Luck Be A Lady

As Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Alhambra jewels this year, HILLARY KANG looks into the history of this emblematic collection

WHAT MAKES a piece of jewellery iconic? Be it the rich history behind it or the presence of said jewellery on a constellation of celebrities and royalty alike, Van Cleef & Arpels offers both in droves with its Alhambra jewels. Over the last 50 years since its inception, the unmistakable four-leaf clover trefoil has been spotted on the likes of Grace Kelly and Mariah Carey. Although it has undergone numerous re-imaginations, it has never strayed far from its core, inseparable tenet: Luck.

Introduced in 1968, Alhambra was the result of Jacques Arpels’ affection for four-leaf clovers he often found in his childhood garden in northern France. He would present these handpicked four-leaf clovers to his staff, accompanying each with an uplifting poem Don’t Quit by American abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier. The clover eventually found its way into Van Cleef & Arpels’ catalogues in 1968 with the first Alhambra long necklace, made up of 20 delicate clovers creased in gold and edged with golden beads.