L ondon’s sale of Fine Jewels presents a selection of jewels for discerning collectors looking for rare and iconic designs, with pieces ranging from the mid-19th century through to contemporary designs from houses such as Graff, Bulgari and Cartier.
With over 50 years of history, the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra collection has continually been updated and revived, making it a renowned staple of the house’s most collectable fine jewellery designs. With the everlasting popularity and diverse repetitions (covering necklaces, rings, bracelets and even watches,) the design has become a symbol of the brand which is immediately recognized worldwide with the message of good fortune and good luck at its heart.
The Alhambra, in malachite and diamonds, is a talismanic design inspired by the four-leaf clover and reminiscent of traditional Moorish quatrefoil, a framework pattern consisting of four overlapping circles. The collection is said to be named after the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, which consists of many sweeping archways.
The very first Alhambra design was an opera-length necklace made up of 20 clover-shaped motifs crafted with the design’s signature beaded edges. The design quickly took off into the 1970s where it was incredibly popular amongst celebrity clients, who layered multiple Alhambra necklaces of different sizes with different gemstone combinations for the ultimate daytime look.
Moussaieff is globally renowned for its gemstone expertise and has one of the longest family traditions. It was in 1850 when Shlomo Moussaieff traded some of the most captivating natural pearls in Bukhara (today known as Uzbekistan) along the Silk Road which, forty years later, led him to establish a jewellery shop in Jerusalem. His legacy was carried through the family to Alisa Moussaieff who, together with her husband, opened their first London boutique in London and Parisian workshop in 1963.
Alisa Moussaieff, with her natural eye for jewellery design, combines her own artistic taste with the influence of her husband’s colourful and vibrant heritage; he can trace his roots back to the 12th century and the days of Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan. This is evident in her merging of strong contrasting colours and circular geometric forms. The gemstone is always the starting point for Alisa’s creative process and as such she requires the piece to be physically in her hands so that she can conceptualize the finished piece. For Moussaeiff, the gemstone always dictates the design.
