Is the Van Cleef & Arpels shape a cross?

No, the Van Cleef & Arpels shape is not a cross. The iconic shape that has long dazzled Van Cleef jewelry lovers is actually a four-leaf clover, and it’s at the center of the house’s Alhambra collection. As a young man, Jacques Arpels, the nephew of one of the luxury house’s founders, was fascinated with the relationship that four-leaf clovers have shared with good fortune. His Alhambra motif pays tribute to the lucky charm but also references the quatrefoils so prevalent in the Moorish architecture of Spain's stately Alhambra palace, which is where the series gets its name. Explore a large selection of Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry on 1stDibs.