Calling collectors! What have you learned over the years?

[pearaffair]

I had another thread in which some really great wisdom was shared. Let's keep it coming! While building your collection or finding your perfect ring(s), what have you learned about yourself and about jewellery? Share anything! Help us who are closer to the beginning of our journey - or those of us that have yet to learn from our past experiences!

I can't wait to hear your responses!

 

[Phoenix]

I think this would depend on your "style", meaning some of us are happy with lots of relatively less expensive items whereas some are more content with fewer higher value items. I thought I was the former initially when I first started my jewellery craze. Later, I found out, much to my chagrin, that I am actually the latter. This has cost me an awful lot of money, and time, wasted on buying things that I ended up not wearing, multiple unnecessary resets etc. Mind you, I have things that I rotate around but I do not need, nor want, dozens of earrings, several different types of rings etc. But if push came to shove, I'd happily just wear one large pair of earrings, one or 2 large erings and 3 or 4 high-end (designer) bracelets - I like bracelets a lot!

Maybe it's part of getting older too. I am more abt about quality vs quantity, more so now that I've ever been; and that applies to all areas of my life, not just bling. Perhaps I had to go through this journey to get to where I am right now....

ETA: Oh, one mistake I've made is that it's very easy to get caught up in others' bling, like what's trendy/ popular here on PS, on another forum, what your friends have bought/ like etc...I've found out that I am not really a coloured stone person (as much as I think for example emeralds, rubies and sapphires are sooo beautiful, they're just not "me"), nor am I a pearl person (again, as much as I think pearls are so organically gorgeous), nor am I the VCA stone-jewellery kind (though I love and admire those on others). I've finally determined that I really only like diamonds and higher-end jewellery. That's it, diamond jewellery, higher colours, cleaner clarities..and biiiiigger! lol I don't like dainty jewellery. That's just ME and my own taste. It's not everyone, it's not necessarily others' taste.

 

[kenny]

Just splurge and buy your last diamond first.

Upgrades make lots of money go poof.

 

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Pearaffair, you start the best threads. I'm at the beginning of my journey, Reading with interest.

 

[Dancing Fire]

My wallet is empty before I knew it!...

 

[Tourmaline]

I am fickle, and I change my mind a lot. I get obsessed with an idea and then forget about it (sometimes after going through with it, and sometimes before). I am not into mid-range, typical precious jewelry. I would much rather have a high end silver piece than a low end gold one. I do like to buy jewelry all the time, rather than a few signature pieces, and I change my jewelry often. I care more about my jewelry outfit than my clothes, haha. I guess the thing I don't like about the way I think, is that no matter what decision I make about a big purchase, I always second guess it and wonder if I should have gone in a different direction. When we were shopping for our 10-year anniversary diamond, I wanted an OEC, and my husband wanted a modern round brilliant. We went with in between: an early round brilliant. I still think about the extreme alternatives and imagine a higher color ideal round brilliant or a(n ideal or wonky) lower color old cut. I can't have both, or all three, but the second-guessing drives me crazy sometimes. Newness wears off, and I sometimes take a break from wearing my diamond. Then I am excited to see it again a few weeks later. I'm not sure any of this amounts to advice, haha. Sorry about that.

 

[OoohShiny]

Just splurge and buy your last diamond first.

Upgrades make lots of money go poof.

This.

I have learnt in life that I'm rarely satisfied until I've gone for what I actually want (or think I want), rather than things that 'will do' until I get there, so I'm definitely of the mind of 'do it once, do it right'.

This does mean my desired 2ct+ colourless VVS Octavia is decades away lol, but hey, it's good to have something to aim for...

