Van Cleef & Arpels’ Token of Luck: The Alhambra

A veritable signature of Van Cleef & Arpels, the Alhambra collection has consistently reinvented itself over the decades to the current creations, which are enriched with a wide range of innovative materials and exciting colours.

In 1968, Van Cleef & Arpels created the first Alhambra long necklace, composed of 20 clover-shaped motifs in creased yellow gold, and trimmed with gold beads. This symbolic design enjoyed instant success, recognised throughout the world as a token of luck – emblematic of the maison, and drawing inspiration from the contours of the four-leaf clover.

A value dear to the maison, luck has been a perennial guiding light for Van Cleef & Arpels, inspiring some of its most iconic creations. Four-leaf clover motifs first appeared in the archives as early as the 1920s, embellishing select creations over the years alongside other symbols of good fortune, including wooden talismans, charms, and benevolent fairies. Jacques Arpels, the nephew of the founding couple and an avid collector, would often pick four-leaf clovers in his backyard, offering them to his employees as good luck charms.

Since being popularised in the late 1960s, this collection has continuously evolved, introducing combinations of materials, various functionalities, and adaptations in motif sizes. The latest additions – the Sweet Alhambra watch, the Vintage Alhambra reversible ring, a pendant, and earrings – which were introduced at the end of 2023, pair the deep sheen of guilloché yellow gold with the nuances of blue agate.

Most noteworthy, the Alhambra collection is renowned for demonstrating Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewellery savoir-faire and expertise, particularly known for its stone selection and rich palette of materials and hues.

Drawing on a traditional aesthetic that the maison has employed since the 1910s to enhance watches, and since the 1930s to adorn cases, powder boxes, and Minaudières, the guilloché motif was introduced into the Alhambra collection in 2018 to mark its 50th anniversary. Paired with ornamental stones or diamonds, its sunbeam-like streaks and delicately textured gold surfaces captivate the gaze with their luminous reflections.

With the latest creations, Van Cleef & Arpels also celebrates blue agate, first introduced within the Alhambra collection in 1989. This variant of translucent chalcedony perfectly meets the maison’s very strict selection standards, which prioritise pure material, intense colour, and a lustrous surface. To create harmonious ensembles, the clover motifs are precisely matched to each piece. Slight natural variations in opacity can be observed, imbuing the creations with their uniqueness and charm. Because of the microcrystalline structure of the gem, the different steps in the polishing process are particularly delicate.

A beaded contour – further typical of Van Cleef & Arpels’ style – borders each motif, highlighting the combination of brilliant guilloché and deep blue agate.

Since its debut, the Alhambra collection has renewed the art of daily jewellery-wearing with creations that adapt to desires and silhouettes.

The Vintage Alhambra reversible ring, a transformative piece rooted in the tradition of convertible jewels that it cherishes, is a good example of this versatility. Its two faces – one in guilloché yellow gold set with a diamond, the other in blue agate – and double-beaded contour echo the collection’s aesthetic codes. The body of the ring, made up of three rows of cascading golden beads, secures the central motif. Its mechanism rotates fluidly and consistently, and the interior features a half-round band of gold that gently hugs the finger. The height of the close-set diamond on the guilloché motif is designed to ensure comfortable wear and preserve the stone’s radiance. Each component of each piece is assembled and adjusted by hand.

Since their inception in 1998, the Alhambra collection’s watches have never ceased to evolve. Faithful to the Sweet Alhambra aesthetic, the latest creation brings guilloché yellow gold and blue agate together. Fifteen successive steps, including strict rough stone selection, meticulous material pairing, gem-setting, and casing of the movement and dial, give life to this piece.

As if set in a precious jewellery case, the motifs are placed within a beaded setting whose structure is carefully crafted by jewellery artisans. Its prongs, rounded to echo the golden beads, are skillfully folded down. A final polishing is performed to highlight the watch.

For nearly six decades, Alhambra has become a byword for style and versatility; a jewellery creation that’s become highly sought after – for good reason.

For more information, visit vancleefarpels.com.