Van Cleef & Arpels. Vintage Alhambra pendant (Diamond)

The perimeter beads aren’t perfectly round. When magnified several times, the crinkled texture of the metal hardware—other than the diamonds—is nothing short of a work of art. So are the central metal sphere and the radiating metallic striations. And the tree-vein pattern on the reverse side. It’s yet another masterpiece. Only by using genuine pieces for mold casting can such exquisitely dimensional and impeccable details be achieved.