Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
21st Century and Contemporary French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Art Nouveau Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Carnelian, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Onyx, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Turquoise, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Late 20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century British Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Onyx, Yellow Gold
2010s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
21st Century and Contemporary French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Artist Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
2010s Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Onyx, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century French Artist Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Pearl, Rose Gold
1970s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
1980s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
1980s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
1960s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
1980s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, White Gold
1990s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Lapis Lazuli, Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Chalcedony, Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century English Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
1970s Italian Modernist Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Onyx, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Diamond, Pearl
1990s American Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
White Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Onyx, 18k Gold
1990s French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Opal, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Chalcedony, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
20th Century American Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Modern Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
18k Gold
1970s American Vintage Alhambra Mother of Pearl Necklace
Jade, 18k Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Finding the Right necklaces for You
We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners.
Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers.
In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs.
For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone.
Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage necklaces designed by David Webb — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Van Cleef & Arpels is so expensive because it is a well-known company that has a fantastic reputation. Van Cleef & Arpels are universally renowned for high quality jewelry with a focus on detail. High-profile fans of the French jewelry house over the years have included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and many more. Find an extraordinary range of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.
Read More
This Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace Is an Heirloom in the Making
With more than 100 carats of diamonds, this vintage stunner converts into different styles, making it as versatile as it is breathtaking.
7 Vibrant Jewels for a Breezy Late-Summer Wardrobe
Soak up the pleasures of the season with a these bold gems.