 

[pearaffair]

I think this would depend on your "style", meaning some of us are happy with lots of relatively less expensive items whereas some are more content with fewer higher value items. I thought I was the former initially when I first started my jewellery craze. Later, I found out, much to my chagrin, that I am actually the latter. This has cost me an awful lot of money, and time, wasted on buying things that I ended up not wearing, multiple unnecessary resets etc. Mind you, I have things that I rotate around but I do not need, nor want, dozens of earrings, several different types of rings etc. But if push came to shove, I'd happily just wear one large pair of earrings, one or 2 large erings and 3 or 4 high-end (designer) bracelets - I like bracelets a lot!

Maybe it's part of getting older too. I am more abt about quality vs quantity, more so now that I've ever been; and that applies to all areas of my life, not just bling. Perhaps I had to go through this journey to get to where I am right now....

ETA: Oh, one mistake I've made is that it's very easy to get caught up in others' bling, like what's trendy/ popular here on PS, on another forum, what your friends have bought/ like etc...I've found out that I am not really a coloured stone person (as much as I think for example emeralds, rubies and sapphires are sooo beautiful, they're just not "me"), nor am I a pearl person (again, as much as I think pearls are so organically gorgeous), nor am I the VCA stone-jewellery kind (though I love and admire those on others). I've finally determined that I really only like diamonds and higher-end jewellery. That's it, diamond jewellery, higher colours, cleaner clarities..and biiiiigger! lol I don't like dainty jewellery. That's just ME and my own taste. It's not everyone, it's not necessarily others' taste.

I think that's a really good point about getting caught up with whatever people on PS love. Sometimes I have to take a step back and ask myself, do I love old cuts?? Etc.

Just splurge and buy your last diamond first.

Upgrades make lots of money go poof.

Haha so true!!!! I've read many threads that attest to this. Can I get a t-shirt that says this?

Pearaffair, you start the best threads. I'm at the beginning of my journey, Reading with interest.

I'm at the beginning, too. Doesn't mean I haven't made mistakes yet
It's so sweet of you to say you're enjoying my threads. I'm pregnant and at home (just biding my time) so I sit here and think, hmmm anyone want to talk about bling?! I was hoping I wasn't posting too much but I could chat about jewellery ALL DAY and you need a select audience for that

My wallet is empty before I knew it!...

Truth!!!!

I am fickle, and I change my mind a lot. I get obsessed with an idea and then forget about it (sometimes after going through with it, and sometimes before). I am not into mid-range, typical precious jewelry. I would much rather have a high end silver piece than a low end gold one. I do like to buy jewelry all the time, rather than a few signature pieces, and I change my jewelry often. I care more about my jewelry outfit than my clothes, haha. I guess the thing I don't like about the way I think, is that no matter what decision I make about a big purchase, I always second guess it and wonder if I should have gone in a different direction. When we were shopping for our 10-year anniversary diamond, I wanted an OEC, and my husband wanted a modern round brilliant. We went with in between: an early round brilliant. I still think about the extreme alternatives and imagine a higher color ideal round brilliant or a(n ideal or wonky) lower color old cut. I can't have both, or all three, but the second-guessing drives me crazy sometimes. Newness wears off, and I sometimes take a break from wearing my diamond. Then I am excited to see it again a few weeks later. I'm not sure any of this amounts to advice, haha. Sorry about that.

I know what you mean, I can totally relate. Buying one thing often means not buying another. And second-guessing large purchases seems to be my hobby! Maybe in need a new thread: "Diagnosing and treating Diamond ADD"

This.

I have learnt in life that I'm rarely satisfied until I've gone for what I actually want (or think I want), rather than things that 'will do' until I get there, so I'm definitely of the mind of 'do it once, do it right'.

This does mean my desired 2ct+ colourless VVS Octavia is decades away lol, but hey, it's good to have something to aim for...

I have heard this advice a few times... but I don't think I have the patience this would require! Haha I'd rather collect along the way and sell at a loss (I think).

 

[WinkHPD]

When I was a young man I was stationed in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. I was a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy there, and lived with eleven other Marines a couple of miles from the Embassy. It was there that I fell in love with colored gems.

