Van Cleef & Arpels has worked with enamel since its founding in 1906, incorporating it on an array of items from vanity cases and animal clips to intricately decorated watch dials. Until now, however, the Parisian maison had never introduced the material to its beloved Alhambra collection.
That changes in 2026 with five new creations in translucent pink enamel. Developed over several years in the maison’s workshops, the material lends a richer, more luminous quality to the four-leaf clover motif that has defined Alhambra since 1968.
The line-up comprises a Vintage Alhambra 20-motif long necklace, 10-motif necklace, pendant and five-motif bracelet, as well as Magic Alhambra earrings that flaunt guilloched yellow gold.
Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra 2-motif earrings in pink enamel and guilloche yellow gold (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
The clover meets juicy raspberry
The colour is an intense raspberry pink, although its appearance varies with the light. Tiny bubbles suspended within the translucent enamel imbue each motif with life, depth and individuality. The surface is not entirely smooth and uniform, giving the material an almost liquid quality.
According to Van Cleef & Arpels, the pink enamel reflects light slightly more strongly than emerald, giving it a distinctive brilliance and allure. Each motif also has a curved surface designed to intensify its shine as the jewellery moves with its wearer.
Creating that effect was far from straightforward. The colour was obtained using a method inspired by the gold-ruby process, which dates to the 17th century. Instead of relying on conventional pigments, the technique uses fine particles of gold within the enamel to produce its distinctive hue.
Fine gold flecks are used in the enamel production to create the vibrant pink hue (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
The final shade depends on the size, shape and concentration of those particles. Small variations can alter the colour and transparency of the enamel, making consistency particularly difficult to achieve. It took several years of research and development to find the perfect balance for the Alhambra motifs.
The enamel is fitted into a yellow gold setting featuring the collection’s hallmark double row of golden beads. Particular care is needed when adjusting the curved motif within its setting. The claws holding it in place must remain discreet and are rounded into small ball shapes at the back, allowing the jewel to sit comfortably against the skin or clothing.
Other details receive the same attention. The chain connecting the motifs is faceted to enhance its lustre, while the clasp at the nape features the maison’s monogram. Once assembled and polished, each creation is inspected under 10-times magnification before leaving the workshop.
Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra necklace with 10 motifs in yellow gold and pink enamel (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels)
A legacy of enamelling innovation
Although enamel is being used in Alhambra for the first time, the material has played an important role in the maison’s history. During the Art Deco period, it brought colour to geometric patterns, landscapes and figurative scenes inspired by sport and travel.
In the 1950s and 1960s, it added expressive details to animal clips and floral jewels in the maison’s informal and whimsical La Boutique collection.
Enamel later became an important part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ magical vision of watchmaking. Since the launch of its first Poetic Complications watch in 2006, the maison has employed various techniques to create dials with colour and depth, as seen in the Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux watch.
An enamelled envelope vanity case from Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage archives, and the award-winning 2024 Lady Arpels Jour Enchante watch showcasing high-relief façonne enamel technique (Photos: Van Cleef & Arpels)
Its in-house workshop now practises more than 15 enamelling techniques, among them grisaille, plique-a-jour, miniature painting and enamel decal.
The maison has also developed more sophisticated enamelling methods of its own, including faconne enamel. This technique produces three-dimensional forms with pronounced effects of volume and transparency, as seen on the Lady Arpels Jour Enchante watch and Perlee Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantes pieces.
The maison’s three-year internal training programme also also helps pass these specialist skills to a new generation of artisans.
Instead of pink enamel, carnelian in bold red takes centre stage here on a 20-motif Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra long necklace in guilloche rose gold, complemented by Magic Alhambra earrings and long necklace, as well as Vintage Alhambra bracelet and reversible ring, and the Sweet Alhambra watch (Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels / Photography: Brigitte Niedermair / Art Direction: Carine Roitfeld)
The Alhambra itself began with a 20-motif long necklace in textured yellow gold. Inspired by the lucky symbolism of the four-leaf clover, the 1968 design reflected the period’s preference for jewellery that was fluid, versatile and easy to wear. Its double-beaded border established what would become one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most recognisable signatures.
Over the decades, the geometric form has been rendered in onyx, carnelian, mother-of-pearl and diamonds, as well as polished, textured and guilloche gold. Sevres porcelain has also been used, adding another colour and surface to the collection.
Pink enamel offers the latest interpretation of the familiar motif, while preserving the simplicity that has sustained its appeal for nearly six decades.