VCA 18ct Gold & Mother of Pearl Alhambra Necklace
Van Cleef & Arpels, 18ct gold and Mother of pearl 'Alhambra' necklace, comprising 20 quatrefoil motifs of mother of pearl in scalloped settings, signed Vca, no. BL211878; mounted in 18k gold, accompanied by makers pouch, box and certificate of authenticity, weight 44.5gm, length 33.46 in.
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Register Now to view actual auction price for this item.
- Quatrefoil - A stylised four-circle design, itself contained within a larger circle, with Gothic origins and often seen as window designs in ecclesiastical architecture. The use of the motif was popular in Gothic Revival furniture of the 19th century.
- Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.
In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.
Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- necklaces, gold - gold, no gemstones 2,030
- necklaces, pearl - pearl, other 565
- Van Cleef & Arpels (France)
