*New Van Cleef & Arpels entrance under construction. Photo: Helen Siwak*

Paris-based luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels will open a new downtown Vancouver boutique this month at Maison Birks, with its own dedicated streetfront entrance. The new Van Cleef replaces a 300 square foot shop-in-store that opened inside Birks in September of 2006.

Located at 698 West Hastings Street, at the corner of Granville Street, Vancouver's Maison Birks is the country's largest with its retail space spanning 20,220 square feet over two levels. The beautiful store is located in a former bank building, and the new Van Cleef & Arpels boutique's new doorway required modifications to the historical building's facade.

Birks, Vancouver. Photo: taliajevan.com — *Birks, Vancouver. Photo: taliajevan.com*

*Window at Vancouver's Maison Birks (by Fall, they mean December). Photo: Helen Siwak*

Van Cleef & Arpels' only other Canadian location is at Maison Birks in Toronto's Manulife Centre. That Birks store also saw Van Cleef & Arpels open in the fall of 2006, though a replacement shop-in-store reflecting the brand's updated image opened in March of 2013. Manulife Centre is expected to announce a major retail expansion that could include modifications to Maison Birks.

Founded in 1906 by Alfred Van Cleef and his brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels on the Place Vendome in Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels is considered to be one of the world's most prestigious jewellery brands. The company has store locations worldwide and in the United States, it operates freestanding locations as well as concessions within selected Neiman Marcus stores.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: December 3, 2015

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