Editor’s Note
For those new to Van Cleef & Arpels, the iconic Alhambra collection represents a perfect entry point. This piece highlights its enduring craftsmanship and the detailed artistry behind each clover motif.
If you are a first-time buyer of Van Cleef & Arpels (VCA), you can’t go wrong by choosing the most iconic classic collection!
The Alhambra four-leaf clover shaped jewelry series carries French jewelry craftsmanship in its lightweight form: from gemstone cutting, polishing, gold bead setting production, to inlaying, each piece requires at least 15 processes. Trying it on in person allows you to better appreciate its charm. The gemstone selection and goldsmithing are both exquisite, and the brand’s special structural metal chain links provide excellent, comfortable wear.
Price reference as follows (May 2020 pricing):
Vintage Alhambra pendant necklace, yellow gold, white mother-of-pearl. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 76,000.
Sweet Alhambra pendant bracelet, rose gold, carnelian. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 47,000.
The Perlée collection, crafted by Van Cleef & Arpels using gold beadwork, is also a highly representative and distinctive design. Since the 1920s, VCA artisans have employed the gold bead technique to outline more refined and adorable details around the contours of jewelry pieces. The plump, rounded “physique” offers a light-catching quality with no dead angles from 360 degrees. It’s no exaggeration to say it plays a significant role despite its small size. This technique, where each bead is hand-shaped, polished, and then linked with gold wire, now takes center stage in the Perlée collection. Paired with semi-cabochon cut colored hard stones, it looks eye-catching and unique when worn.
Price reference as follows (May 2020 pricing):
Perlée couleurs pendant necklace, yellow gold, malachite. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 55,500.
Perlée couleurs pendant necklace, white gold, turquoise. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 76,500.
Officially becoming a permanent Van Cleef & Arpels collection in 2003, Frivole™ features abstract floral shapes that echo the brand’s DNA of loving nature. Three heart-shaped petals form a metal flower, with a diamond symbolizing the central bud. The metal’s brightness is also noteworthy; its mirror polishing originates from a technique the brand used as early as the 1920s. Frivole resembles a lovely little flower facing the sun—three-dimensional, lively, and adept at capturing light—making it very endearing.
Price reference as follows (May 2020 pricing):
Frivole pendant necklace, mini size, yellow gold, diamonds. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 53,000.
Frivole pendant bracelet, mini size, yellow gold, diamonds. Suggested retail price: approximately NTD 48,900.