One of the most iconic motifs in the world of jewellery design has to be Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra motif, a four-leaf clover symbolising good luck that has become a symbol of the maison since 1968. While fans of the brand have welcomed various gorgeous iterations of the Alhambra motif through the decades, including 2018’s stunning blue agate and yellow gold guilloché collections, the latest update is a truly dazzling take for lovers of all that’s gold and gleaming.
For the gilded goddess
The new Vintage Alhambra jewellery collection features a single pendant, a five-motif bracelet and a 20-motif long necklace combining the magic of guilloché with the gleaming beauty of gold mother-of-pearl.
Through the guilloché engraving technique, a heritage craft used by the maison since the 1910s to embellish watch dials and ornaments, mesmerising radial lines are finely etched into the mirror-polished yellow gold surfaces of the clover motifs, evoking brilliant sunbeams. Fringed with delicate gold beads encircling a central bead sitting at its heart, the guilloché motif catches the light and captivates the gaze at every angle.
On the long necklace and bracelet, the guilloché motifs are alternated with diamond-paved ones, intensifying their warmth, sparkle and glimmer. Dress up or down with these jewels, which are as elegant and versatile as they come.
Time to shine
If you simply can’t get enough of these enchanting jewels, you’d be delighted to know that enriching this collection are two breathtaking Sweet Alhambra watches, which are a loving nod to this new design aesthetic.
The first one flaunts the iconic guilloché clover motif as its watch face, and bears a fuss-free quartz movement with an interchangeable alligator strap. The eye-catching interplay of gold textures contrasts beautifully with the hues of a selection of alligator-skin bracelets, which are easily interchangeable. Regardless of your outfit or time of day, this timekeeper rises to the occasion with a simple switch of your bracelet colour.
Stealing the limelight is the Sweet Alhambra jewellery watch, made for women fond of statement pieces. Crafted from yellow gold, diamonds and gold mother-of-pearl, this piece seems to be a tribute to light. The bracelet features lustrous alternating motifs – of gold mother-of-pearl, guilloché gold, and glistening diamonds. Anchoring the piece is the maison’s iconic clover as a scintillating guilloché gold dial, powered by a quartz movement.
The height of savoir-faire
Thanks to the tradition of excellence at Van Cleef & Arpels, this collection uniquely bears several of the hallmarks of exquisite craftsmanship more commonly seen in high jewellery. Engraving the guilloché patterns, crafting the beaded gold contours, selecting and setting the gold mother-of-pearl, and giving the piece a final polish total no fewer than 15 successive steps.
Even the individual pieces of gold mother-of-pearl, which mainly hail from Australia’s balmy seas, were handpicked for their warm tones, satiny surface and top-notch lustre. The same stringent criteria was applied to the selection of all centre and pavé diamonds in this collection: only D, E or F colours; and clarity of IF to VVS2.
Van Cleef & Arpels is at #01-26, ION Orchard; #02-07/09, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City, #B1-41, The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands.
Tel: 1800 3077 626