Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Letterwood Bracelet Five Motifs

With its storied talismanic power, the quatrefoil — a clover-like pattern with roots in Moorish architecture — has become a status symbol in luxury jewelry, appearing in the collections of Cartier, Chopard, Louis Vuitton and more. But there’s one brand with which the motif is practically synonymous, thanks in particular to the role that the symbol plays in accessories such as the widely beloved Vintage Alhambra bracelet. Since 1968, Van Cleef & Arpels (est. 1896) has been celebrated for the French luxury brand’s four-leaf-clover-based Alhambra collection, and its throngs of admirers grow with each passing year.

The fine jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels emerged in 1896 out of the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, both of whom had family roots in the gemstone business.

Formed initially by Alfred and his father-in-law (and then helmed by Alfred and two brothers-in-law when the Paris shop opened in 1906), the company, known for its exquisite jewels, innovative techniques and designs inspired by the natural world, has become one of the most important jewelers in France. Estelle’s nephew Jacques Arpels (1914–2008) guided the design of the original Alhambra piece, which initially took the form of an opera-length necklace in 1968.

The Alhambra and its variants are the brand’s most celebrated collections, inspired by the quatrefoil motifs found in the architecture and decorative tiles of its namesake, the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Reminiscent of four-leaf clovers, the design was meant to function as a lucky charm. There are Alhambra pieces, Magic Alhambra — such as the Magic Alhambra necklace — and Vintage Alhambra, which sees the motif produced in a wide range of semiprecious and precious stones.

The Vintage Alhambra bracelet features five clover-like charms at regular intervals, each bordered by the design’s signature gold bead edge. The style became instantly popular with celebrities and royals, an affinity that continues to this day.

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 Arpels. 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.

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