Luxury jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels is well-known for its eponymous Alhambra collection. The Alhambra pattern, which is adorned with mother-of-pearl, onyx, or diamonds, is known for its four-leaf clovers. A lot of fake Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra pieces are in circulation because of its high value and popularity. We'll talk about how to recognize an authentic Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace or bracelet in this blog post.
Seek out distinguishing features.
Genuine Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra pieces will bear indications identifying the brand and the purity of the gold. Seek out the hallmarks "Van Cleef & Arpels" and "VCA". Anything with just "Van Cleef" printed on it should raise suspicions. Additionally, a hallmark denoting the purity of the gold should be present, such as "Au750" or just "750".
See whether there is a distinct serial number.
Every Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra item will be identified by a special serial number. Somewhere on the item, ideally on the clasp or a small tag next to it, this number ought to be engraved. Make that the serial number is on file and matches any accompanying documentation for the item.
Seek out the eagle mark.
Van Cleef & Arpels certifies the quality of its gold pieces with an eagle mark. This hallmark, which denotes the purity of the gold, should be close to this mark on the item. The eagle mark will vary based on the nation of origin, so make sure to find out what the mark for the particular piece you're interested in should look like.
Examine the chain.
Examine the chain of the Alhambra piece closely. Every link has a rounded end and a pointed end, as you will notice. There will be a solder mark on the pointed end to show that each link was made by hand. As machine-made links are frequently used in counterfeit items, this is an obvious indication of legitimacy.
tally the beads.
There is a certain quantity of beads surrounding each leaf on an Alhambra clover, and this quantity is the same for pieces of the same type from the same collection. For instance, the number of beads on each clover of an Alhambra mother-of-pearl bracelet and an Alhambra onyx bracelet will be the same. Pieces with an irregular amount of beads should be avoided since they could be fakes.
Examine the tines.
Observe the prongs and the way the clovers are mounted. Because each clover is placed by hand, its prongs will be slightly longer on one side and rounder on the other. As symmetrical prongs are a common feature of counterfeit items, this is a positive indicator of genuineness.
Verify the serial number.
Every genuine Alhambra Van Cleef & Arpels piece has its exclusive serial number. The first two characters of the serial number represent the year the item was made. For instance, newer pieces will feature newer letter combinations, whereas older pieces can have letters like BL and CL. Verify that the item's age and design correspond to the ones shown by the serial number.
To sum up, identifying an authentic Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra item necessitates an acute visual perception coupled with familiarity with the brand's signatures and serial numbers. Make careful to examine the prongs, count the beads, inspect the chain, and verify the serial number. When in doubt, do your homework on the seller and think about having the item professionally authenticated.