“The cream of the crop” is a phrase that inspired from the French phrase ‘la crème de la crème,’ which loosely translates to “the cream of the cream”. This phrase is used when someone tries to convey highest value or quality of a person or object.
Example in use: “These two employees are extremely hardworking. They are the cream of the crop among our employees.”
The phrase "best of the best" was heard in England around the year 1800. But it is not clear exactly how the expression “the cream of the crop” first came into use.