Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery price history

Van Cleef & Arpels was born from the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, and the house opened at Place Vendôme in Paris in 1906 (Van Cleef & Arpels). It became known for the quality of its stones and for its patented invisible setting, which hides the metal that holds them (Treccani). In the 1930s its style was shaped by the designers Renée Puissant and René Sim-Lacaze, and in 1968 the house created the first Alhambra long necklace (Van Cleef & Arpels).

The Alhambra motif is inspired by the four-leaf clover and framed by a beaded contour (Van Cleef & Arpels). Vintage Alhambra keeps the original 1968 design (Van Cleef & Arpels), and Luxe Charts follows its five-motif bracelet and its pendant. Sweet Alhambra, also covered here, presents the motif in miniature formats (Van Cleef & Arpels).

On The RealReal in 2018, Van Cleef & Arpels held its value better than any other jewellery brand for the second year in a row (JCK, 2018). Its annual resale report, covered in January 2021, put the Alhambra average at 86% of original retail (National Jeweler, 2021). Rebag’s 2021 Clair Report placed the house first among jewellery and watch brands, with 95% of retail value retained on average (FashionNetwork, 2021), and The RealReal’s 2025 report listed Alhambra among classics whose resale values rose (The RealReal, 2025). Demand attracts copies: Alhambra counterfeits featured in a 2019 Florida case in which a jeweller was ordered to pay the house and Cartier (National Jeweler, 2019).