PHOTO COURTESY OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
The Alhambra has been shape-shifting since 1968, when Van Cleef & Arpels set its first four-leaf clover in beaded yellow gold. In the decades since, the motif has passed through onyx, carnelian, mother-of-pearl, guiloché gold and even Sèvres porcelain. Each material gave the clover a slightly different mood without disturbing its essential shape. Now the Alhambra steps into a new register in pink enamel.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Developed over several years in the maison’s own ateliers, the new translucent enamel reveals faint bubbles beneath its surface. Rather than flaws, these bubbles scatter light and lend each motif depth. A subtly domed finish heightens the effect, catching and bending light across the clover instead of letting it sit flat. Behind every piece sits a long relay of specialist hands, of course.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
The house’s enamel workshop commands more than 15 distinct techniques, from miniature painting to the gossamer-thin plique-à-jour method. But first, an in-house training programme takes new artisans three years to complete. Setting the pink enamel Alhambra demands equal precision, since each motif sits within the double row of beaded gold, a contour polished until its curve runs perfectly even.
In total, there are five new iterations set in 18K yellow gold. The range opens with the Vintage Alhambra Pendant (SGD4700) and the Vintage Alhambra 5 Motifs Bracelet (SGD7750), both natural companions for daily wear. For textural contrast, the Magic Alhambra 2 Motifs Earrings (SGD1300) pair pink enamel with guiloché yellow gold in two deliberately different sizes.
Completing the pink enamel lineup, the Vintage Alhambra Necklace arrives in two iterations. The piece with 10 motifs comes in at SGD14,800, while the one with 20 tops out at SGD28,800. True to the Alhambra spirit, each creation catches the light motif by motif, much as the original 1968 necklace once did. Even after more than 50 years, this icon still finds something new to say.
