Celebrity Jewelry

Major League Baseball Players (and Palm Beach County Women) Opt for Van Cleef & Arpels

The Alhambra necklace has been seen on the field and all over Palm Beach County.

Published

5 months ago

August 24, 2025

Beth Bernstein

Embed from Getty Images

Major League Baseball Players (and Palm Beach County Women) Opt for Van Cleef & Arpels

I MOVED TO DELRAY Beach, part of Palm Beach County, approximately a year and half ago — and I have never seen more Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra chains around the necks of women of every age group, from Delray to Boca to Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, even after living in Manhattan for 26 years. Some are vintage while others are new, and all are status symbols akin to the multitude of guys driving Teslas in this area.

In a time when individuality reigns in jewelry, it is interesting to see how many women still opt for what their friends, peers and the young girls dining next to them are wearing. But even more interesting to me was when I spotted Miguel Rojas, shortstop of the L.A. Dodgers, wearing a black onyx version around his neck.

Let me explain how this occurred. While I am not as sports savvy as I probably should be, I need to have something to discuss with my two brothers and two nephews who don’t leave the house during baseball and football seasons and travel to different cities to see their favorite teams.

So, with the Dodgers in first place in their division and having beaten the New York Yankees in the World Series last year, I felt I should be able to talk to the guys in my family about something else besides the ear cuff craze, layered necklaces and antique and vintage jewelry selling above expectations at retail. It’s like speaking a foreign language to them.

But then, while watching Rojas playing, I noticed he was wearing a necklace, but I couldn’t make it out completely, so I looked up a photo in a sports story online. Lo and behold, it was the black 18K gold onyx Alhambra necklace with 10 stations. I then went to his Instagram and saw that he has been wearing it pretty much all season.

Embed from Getty Images

Next I did my own investigating. Since outfielder Joc Pederson had set a trend for wearing pearls while with the Atlanta Braves (he now plays for the Texas Rangers), could he also own an Alhambra necklace? Yes, he actually owns three and a bracelet, and I found a photo of him wearing his 18K gold and malachite version.

Embed from Getty Images

Were there more baseball players who were as into the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace — first created in the 1960s in all gold and then evolved with hard stones in the 1970s — one of the renowned brand’s all-time best-selling pieces? I found one more: Junior Caminero, third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, also wears a black onyx version.

I was excited about this and texted my brothers and nephews, who showed as much interest as the fact that these players are in league with Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, who wears her Alhambra often. My brother David said, “This is what you got out of watching the Dodgers play?” And the answer is yes. Although I talked a good game to my nephews, my real interest lay in why the players chose this necklace. Perhaps it’s the four-leaf clover ,which is a lucky symbol, and sportsmen tend to be superstitious. The bling and heavy gold might be what they wear for press, but for good juju, the Alhambra necklace has become these major league players’ go-to.

Now if I could only spot an independent designer’s piece or a one-of-a-kind Art Deco jewel on someone in my new hood, that would be a welcome sight!

Related Topics: celebrity jewelry Featured

Beth Bernstein

Beth Bernstein is a jewelry historian, journalist, and one-time jewelry designer. She is the author of six jewelry books and has contributed to many trade and consumer print and online magazines. She previously held the position of senior editor for INSTORE magazine from 2008-2013. She lectures, runs and participates in seminars and educational events. Throughout the 1990s, Beth designed a jewelry collection under the brand name Bethany B, which sold to over 250 stores throughout the USA and abroad.

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

Shonda Rhimes and Hannah Berner Serve Style in Diamond Bracelets at the U.S. Open

Don't Miss

Rihanna Surprises in the Same Layered Necklaces Worn Multiple Times

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."