Van Cleef & Arpels · East Village
Sell Your Van Cleef & Arpels in NYC
Alhambra in every size and stone, Perlée, Frivole and other Van Cleef pieces in 18k gold. Bring it to 39 Avenue A, we check the stamps, serial and construction in front of you and pay the same day.
- Same-day cash
- Checked in front of you
- Walk-ins welcome
- Trade toward store stock
What We Buy
Alhambra, Perlée and Frivole
Alhambra, the four-leaf clover, is Van Cleef's best-known line. It's made in 18k gold, so a genuine piece has real metal in it, and the design has steady demand on top of that. It's also one of the most copied designs in jewelry, so every piece gets checked closely.
Vintage Alhambra
The standard-size clover, introduced in 1968, with a beaded gold border around each stone. Pendants, earrings, rings, the 5-motif bracelet and the 10- and 20-motif necklaces.
Sweet, Magic & Byzantine Alhambra
Sweet Alhambra is the smallest clover. Magic Alhambra is larger, and its long necklaces often mix motif sizes. Byzantine Alhambra uses openwork gold motifs. Each is priced on its own.
Stones & Gold Colors
Mother-of-pearl, onyx, carnelian, malachite, chalcedony, turquoise, all-gold and diamond pavé, in yellow, white and rose gold. Limited and holiday combinations sell differently from the everyday ones.
Perlée & Frivole
Perlée is built from rows of gold beads, in bangles, rings and clover pieces. Frivole is the flower of heart-shaped petals, in polished gold or set with diamonds.
Pricing
What Moves a Van Cleef Offer
Two Alhambra pieces that look alike can be far apart in value. Here is what decides it.
- Size and motif count
- A Sweet pendant, a 5-motif bracelet and a 20-motif necklace hold very different amounts of gold and stone. We price the exact piece, not the line.
- Stone and gold color
- Which stone, which gold and whether it was a limited combination all change the number. Diamond pavé pieces carry their stones on top of the gold.
- Stone condition
- Mother-of-pearl, malachite and turquoise are soft stones and chip or scratch with wear. Chipped, cracked or dull stones lower the offer, and replacement stones not set by Van Cleef lower it more.
- Stamps and serial
- Genuine pieces carry the VCA or Van Cleef & Arpels signature, a gold mark (750 or Au750) and a serial number, usually near the clasp on bracelets and necklaces.
- Repairs and alterations
- Shortened chains, clasps that aren't Van Cleef and motifs that have been resoldered lower the value. Tell us about any work done on the piece.
- Certificate and box
- The certificate and receipt help, especially on larger pieces. None of it is required; a piece that passes authentication sells without it.
Not sure what you have? Count the motifs and look near the clasp for the stamps and serial. Text photos of both to 917-608-8939.
Authentication
How We Check Van Cleef & Arpels
Fake Alhambra is everywhere, and the stamps and serial format get copied too. Some fakes are even made in real gold, so a gold test alone doesn't settle it. We look at the whole piece, in front of you, and tell you what we see.
- The beading around each motif: even, round and tight to the stone
- How each stone is cut and how it sits inside its gold frame
- The signature, gold mark and serial number: font, depth and placement
- The clasp and the chain between the motifs
- Weight, and a metal test on the gold
Get Ready
Before You Bring It In
Don't have it shortened, repaired or polished before you sell. Bring it as it is.
- Bring the certificate, box and receipt if you have them
- Bring both earrings of a pair and every piece of a set
- Text photos of the clasp and the back of a motif first if you're coming from far away
- Bring a valid government-issued ID; New York law requires it for every sale