9 things you didn't know about Van Cleef & Arpels' Alhambra collection:
- Inspired by Morocco, Spain, Italy and Ireland
- Steeped in Luck
- Enduring popularity
- Celebrity favourite
- Reformed luxury jewelry
- Rich materials
- Sub-collections
- 50th anniversary celebration
- Value on the second-hand market
1. Inspired by Morocco, Spain, Italy and Ireland
Alhambra was designed by Jacques Arpels in 1968 after he was inspired by the rich patterns he encountered throughout his travels. Jacques Arpels combined the traditional Moorish quatrefoil, the motifs of the Doges Palace, scalloped arches of the Alhambra Palace in Spain and the Irish four-leaf clover to create Alhambras captivating design.
Jacques first Alhambra creation was a 20-station cover motif necklace on an opera-length yellow gold chain.
2. Steeped in Luck
Jacques Arpels was such a strong believer in luck that he stated, To be lucky, you have to believe in luck. He was known to search for four-leaf clovers that he would gift to his staff alongside a poem. Due to his affinity for lucky talismans, Jacques imbued the Alhambra collection with luck, health, fortune and love.
3. Enduring popularity
The Alhambra collection has become the hallmark of Van Cleef & Arpels thanks to its distinctive and elegant design. As the Maisons most enduring style, the Alhambra collection has expanded to include rings, earrings, bracelets and watches. Due to Alhambra's immense popularity, it is also the most counterfeited Van Cleef & Arpels design with countless fakes saturating the market.
4. Celebrity favourite
Following its creation, the Alhambra collection was quickly favoured by the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Francoise Hardy. Today, celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon are frequently seen draped in Alhambra jewelry.
5. Reformed luxury jewelry
Jacques Arpels created the Alhambra collection during a transformative time in history. Van Cleef & Arpels President and CEO Nicolas Bos stated, "Alhambra is an expression of change through continuity. Rather than heavily ornate pieces, Van Cleef & Arpels focused on designing a refined collection that would attract the modern woman on the go as well as a younger clientele ready to purchase more affordable high-end jewelry."
To highlight Alhambra's ready-to-wear functionality, the Maison encouraged wearers to combine their Alhambra jewelry with casual clothing, highlighting the notion that fine jewelry could be worn any time of day, rather than just formal evening events.
6. Rich materials
The Alhambra collection boasts a wide array of precious and semi-precious gemstones including diamond, lapis lazuli, malachite and turquoise. All stones are selected in accordance to Van Cleef & Arpels high quality standards and meticulously colour matched. Of all precious stones, Alhambras mother-of-pearl creations have been the most coveted.
7. Sub-collections
Alhambra has multiple sub-collections with distinctive characteristics:
- Vintage Alhambra is faithful to the collections original designs from the late 1960's
- Magic Alhambra utilises clover motifs of various sizes
- Sweet Alhambra is adorned with miniature quatrefoils
- Pure Alhambra embraces smooth lines, free from the classic Alhambras distinctive scalloping
- Lucky Alhambra incorporates additional beloved motifs of Van Cleef & Arpels such as hearts, leaves and butterflies
- Byzantine Alhambra streamlines the clover motif with fluid solid and open stations
8. 50th anniversary celebration
In 2018, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrated Alhambras 50th anniversary in Marrakech, Morocco. The Maison displayed Alhambra pieces from their archives as well as demonstrated the jewelry's creation process from selecting precious stones to its final polishing with their jewelers and tools. Van Cleef & Arpels also released exclusive Alhambra creations which the lucky attendees were the first to view.
9. Value on the second-hand market
Lastly, on our list of the 9 things you didn't know about Van Cleef & Arpels' Alhambra Collection is its value on the second-hand market. As Alhambra is a beloved design from one of the most coveted and respected luxury jewelry brands, it better retains its value on the second hand market in comparison to other brands and styles. While there is a discrepancy between store price and resale price, if your piece is in good condition and has the box and papers, you can expect to receive around 50% back of what you paid when selling your Alhambra jewelry.
How to sell Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Jewelry
To get the best value for your Alhambra jewelry, you need to sell to a reputable and competitive company such as myGemma. Established in 2012, myGemma (formerly WP Diamonds) provides the fastest, easiest and safest way to sell designer jewelry and bags.
Our selling process is so simple and fast that you can receive payment in as little as 24 hours. You can always feel confident selling your jewelry with myGemma because of our 100% trust guarantee and hundreds of fantastic online reviews.
Begin selling your Alhambra jewelry today with myGemma by completing our online form. After you receive your initial price quote you can either schedule an appointment at our offices in NYC or request free, fully insured shipping. When your jewelry arrives at our office it will be promptly evaluated and priced by our luxury jewelry experts. We will contact you with our final offer. We never deduct any hidden fees or commissions from your offer, so the final amount is exactly how much you will get paid.
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