Van Cleef & Arpels and the New Scarcity of Alhambra

There was a time a 20-motif Alhambra necklace was simply a Van Cleef & Arpels staple.

In 2026, collectors call it a unicorn. The house has quietly tightened production of pieces set with organic materials, and the effect on the secondary market has been dramatic: malachite and tiger's eye Alhambra designs, prized for the fact that no two stones are ever identical, are trading at a premium over anything currently sitting in boutiques.

Turquoise, coral and carnelian versions are seeing similarly renewed demand. Dealers describe estate pieces as often superior in quality to what's available new, simply because high-grade sourcing for these stones has become so limited. It's a reminder that in high jewellery, rarity is manufactured as much by restraint as by geology.