I started to buy and sell them to finance my private collection. After all, the $450 or so a month I was making as a Marine did not go very far even back in the early seventies, although the favorable exchange rate for the American Dollar versus the Brasilian Cruzerio helped. I would take my paycheck to a local jeweler and he would give me 1.5 times its value in Brasilian currency and deposit the checks into his Swiss account. After two years of this, I got a sit down with the brass who wanted to know why in the heck all of my checks were being cashed in a Swiss bank. I was then advised that although technically not illegal, my activity towards maximizing my income was "frowned" upon and would either be ceased voluntarily or my tour of duty would be cut short along with a negative fitness report. It seems he had come on his semi-annual inspection tour with specific orders from Washington, DC to find out what I was doing and return me to the States for arrest and prosecution if it was deemed appropriate.

Fortunately, he did not ask me why I was cashing my checks with a jeweler, so my jewelry career was not stopped short.

What have I learned?

There is a bigger market for "stuff" than for highest quality. It turns more quickly and usually at a higher margin.

I hate dealing or collecting "stuff"!

When I made my third trip to Antwerp I spent all of my money on some really nice diamonds. On the last day of my trip my then favorite dealer, this was years before I would meet Paul Slegers when he started Crafted by Infinity, pulled a parcel of ten diamonds in the 1.10 to 1.4 carat range out of his box of parcels and handed it across the desk to me.

"Wink, what do you think these diamonds would sell for, at wholesale, in the United States.?"

After I inspected several of the diamonds, I determined them to be H-J, high I1 diamonds of medium cutting. I gave him a low figure. He smiled and gave me a figure $300 higher than that I named, which was actually the figure I had in my head. (He had written his answer on a piece of paper before I answered him and handed it to me folded over.)

He then asked me, "What if I would sell it to you for X?" naming a figure of just over half the value I knew the diamonds to have at wholesale.

"My friend, you know I have already spent slightly more than my allotted budget for this trip," I said. I have no more money.

"Well, what if I could sell them to you for Y?"

Eventually I wrote a check that would bounce if it were cashed prior to me selling the parcel with the understanding that he would hold the check for 30 days. When I got home, I wrote a story about the exchange with my friend and sent it out in a letter to my client list. I offered the diamonds at what I should be able to wholesale them for, and I also posted about them on Polygon for the same price.

Within a week all were sold and sold at a better profit margin than the "great" diamonds I had worked so hard to find during my trip to Antwerp.

I NEVER DID IT AGAIN!

I just hated selling the "stuff" quality too much.

So for me, it was one of my biggest AHA moments. Buy and collect what you love. Oh, and feel free to love what YOU love, not what someone else tells you to love. My wife has some incredible pieces that I have collected over the years. Some of her favorites are a nice dark amethyst surrounded with a halo of small round cut emeralds made by my check cashing jeweler in Rio back in '71 or '72, an incredible pear shaped dark blue aquamarine of 11+ carats, a marquise cut fancy vivid yellow diamond that would make the brightest yellow daffodil look enviously at it and a light fancy grayish-blue round brilliant diamond set into a yellow gold ring that makes it look even more blue than it is.

The short version: Buy what you love, if you choose to do so, share it with someone you love, and most importantly, ENJOY THE HUNT!

Wink

 

[pearaffair]

When I was a young man I was stationed in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. I was a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy there, and lived with eleven other Marines a couple of miles from the Embassy. It was there that I fell in love with colored gems.

I started to buy and sell them to finance my private collection. After all, the $450 or so a month I was making as a Marine did not go very far even back in the early seventies, although the favorable exchange rate for the American Dollar versus the Brasilian Cruzerio helped. I would take my paycheck to a local jeweler and he would give me 1.5 times its value in Brasilian currency and deposit the checks into his Swiss account. After two years of this, I got a sit down with the brass who wanted to know why in the heck all of my checks were being cashed in a Swiss bank. I was then advised that although technically not illegal, my activity towards maximizing my income was "frowned" upon and would either be ceased voluntarily or my tour of duty would be cut short along with a negative fitness report. It seems he had come on his semi-annual inspection tour with specific orders from Washington, DC to find out what I was doing and return me to the States for arrest and prosecution if it was deemed appropriate.

