identity.”
From Van Cleef & Arpels to Korloff
Arpels is a third-generation member of the family behind Van Cleef & Arpels. He grew up learning about gemstones, craftsmanship and the commercial realities of running a luxury house before formally joining the company in 1988.
“I suppose you could say it is in my genes,” he said. “I was born into the family that created what is now considered one of the finest jewellery houses in the world. From a young age, I completed internships, learnt about diamonds and understood how jewellery was made. It was deeply embedded in me, and it remains my passion.”
He worked first in the United States and later at the company’s French headquarters, remaining with Van Cleef & Arpels until its acquisition by Richemont in 2000.
Over the following two decades, Arpels helped develop other French and Italian family-owned brands, living and working in the United States, India and Turin. By 2022, he was ready to take responsibility for a Maison of his own and began looking at independent jewellery houses in France and Italy.
Korloff stood out. Arpels was drawn to its history, its independence and the 88-carat black diamond at the centre of the brand’s identity. He joined as chief executive at the end of 2023 and acquired the company with a Singapore family office in September 2025, giving him control over both its creative and commercial direction.
A new chapter without abandoning the past
Korloff was founded by Daniel Paillasseur in 1978 and takes its name from the Korloff Noir, an 88-carat black diamond whose history, according to the Maison, traces back to the Russian aristocratic Korloff-Sapojnikoff family, who carried it to Europe when they fled the 1917 revolution. The stone inspired Paillasseur to establish the jewellery house, which became its owner in 1988, and remains central to its identity today. For Arpels, the task is not to discard that inheritance, but to give the Maison a clearer and more contemporary identity.
“When I arrived, one of my first responsibilities was to look back at the history, understand what had worked and examine what had been created by the founder,” he said. “My role is to preserve that story while taking Korloff to the next level in quality, craftsmanship and modernity.”
That role brings together two sides of Arpels’ experience. He is equally interested in gemstones, aesthetics and design as he is in strategy, branding and building businesses. At Korloff, those disciplines are being used to make the collections more consistent and the Maison more immediately recognisable.
His creative vision centres on contrast: black and white diamonds, strength and delicacy, bold forms and fine craftsmanship. The aim is to produce jewellery with a clear personality while preserving the standards expected of a French fine jewellery house.
The bestselling Korlove collection embodies that approach. Its three-dimensional heart motif combines romance with a more rebellious, rock-influenced character – an intentional departure from conventional representations of the symbol.
The Lance collection brings the same thinking to men’s jewellery through arrow-inspired forms and cable bracelets designed for ease of wear. Its pieces respond to what Arpels describes as a less formal approach to luxury, in which clients expect fine jewellery to fit naturally into everyday life.
“We live differently today,” he said. “We wear sneakers and prefer clothing that is comfortable and easy while still wanting to remain elegant. I wanted to create jewellery with the same attitude: refined, contemporary and effortless to wear.”
Responding to a more individual client
Arpels is repositioning Korloff for customers who increasingly want recognisable jewellery without wearing the same pieces as everyone else.
“Clients are looking for jewellery that is different – pieces in which they can recognise themselves, rather than simply wearing what everybody else has,” he said.
That shift is influencing how the collections are designed. Korloff is developing jewellery intended to be stacked, layered and built upon over time, allowing clients to create their own combinations rather than following one prescribed way of wearing a piece.
The approach serves two distinct but increasingly connected audiences. Established collectors may already own pieces from Cartier, Bulgari or Van Cleef & Arpels and be searching for something less ubiquitous. Younger clients are often attracted to bolder designs, personalisation and a more playful relationship with fine jewellery.
Arpels sees no need to choose between them. Korloff’s strategy is to retain the craftsmanship and materials valued by established collectors while giving its designs enough versatility and individuality to speak to a new generation.
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Main photo of François Arpels by Cassandra Tanti/Monaco Life, all other photos courtesy of Korloff