Discover the New High Jewelry Haven: Lotte Department Store Welcomes Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff

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Photo: Lotte Department Store

Lotte Department Store is doubling down on high jewelry, adding Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff to its luxury roster. After bringing in heavyweights like Cartier, Tiffany, and Bulgari, the retailer says it’s positioning its flagship as the go-to high-jewelry destination for Seoul’s northern shopping district.

A Lotte spokesperson told reporters on the 25th, “We opened Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff on the first floor of our flagship on the 21st of this month,” adding that the move is part of a broader strategy to establish the flagship as the high-jewelry hub of the northern retail area.

Demand for high jewelry has been climbing steadily. Customers are not just buying for style—they’re investing. Pieces are prized for both their fashion appeal and their value as collectibles, attracting buyers who want rarity and long-term appreciation. Lotte’s luxury jewelry sales rose more than 20% year over year last year, and jumped over 35% in the first quarter (January–March) of this year. Retailers expect the trend to continue.

Van Cleef & Arpels, founded in France in 1906, is a storied high-jewelry house with more than a century of heritage. The new flagship boutique is the brand’s first new store of the year and showcases its signature offerings—from timeless high jewelry to the whimsical Poetic Complications watches and the Lucky Spring collection.

Graff, the British high-end jeweler, is synonymous with rare, high-value diamonds. The brand is known for controlling the process end to end—sourcing rough stones, cutting and polishing them, and handling final sales—ensuring quality and exclusivity at every step.

To mark the openings, Lotte’s flagship will host a “High Jewelry Fair” through April 6. Nineteen brands, including Cartier, Bulgari, and Tiffany, are participating, displaying roughly 38 billion KRW (about $28.5 million) worth of high-jewelry pieces, including limited-edition collections. Last year’s inaugural fair at the Jamsil store drew strong customer interest, and Lotte plans to make the event a recurring highlight as it builds the flagship into a premier high-jewelry destination.

Cho Hyung-ju, head of Lotte Department Store’s luxury division, said, “Welcoming Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff to our flagship shows we now have genuine high-jewelry competitiveness in the northern market. We’ll keep expanding our brand portfolio to offer customers not just products but exceptional experiences.”

Photo: Lotte Department Store