Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Mother-of-Pearl 18K White Gold Earstuds
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Metal:
- Weight:2.79 g
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:approx 2019
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Banbury, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: AT-22351stDibs: LU949322234872
Vintage Alhambra Earrings
Sketches of four-leaf clovers litter the archives of French luxury jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels (est. 1896), some of which date back to the early 1900s, and the brand’s beloved Vintage Alhambra earrings celebrate the quatrefoil-shaped multicultural motif that has long characterized the maison’s most popular collection.
“To be lucky, you must believe in luck,” Jacques Arpels (1914–2008), nephew of Van Cleef & Arpels cofounder Estelle Arpels, liked to say. Jacques sought four-leaf clovers in the yard of his childhood home, and owing to his affinity for nature as well as good fortune, it was he who would ultimately launch the Alhambra line, which celebrates a shape that is based on the clover as well as the ancient quatrefoils of Moorish architecture. Van Cleef CEO Nicolas Bos concedes that luck may have played a role in the motif's impressive universal success — devotees of Alhambra over the years have included Princess Grace of Monaco, acclaimed actress Romy Schneider and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The inaugural design of the Alhambra collection — a yellow-gold opera-length necklace interspersed with 20 gold four-leaf clovers with beaded edges — debuted in 1968. These beaded edges, along with the integration of colorful stones such as malachite, coral and turquoise, define the house’s Vintage Alhambra line. (The Sweet Alhambra pendant and Magic Alhambra necklace are part of the collection’s other iterations.) While adding new styles and precious and semiprecious stones over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels has produced the Alhambra line continuously since its early days. Vintage Alhambra earrings, which embody the casual ease of the original and see the house’s lauded emblem highlighted in a beaded border, continue to be a playful and elegant symbol of good fortune.
Van Cleef & Arpels
One of the world’s foremost jewelry houses, Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly noted for a focus on technical virtuosity, craftsmanship and artistry, evident since its beginning. Rather than create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other adornments primarily for the aim of displaying of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce jewelry that projected the wearer’s taste and style.
The company was formed a year after the 1895 marriage of Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a gem cutter, to Estelle Arpels, daughter of precious-stones dealer Salomon Arpel. Ten years later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique on the Place Vendôme in Paris, setting the march on a square now crowded with dealers in bijouterie. (The company still occupies the New York flagship store opened in 1939 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.)
Born from a union of expertise in both jewelry making and gem selection, Van Cleef & Arpels distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. In doing so, the house would win a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its trademark Mystery Setting — a technique by which gems are fitted into an intricate matrix of slots and “drawers” that keep the setting hidden. Another signal innovation was the Zip necklace, introduced in 1951, which can be worn either around the neck or, with the zipper closed, as a bracelet.
But as much as to the firm’s craftsmanship, clients have been drawn by the insouciance and playfulness of Van Cleef & Arpels designers, as well as their attunement to the cultural climate. After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the company produced several lavish pieces featuring hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs to go along with the geometric Art Deco jewelry of that decade and the next. Following World War II, as symbols of freedom and rebirth, the firm focused on naturalistic forms such as birds, flowers, fruit and flying insects. High society’s 1960s fascination with the Near East and India prompted such pieces as the best-selling Alhambra necklace, popularized by Princess Grace.
Lately, attention among collectors and connoisseurs has centered on Van Cleef & Arpels’s quality of workmanship as much as its glamour. The firm was the subject of a 2012 show at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as well as exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in 2013 and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014.
Find an exquisite collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Newark, DE
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Carnelian 18k Rose Gold EarstudsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-2188 Comes With Box Only Date 2014 RRP £2,560 Inc VAT / $2,720 Excl VAT / 2920 € Inc VAT Model VCARN6BO00 Serial Number JE****** Metal 18k Rose Gold Stones Carnelian Weight 2....Category
2010s French Stud Earrings
MaterialsCarnelian, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Black Onyx Yellow Gold EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-2536 Comes With Pouch Only Date 2015 RRP £2,300 Incl taxes/2.680 € Incl taxes/ $ 2,450 Excl taxes Model ARA44900 Serial Number JE****** Metal 18k Yellow Gold Stones Onyx Weigh...Category
2010s French Stud Earrings
MaterialsOnyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Hammered 18K Yellow Gold EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-2454 Comes With Box Only Date 2012 RRP £ 4,050 Inc taxes / $ 4,300 Excl taxes / 4,650 € Inc taxes Model VCARO1IH00 Serial Number JB****** Metal 18k Yellow Gold Weight Approx 8...Category
2010s French Stud Earrings
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Pure Alhambra Mother-of-Pearl White Gold Pendant NecklaceBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-2544 Comes With Pouch Only Date 2011 Model ARA40100 Serial Number JB****** Metal 18k White Gold Stones Mother of Pearl Weight approx 57 g Length approx 84 cm Condition Excelle...Category
2010s French Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold, White Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Turquoise White Gold EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GB*Rare Find & Investment piece* Adorn your ears with a touch of elegance and sophistication with this exquisite pair of Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Vintage earrings. Crafted from 18-...Category
2010s French Stud Earrings
MaterialsTurquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Diamond White Gold EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Banbury, GBSKU CT-2412 Comes With Pouch Only Date 2016 RRP £13,000 Including taxes / $13,900 Excluding taxes / €14 900 Including taxes Model VCARA44600 Serial Number JExxxxx Stones Diamond Cond...Category
2010s French Stud Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in 18K White GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in London, GBVan Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in 18K White Gold Additional information: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Line: Sweet Alhambra Material: White gold (18K) Condition: Good Condit...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
MaterialsWhite Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in 18K White GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in London, GBVan Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in 18K White Gold Additional information: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Gender: Women Line: Sweet Alhambra MPN: VCARA44500 Material: White gol...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
MaterialsWhite Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Heart Earrings in 18K Yellow GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in London, GBVan Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Heart Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold Additional information: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Material: Yellow gold (18K)...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
MaterialsYellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in Pink GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in London, GBVan Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra Earrings in Pink Gold Additional information: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Gender: Women Line: Sweet Alhambra Earring type: Stud earrings SKU:elaGZyh...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
MaterialsRose Gold, Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Earrings in 18K Yellow GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in London, GBVan Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold Additional Information: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Gender: Women Line: Alhambra Earring type: Stud earrings Material: Yellow g...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
MaterialsYellow Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels 18K White Gold 0.96ct Diamond Vintage Alhambra EarringsBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Aventura, FLVintage Alhambra earrings, rhodium plated 18K white gold, round diamonds; diamond quality DEF, IF to VVS. Details: Brand: Van Cleef & Arpels Model: VCARA44600 Style: Vintage Alhambr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modernist Stud Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, White Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Why the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Collection Remains So Alluring
The lucky-charm style has been around for more than 50 years, and British royals are still drawn to it.
Gems by David Webb, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels Anchor The Back Vault’s Treasure Trove
Boasting one of the largest collections of David Webb in the world, the firm offers exceptional jewels — always in demand yet never in short supply.