Cover The Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra earrings pair a guilloché yellow gold motif with a smooth pink enamel clover on each side
The Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra earrings pair a guilloché yellow gold motif with a smooth pink enamel clover on each side
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Van Cleef & Arpels unveils the first Alhambra creations featuring translucent enamel in just the right shade of pink, bringing one of the maison’s oldest decorative arts to its enduring symbol of luck
It took several years of research before Van Cleef & Arpels arrived at the right shade of pink—a dedication directed not towards a particular gemstone, but towards mastering a translucent, blushing enamel worthy of the Alhambra, one of the Parisian maison’s legendary jewellery collections. Introduced in 1968, its four‑leaf clover motif has become an enduring symbol of luck and one of the most recognisable designs in modern jewellery.
Over the decades, the Alhambra family has welcomed an ever‑expanding palette of materials, from onyx and carnelian to mother‑of‑pearl, guilloché gold and Sèvres porcelain. Although enamel has been part of the maison’s repertoire since its founding, it was only after years of painstakingly perfecting a new technique that Van Cleef & Arpels deemed it ready for its signature jewellery line.
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Above The Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra earrings pair a guilloché yellow gold motif with a smooth pink enamel clover on each side
The Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra earrings pair a guilloché yellow gold motif with a smooth pink enamel clover on each side
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Heralding a new chapter are five fresh Alhambra creations anchored by the motif rendered in translucent pink enamel set in yellow gold. Uniting one of the maison’s oldest crafts with one of its most enduring jewellery icons, the curated line‑up showcases the star material in a beautiful variety of expressions—offering a bold sweep of luminous colour across the 20‑motif Vintage Alhambra long necklace and the ten‑motif Vintage Alhambra necklace, a more understated everyday accent in the Vintage Alhambra pendant and five‑motif Vintage Alhambra bracelet, and an elegant contrast to the finely engraved texture of the guilloché yellow gold clovers securing the Magic Alhambra earrings to the lobe.
Achieving the distinctive pink hue, however, proved far from straightforward. Rather than colouring the enamel with pigments, the maison turned to a technique inspired by the 17th‑century “gold‑ruby” process, whereby the colour is achieved using microscopic particles of gold suspended within the enamel itself. Unlike working with pigments, whose shade is determined before firing, creating the final hue here depends on precisely controlling the size, shape and concentration of those gold particles. Even the slightest variation can alter the finished colour, making consistency exceptionally difficult to achieve—and every successful firing an artisanal triumph.
The resulting material possesses qualities that distinguish it from both gemstones and traditional enamel. Van Cleef & Arpels notes that its light‑reflecting capacity surpasses that of emerald, while its translucent surface reveals delicate bubbles that animate each motif with remarkable depth. Every clover is subtly domed to maximise this play of light, allowing the colour to shift gently with movement and creating a soft glow that enhances its signature beaded silhouette.
Above The Van Cleef & Arpels 20‑motif Vintage Alhambra long necklace can be worn as a single long strand or doubled around the neck
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra pendant in yellow gold with pink enamel
The Van Cleef & Arpels 20‑motif Vintage Alhambra long necklace can be worn as a single long strand or doubled around the neck
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“With these Alhambra creations in enamel, Van Cleef & Arpels opens a new chapter in the history of its iconic collection [whose motif has always stood as a] symbol of luck,” says brand president and CEO Catherine Renier. “Thanks to our workshops’ expertise and capacity for innovation, enamel brings an original aesthetic and shade to the Alhambra universe, which has continuously reinvented itself over the decades.”
Introducing a new material to such an established icon demands more than technical innovation alone. Each curved enamel motif must also meet the maison’s exacting jewellery‑making standards before it can become recognisably Alhambra. Once formed, every element is adjusted with exceptional precision into its yellow gold setting before being framed by the collection’s signature border of lustrous golden beads. Painstaking polishing ensures these tiny spheres achieve perfectly even curves, catching and reflecting light alongside the enamel while preserving the motif’s harmonious proportions.
Van Cleef & Arpels’s attention to detail extends throughout every stage of the process. During setting, the claws are delicately folded over each piece of enamel while remaining almost imperceptible from the front. On the reverse, they are rounded into tiny spheres to ensure a smooth feel against the skin or clothing. The faceted chain linking the motifs, meanwhile, is designed to maximise brilliance, with the clasp—engraved with the maison’s monogram—providing a discreet finishing touch. Before leaving the workshops, every creation undergoes meticulous quality control to ensure it meets Van Cleef & Arpels’s exacting standards.
Above Van Cleef & Arpels 20‑motif Vintage Alhambra long necklace and five‑motif Vintage Alhambra bracelet in yellow gold with pink enamel
Van Cleef & Arpels 20‑motif Vintage Alhambra long necklace and five‑motif Vintage Alhambra bracelet in yellow gold with pink enamel
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The quintet also shines a light on the breadth of enamelling expertise cultivated within the house over more than a century. Since the maison’s founding in 1906, enamel has appeared across an extraordinary range of its creations, from precious objects, vanity cases and cigarette boxes to jewellery, clips and watches. Today, Van Cleef & Arpels masters more than 15 enamelling techniques, from miniature painting and grisaille enamel to plique‑à‑jour and enamel decal, while a three‑year training programme at its in‑house school helps preserve these specialised skills and foster new innovations. Among them is façonné enamel, which creates sculptural effects of transparency and volume, seen in creations such as the Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté and Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés timepieces. Enamel’s debut within the Alhambra family marks the latest evolution of a heritage craft within the maison.
More than half a century after the first 20‑motif Alhambra long necklace debuted in 1968, the collection continues to evolve without losing sight of what made it iconic in the first place. New materials have continually refreshed its aesthetic while leaving its instantly recognisable silhouette untouched. Enamel now joins that lineage, bringing fresh colour, luminosity and craftsmanship to the maison’s enduring symbol of luck. Rather than reinventing the Alhambra, Van Cleef & Arpels has expanded its creative vocabulary once again—proof that even the most familiar icons can still reveal something entirely new.
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Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