Fortunately, he did not ask me why I was cashing my checks with a jeweler, so my jewelry career was not stopped short.

What have I learned?

There is a bigger market for "stuff" than for highest quality. It turns more quickly and usually at a higher margin.

I hate dealing or collecting "stuff"!

When I made my third trip to Antwerp I spent all of my money on some really nice diamonds. On the last day of my trip my then favorite dealer, this was years before I would meet Paul Slegers when he started Crafted by Infinity, pulled a parcel of ten diamonds in the 1.10 to 1.4 carat range out of his box of parcels and handed it across the desk to me.

"Wink, what do you think these diamonds would sell for, at wholesale, in the United States.?"

After I inspected several of the diamonds, I determined them to be H-J, high I1 diamonds of medium cutting. I gave him a low figure. He smiled and gave me a figure $300 higher than that I named, which was actually the figure I had in my head. (He had written his answer on a piece of paper before I answered him and handed it to me folded over.)

He then asked me, "What if I would sell it to you for X?" naming a figure of just over half the value I knew the diamonds to have at wholesale.

"My friend, you know I have already spent slightly more than my allotted budget for this trip," I said. I have no more money.

"Well, what if I could sell them to you for Y?"

Eventually I wrote a check that would bounce if it were cashed prior to me selling the parcel with the understanding that he would hold the check for 30 days. When I got home, I wrote a story about the exchange with my friend and sent it out in a letter to my client list. I offered the diamonds at what I should be able to wholesale them for, and I also posted about them on Polygon for the same price.

Within a week all were sold and sold at a better profit margin than the "great" diamonds I had worked so hard to find during my trip to Antwerp.

I NEVER DID IT AGAIN!

I just hated selling the "stuff" quality too much.

So for me, it was one of my biggest AHA moments. Buy and collect what you love. Oh, and feel free to love what YOU love, not what someone else tells you to love. My wife has some incredible pieces that I have collected over the years. Some of her favorites are a nice dark amethyst surrounded with a halo of small round cut emeralds made by my check cashing jeweler in Rio back in '71 or '72, an incredible pear shaped dark blue aquamarine of 11+ carats, a marquise cut fancy vivid yellow diamond that would make the brightest yellow daffodil look enviously at it and a light fancy grayish-blue round brilliant diamond set into a yellow gold ring that makes it look even more blue than it is.

The short version: Buy what you love, if you choose to do so, share it with someone you love, and most importantly, ENJOY THE HUNT!

Wink

Wink, you sure know how to paint a picture! That being said, I would just LOVE a picture of some of the colourful beauties you just described...

 

[WinkHPD]

You make my day.

I will have to ask Andrey if it is permitted. As a vendor it may or may not be allowable for me to post my personal jewelry and I do not want to violate any of the forum rules. This place rocks because of the wise rules that allows vendors, prosumers and the just curious and/or needing help to post in the same space with controls to keep it fun for all.

If Andrey says yes I will take some new photos and share.

Wink

 

[tyty333]

I would love to see some of your personal items Wink!

I have learned that having a lot of jewelry is just not my style. I tend to put on my favorite pieces on every day and feel bad about the ones that I dont
wear that much. I think I am a minimalist (shoes, purses and apparently jewelry).

I would love a bigger OEC ring right now but unless its about 7.5mm+ I dont think it will scratch that itch. Every time I see a beautiful 1 carat OEC, that I can
actually afford, I have to remind myself that it will give me that immediate gratification but in the long run just wont be big enough.

Another point, I have a beautiful 1 carat OEC pendant that I just dont take off. But what about my .46 BGD pendant that I dont hardly wear (but still love).
What do I do with that???

