The Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero before a game in July, in New York. He’s wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace. Photo: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The collection has attracted stars like A$AP Rocky, Offset, LeBron James and Hong Kong Olympic champion fencer Cheung Ka-long – but why?
When Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long clinched Olympic gold in Paris last summer, it wasn’t only his swordsmanship that caught attention. Around his wrist gleamed Van Cleef & Arpels’ iconic Vintage Alhambra bracelet – a yellow gold piece featuring five four-leaf clover motifs in red carnelian, with the four-leaf clover and the colour red long associated with good luck and courage.
As photos of his victory circulated, so did close-ups of his jewellery, which also featured Cartier’s Love bangle and ring in yellow gold, and two tri-link rings by the Santa Monica-based brand Hoorsenbuhs. The look was quiet but striking – one that captured how the Alhambra motif, once considered a quintessentially feminine symbol of luck, has become a global phenomenon among men.
Drake attends a concert after party at Onyx Nightclub in October 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Wireimage
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The story of the Alhambra begins in 1968, when Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled what would become one of the most recognisable designs in jewellery history. Inspired by the four-leaf clover and guided by Jacques Arpels’ belief that “to be lucky, you have to believe in luck”, the maison created a long necklace of 20 gold motifs edged in delicate golden beads. The design, launched as part of its La Boutique line, captured the optimism of the late 1960s. The jewellery was playful, tactile and meant to be worn every day.
Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long at the 2025 Asian Fencing Championships in June, in Bali. Photo: FIE
Unlike Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery creations, La Boutique was approachable, offering “sensitive jewels, tender jewels, meaningful jewels”, as one advertisement from the 1970s put it. The Alhambra’s talismanic quality, combined with the house’s craftsmanship, quickly made it a favourite among stylish women such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Françoise Hardy and Romy Schneider. In each decade since, the motif has evolved through new materials – from onyx, lapis lazuli and tiger’s eye to rock crystal and mother-of-pearl – while retaining its core message of luck and elegance.
Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in June, in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo: Getty Images
In recent years, a growing number of men have made the clover their own. Canadian rapper Drake frequently wears Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra necklaces in mother-of-pearl and 18k white gold, even name-dropping the brand in his 2022 song “BackOutsideBoyz”. British rapper Central Cee and American artist Offset have also accessorised their favourite luxury watches with Alhambra motifs, pairing them with diamond chains and bracelets for a layered look. In the world of Latin music, artists including Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano have also embraced the motif, weaving it into the bold, jewellery-heavy aesthetic of Mexico’s corridos tumbados (trap corridos) movement.
Offset attends the Roc Nation Brunch in Bel Air, in February 2023. Photo: Getty Images for Roc Nation
The trend has also gained surprising traction within professional sport. Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas was among the first players to make the onyx Alhambra necklace part of his regular look, pairing it with a rotation of fine jewellery. His ear stack often includes Van Cleef & Arpels’ Sweet Alhambra studs in onyx alongside delicate Sweet Butterflies earrings in mother-of-pearl – an unexpectedly refined mix for the field. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero has recently embraced the style, introducing his own onyx necklace and layering it with tennis chains, beads and a pair of matching Alhambra bracelets on off days.
