Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Necklace 10 motif Carnelian

Carnelian brings a warm, orange-red tone to the Vintage Alhambra 10-motif necklace, a stone Van Cleef & Arpels has used more sparingly than its onyx or mother of pearl counterparts, which tends to make carnelian pieces slightly harder to source in good, even colour matching across all ten motifs. This necklace is set in yellow gold, the metal Alhambra was originally designed in and still the most widely produced option across the collection.

The house built the Alhambra quatrefoil around the four-leaf clover in 1968, and the 10-motif length remains its longest standard necklace, generally worn to sit at or just past the collarbone. Carnelian's saturation makes it read warmer against skin than the cooler tones in the range, and it tends to be chosen by clients looking for something distinct from the more commonly seen mother of pearl or onyx pieces without moving into a full diamond-set option.

Carnelian necklaces tend to draw clients who already own the more common mother of pearl or onyx pieces and are adding a warmer-toned option to rotate between, rather than buying their first Alhambra piece in this stone. Matching all ten motifs for consistent colour saturation is a genuine sourcing challenge with carnelian specifically, since the stone's natural tone varies more piece to piece than onyx does, and Clutch checks that consistency directly before listing a necklace.

Clutch sources this piece new and pre-owned, and documents gold weight, stone match and clasp condition on the specific item before it goes to sale. Every piece is authenticated independently through Legit Grails ahead of purchase, not self-certified, with original paperwork carried through where the item came with it. Enquire to check current availability and pricing.