And earrings...I wear the same small SS huggie hoops everyday. Occasionally I put on a pair of bigger yellow gold or white gold hoops but we're talking
maybe once a month. I do plan on getting a small pair of diamond huggies for everyday wear but dont see myself changing them out much.

So for me, I need to keep my collection small...just favorites. I am a SAHM. I dont attend fancy events. I dont need a variety.

I think the best you can do is try to figure out what kind of jewelry person you are (lots for variety or a few really nice higher end pieces).

 

[WinkHPD]

I would love to see some of your personal items Wink!

I have learned that having a lot of jewelry is just not my style. I tend to put on my favorite pieces on every day and feel bad about the ones that I dont
wear that much. I think I am a minimalist (shoes, purses and apparently jewelry).

I would love a bigger OEC ring right now but unless its about 7.5mm+ I dont think it will scratch that itch. Every time I see a beautiful 1 carat OEC, that I can
actually afford, I have to remind myself that it will give me that immediate gratification but in the long run just wont be big enough.

Another point, I have a beautiful 1 carat OEC pendant that I just dont take off. But what about my .46 BGD pendant that I dont hardly wear (but still love).
What do I do with that???

And earrings...I wear the same small SS huggie hoops everyday. Occasionally I put on a pair of bigger yellow gold or white gold hoops but we're talking
maybe once a month. I do plan on getting a small pair of diamond huggies for everyday wear but dont see myself changing them out much.

So for me, I need to keep my collection small...just favorites. I am a SAHM. I dont attend fancy events. I dont need a variety.

I think the best you can do is try to figure out what kind of jewelry person you are (lots for variety or a few really nice higher end pieces).

I can not speak for Brian except to say that he is an honorable man and also a friend. Perhaps he would help you find that OEC and trade in your pendant that you are not wearing. I would not expect him to allow you to trade that OEC in if he does help you, but he has connections all over the world, so a phone call and a discussion may be in order.

Yes or no answer aside, you will enjoy having the conversation with him.

Just my thoughts on a bright and beautiful Saturday. Resa and I just finished a nice bike ride around the neighborhood enjoying all the beautiful flowers this time of year. Incredible roses, tall and fragrant lavender with their beautiful purple-blue flowers, lilies and so many other flowers. What a fun way to start the day.

Wink

 

[Catmom]

I learned that I am not a stone collector. I need to wear it and I view each piece as an art piece therefore the more detailed a piece the better for me. I also am OCD apparently so any jewelry I am wearing must match the color of the clothing I am wearing. My collection has gotten smaller over the years. Now it's my best and favorite pieces only. I've winnowed out all the others.

 

[Gussie]

I have only been on ps for a few months but I have already learned that I DON'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY!

 

[kenny]

I have only been on ps for a few months but I have already learned that I DON'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY!

Nobody ... Nobody ... ever will.

IMO it's universal human nature to always want more than what is within our reach, regardless of how much money we have.

So, we can stay sad or move on to the next level ... where we appreciate what we can have.

My comment about buying your final diamond first instead of upgrading was not meant to push anyone beyond their means --- but to perhaps give up a few low-priority expenses today to avoid a future upgrade.

 

[daintyG]

When I began, I always looked at and planned for elaborate settings. However, I have realized that I find them to be fussy-looking on my hands, and I actually prefer to wear more classic or clean-looking styles.

 

[pearaffair]

You make my day.

I will have to ask Andrey if it is permitted. As a vendor it may or may not be allowable for me to post my personal jewelry and I do not want to violate any of the forum rules. This place rocks because of the wise rules that allows vendors, prosumers and the just curious and/or needing help to post in the same space with controls to keep it fun for all.

If Andrey says yes I will take some new photos and share.

Wink

IMHO, if you post pics of jewellery that is not for sale and that speaks to your personal side rather than you professional side... that should be kosher! But I respect whatever decision is made. Would your wife be allowed to make an account and post pics? I want to see these luscious colours!!!

