Cyclical trends will forever be a part of the cultural zeitgeist. As a child of the 80s, I recall looking back fondly at pictures of my mom from the 60s and 70s and wishing I could reach into the photo, pull out a garment, and wear it today. In the same vein, I can vividly remember returning home from the mall with friends as a teen and my mom saying she used to have something exactly like that when she was younger.
We see this today with Gen Z in full obsession with Y2K fashion—as they say, what goes around comes back around.
When you are a centuries-old brand like Van Cleef & Arpels, you have seen the phases repeat over and over. From generation to generation, trends will come and go, then come again. The Maison’s most iconic motif—the Alhambra—is the perfect example of a design that has endured every lifecycle.
Over 50 Years in the Making
Four-leaf clover designs first appeared in the Van Cleef & Arpels catalog as early as the 1920s, but it would be a few more decades before the coveted Alhambra was born. The “lucky” motif continued to embellish various wares over the years alongside other symbols of good fortune, including wooden talismans and charms. Still, it was not until 1968 that Van Cleef & Arpels forever solidified the symbol in fashion culture and as a part of the brand’s signature design language. That year, the Maison introduced the Alhambra collection, drawing its name not from the clover shape itself but rather from the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, known for its sweeping archways and intricate geometric designs.
The first (and still to this day most iconic) design was the Alhambra long opera-length necklace, composed of 20 clover-shaped motifs encased in yellow gold and trimmed with gold beads. The Alhambra was more than a style that would become synonymous with the famed French luxury house. Its effortlessness and versatility marked a departure from the brand’s longstanding reputation in the areas of fine jewelry and precious stones, opening the Maison to a new and broader audience. Unlike Van Cleef & Arpels prior offerings, the Alhambra distilled its expertise in the realm of haute joaillerie into an everyday, wearable design.
Recipe for a Lasting Design
This highly accessible design has set the standard not only for the brand but also within the broader realm of fashion. Over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels has iterated on the design language, introducing color, play with form, texture, and dimension through an entire range of jewelry including necklaces as well as bracelets, earrings, pendants, rings – eventually, the pattern even expanded into the Maison’s line of watches. Because of the relative simplicity of the motif, it lends itself to layering and stacking. What’s better than one statement Alhambra piece? Pairing it with two, three, or more permutations of the design in different forms.
The diverse ways of styling the Alhambra are just one of many elements that has contributed to the design’s ability to transcend generations over the past 50 years. While legends like Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Grace of Monaco cemented the design’s popularity in the early days of the collection, many factors have informed its enduring appeal. Celebrity wearers remain key, from modern royalty like Kate Middleton all the way to the hip hop community from artists like Drake and Offset. However, the Alhambra realized a notable surge in popularity in the past decade or so, thanks to the growing trends of layering and stacking jewelry as well as mixing different metals, styles, and textures. What started as a fashion movement in the 2010s after appearing in hit shows like Gossip Girl, it has more recently made its way into the hands of the TikTok generation and become a go-to look for Millennials and Gen Z–the two major consumer groups who drive sales and trendsetting today.
A Powerhouse Acquisition for Richemont
There are three major players who rule the world of luxury accessories: Swatch Group, LVMH, and Richemont. The latter saw the rising success of Van Cleef & Arpels at the turn of the new millennium and decided to capitalize. In 1999, Richemont acquired a majority stake at 60%, and by 2003, the luxury goods group had attained full ownership, adding the French Maison to its ever-expanding portfolio, including Cartier and Piaget among many others.
Turns out, Richemont bet on the right horse. If you just look at the past three years, one thing has remained resoundingly true: Richemont’s growth and resilience even through the ups and downs of a challenging market is thanks to its jewelry brands’ consistent performance. Looking at the group’s latest reporting, they saw solid revenues for the start of the year in 2025, with overall sales up in the first quarter even in the face of tariff wars and changes in consumer behavior. The same has been true for the last several years, these positive results were secured thanks to the luxury group’s jewelry houses, specifically Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels with sales up 6% overall and 11% in the jewelry category. This strong momentum comes as no surprise with Richemont’s reports from its 2024 fiscal year showing its jewelry brands represented 71% of the group’s overall sales.
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
When a brand’s success is built on an iconic, widely adored design, it’s only a matter of time before imitation—and controversy—follow. In 2017, a nearly decade-long legal battle began between Richemont (on behalf of Van Cleef & Arpels) and LVMH (on behalf of Louis Vuitton) over the signature four-leaf clover motif.
Two years prior, in 2015, Louis Vuitton introduced the Color Blossom collection. The line incorporated LV’s trademark floral motifs, including a four-point star, a four-point star within a diamond, and a four-petal flower that does, in fact, bear resemblance to Van Cleef & Arpels’ iconic clover.
Earlier this year, the court finally came to a decision, ruling in favor of LVMH. It concluded that the motif and design elements were a natural evolution of Louis Vuitton’s existing brand style—not a deliberate copy of the Alhambra collection. The use of semi-precious stones in metal settings, the court noted, is common practice in the luxury jewelry world and not exclusive to any single brand.
Jewelry That Endures
Even in the face of a lost legal battle, the momentum for the Alhambra and Van Cleef & Arpels as a brand does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Through shifting trends, economic landscapes, and competition within the jewelry market, Van Cleef & Arpels and its Alhambra collection remain one of the most successful and popular within the category.
Beyond product, sales, and metrics, Van Cleef & Arpels has cemented its place in pop culture through immersive exhibitions that showcase the brand’s artistry. In Asia, the Maison’s watchmaking expertise takes center stage in Poetry of Time in Shanghai (on view through August 11) and Precious Jewels Telling Time in Singapore (running through early November). In New York, the brand plays “artist in residence” at the American Museum of Natural History, where its Cosmic Splendor exhibit dazzles visitors inside the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.
