Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra Necklace 10 motif Malachite

Malachite is the most visually active of the stones Van Cleef & Arpels sets into the Vintage Alhambra line, its banded green pattern meaning no two motifs, and no two necklaces, are ever quite identical. On this 10-motif necklace, that variation runs across all ten quatrefoils in yellow gold, giving the piece a natural, almost topographic quality that a uniform stone like onyx or mother of pearl does not have.

The 10-motif length is the longest of the house's three standard Alhambra necklace sizes, designed to sit at or just past the collarbone, and it is the format most commonly worn on its own as a statement rather than layered. Malachite pieces have moved in and out of Van Cleef & Arpels's regular rotation over the decades, which makes them somewhat less consistently available than the mother of pearl or onyx versions, and part of what a private sourcing service like Clutch is positioned to track down.

Buyers drawn to malachite specifically are usually looking for a piece that will not read identically to every other Alhambra necklace in a room, and the stone's natural variation delivers that even within the same production run. Because Van Cleef & Arpels has not kept malachite in continuous production the way it has onyx or mother of pearl, sourcing ten well-matched motifs in consistent banding can take longer, which is part of why Clutch treats this as a request-and-source piece rather than guaranteed stock.

This necklace is available new or pre-owned, and its gold weight, stone banding and clasp condition are documented before it is offered for sale. Every piece Clutch sources is reviewed through Legit Grails, an independent authentication service, ahead of purchase, with original certification carried through where available. Message Clutch to check current stock and pricing.