Van Cleef & Arpels 18k/ Mother of Pearl Vintage Alhambra Ring w. Diamond sz 4.5
About the Item
- Creator:
- Ring Size:4.5 US, Resizable
- Design:
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Stone Cut:
- Style:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20180-2022
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Vintage Alhambra Ring
It’s not common that a motif as simple as a quatrefoil embellished with a beaded border can capture the hearts of fashionable clients around the world, but that’s precisely what happened with Van Cleef & Arpels’s signature Alhambra collection, which includes the Vintage Alhambra ring.
In 1968, Jacques Arpels (1914–2008), nephew of the venerable French jewelry house’s cofounder Estelle Arpels, wanted to design bold ready-to-wear pieces for the modern working woman. Inspired by the notion of luck and the Moorish architecture of the Spanish palace from which the collection draws its name, he decorated the original Alhambra necklace with 20 solid-gold quatrefoils on an opera-length chain, using the four-leaf clover as a talisman. A proverbial star is born, as they say.
Within a year of its debut, the Alhambra necklace made the cover of Vogue, worn by Swedish actress Britt Ekland. Van Cleef & Arpels then expanded the collection, populating its clover-shaped charms with panels of colorful stones like lapis lazuli and turquoise. Working women everywhere sought out the many varieties of the Alhambra necklace, especially after Princess Grace of Monaco was seen sporting several variations throughout the 1970s. In fact, the collection is still popular with royals today — Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been seen wearing her own Alhambra jewelry, sparking renewed interest in the line.
Continually in production since its debut in 1968, the Alhambra collection has gone on to include bracelets, earrings, a watch and rings, with the quatrefoil motif varying in scale, material and hue. There are now a number of subcategories in the collection, including Sweet Alhambra and Lucky Alhambra, the latter of which includes a number of other motifs related to luck, like the butterfly.
The Vintage Alhambra designation indicates that a piece of jewelry has a faithful representation of the original quatrefoil motif, outlined with a beaded border. In the case of the Vintage Alhambra ring, this is a single quatrefoil motif in yellow, white or rose gold. At the center of the ring is a diamond, which, like the Vintage Alhambra bracelet, is either surrounded by a colorful stone, more diamonds or the textured metal of the ring, all set within the beaded border of the quatrefoil. Having sustained its popularity for more than half a century, it’s likely that the Alhambra collection — and the beloved Vintage Alhambra ring — is here to stay at Van Cleef & Arpels.
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, the 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: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Chanel 1990s Gold Vintage Multi CC Cut-Out Bangle BraceletBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel '90s Gold Vintage Multi CC Cut-Out Bangle Bracelet Made In: France Year of Production: 1996 Color: Goldtone Materials: Gold-palted metal Hallmarks: CHANEL 96A MADE IN FRANCE ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Bangles
- Chanel Vintage 1990s Multi-Strand Faux Pearl & Crystal Rondelle NecklaceBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel Vintage '90s Multi-Strand Pearl & Crystal Rondelle Necklace Made In: France Year of Production: 1990-1992 Color: Ivory and goldtone Materials: Faux pearls, metal and rhinesto...Category
1990s French Beaded Necklaces
MaterialsCrystal
- David Yurman Sterling Silver 4mm Cable Bangle Bracelet sz LBy David YurmanLocated in New York, NYDavid Yurman Sterling Silver 4mm Cable Bangle Bracelet Materials: Sterling silver Hallmarks: DY 925 Closure/Opening: Slide on Overall Condition: Very good pre-owned condition. Sligh...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Versace Goldtone Medusa Head Pendant NecklaceBy Gianni VersaceLocated in New York, NYVersace NEW Goldtone Medusa Head Pendant Necklace Materials: Goldtone metal Hallmarks: VERSACE MADE IN ITALY Oening: Lobster clasp with adjustable chain Ov...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pendant Necklaces
- Christian Dior Goldtone Crystal In Heart Lights BraceletBy Christian DiorLocated in New York, NYChristian Dior Goldtone Crystal In Heart Lights Bracelet Materials: Metal and crystals Hallmarks: DIOR Closure/Opening: Lobster clasp Overall Condition: Exc...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Chain Bracelets
- Beige & Metallic Flower Camelia Brooch GHWLocated in New York, NYBeige & Metallic Flower Brooch Color: Beige and metallic silver Materials: Terrycloth and sueded textile Closure: Pin back closure Overall Condition: Excellent pre-owned condi...Category
20th Century Brooches
- Contrariè Ring with Brilliant Cut Diamonds 1.10 Ct. 18 Kt White GoldLocated in Rome, ITContrariè ring with diamonds ct 1.10. 18 Kt White Gold. Contrariè model ring with final drops with brilliant cut diamonds pavè. The total weight of thirty-five diamonds is 1.1 carat...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Diamonds ct 1.73, Contemporary Heart Ring in 18 Kt Gold. Made in ItalyLocated in Rome, ITHeart-shaped ring with 1.75 ct brilliant cut diamonds pavè. The diamond pave is also on the shank of the ring. •THE MANUFACTURE IS MADE IN ITALY •THE JEWEL IS IN 18 KT GOLD •EACH...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, White Gold
- Snake Ring with Emerald and Drop Cut Diamonds, Total Carat Weight Ct 2.50Located in Rome, ITSnake-shaped ring, with 12 emerald-cut diamonds and 2 pear-cut diamonds, for a total weight of ct 2.50. The ring is in 18 Kt white gold. •The ring is made in Italy. Number of Diamo...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Contrarié Ring with Hearts with Ct 1.08 of Diamonds, 18 Kt White GoldLocated in Rome, ITThe ring is a contrariè with two hearts of diamonds. Thirty-six brilliant-cut diamonds are set on the ring, for a total weight of 1.08 ct. The diamo...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Ring with 0.90 Ct of Diamonds, Groumette Model 18 KtLocated in Rome, ITGroumette model ring with 40 brilliant cut diamonds set on 5 links, for a total weight of ct 0.90. The ring has soft links 5 with diamonds and 6 without diamonds, plus 1 link to allo...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cocktail Rings
Materials18k Gold, White Gold
- Ring with 0.73 Ct of Diamonds, 18Kt Gold Snake ModelLocated in Rome, ITSnake pattern ring with 0.73 ct brilliant cut diamonds pave on the head. 18Kt rose gold ring. •It is possible to slightly change the size and would be provided free with the purchase...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.
This Turquoise Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Necklace Is a Rare and Alluring Find
You know the French maison’s famous motif well. But why is this particular piece so in demand?