I am loving the advice in this thread. So far something that is really standing out is the importance of knowing yourself: are you the type of person to value quality over quantity? Is variety the spice of life or are timeless favourites more for you? These are questions I will have to seek answers for!

 

[Phoenix]

[QUOTE="pearaffair,
I am loving the advice in this thread. So far something that is really standing out is the importance of knowing yourself: are you the type of person to value quality over quantity? Is variety the spice of life or are timeless favourites more for you? These are questions I will have to seek answers for! [/QUOTE]

You know what's worked for me recently? I've made far too many mistakes buying on impulse, on momentum...Then after a while, I was like: Why did I buy it??!! I ended up not wearing these pieces or sold them at a loss, bc they were not what I really really wanted, they just scratched a temporary itch. What I've been doing recently is that I walk away, I think abt it and usually the urge to buy goes away after a few months, or even a few weeks. There IS one item I've been lusting after many many years and the itch has not gone away. Alas, I could only wish I'd not spent the money on numerous smaller items - I def would've been able to afford it by now. So, I am now letting it go and not yearn after it anymore! If one day, I can afford it, then I will buy it...if not, no worries!

 

[madelise]

I've learned that I'll plan to sell something, and I never will.
I.e., "yah I'll just splurge and buy this new item and sell my old one to fund it."

Yup. Never happens. I legit have only sold 2 things in the last 7 years of collecting.

 

[pearaffair]

[QUOTE="pearaffair,
I am loving the advice in this thread. So far something that is really standing out is the importance of knowing yourself: are you the type of person to value quality over quantity? Is variety the spice of life or are timeless favourites more for you? These are questions I will have to seek answers for!

You know what's worked for me recently? I've made far too many mistakes buying on impulse, on momentum...Then after a while, I was like: Why did I buy it??!! I ended up not wearing these pieces or sold them at a loss, bc they were not what I really really wanted, they just scratched a temporary itch. What I've been doing recently is that I walk away, I think abt it and usually the urge to buy goes away after a few months, or even a few weeks. There IS one item I've been lusting after many many years and the itch has not gone away. Alas, I could only wish I'd not spent the money on numerous smaller items - I def would've been able to afford it by now. So, I am now letting it go and not yearn after it anymore! If one day, I can afford it, then I will buy it...if not, no worries![/QUOTE]

I'm dying to know... what was it???

 

[Phoenix]

[QUOTE="pearaffair,

I'm dying to know... what was it???[/QUOTE]

Lol. I guess it was rather cryptic of me in that last post! I have posted before about wanting a large honking EC, and have been consistent about wanting one. I'd like this as an alternate ering.

 

[valeria101]

a marquise cut fancy vivid yellow diamond that would make the brightest yellow daffodil look enviously at it

Do I remember right that there was a vivid pear before ? The rummor - all that transpired on PS, made ne look up the matter: what could possibly be so impressive about a yellow diamond ! [on my side, the story ends years after, with natural pearls]

 

[Austina]

I've learnt that it's easy to get swept along looking and drooling at everyone else's bling

I've recently had a ring made, I started out thinking I wanted a pear or marquise. Then I saw all the beautiful rounds, and started looking at those. The budget kept going up and up to give me the finger coverage I need, until I was just about to order and thought, hang on, I don't want a round! They look fabulous on everyone else, but it's not me!

I've also gone from being a y/g wearer to white metal, so I've got lovely pieces I don't wear. I'm going to think about getting them reset in to w/g and start wearing them.

Realistically, my lifestyle is such that wearing fancy jewellery every day, just doesn't work. So my go to ring is a Raindance style, totally bezel set so that it doesn't catch or get damaged easily.

I can't figure out why I'm still hankering after a big round tho

 

[nala]

Here goes. I haven't learned one thing. Lol. I keep resetting my ering and keep buying on impulse both the settings and right hand rings. Right now I'm debating another rhr as we speak. Now, I did learn very early on not to pay retail for any of my major pieces--other than my ering and settings. I buy all my miscellaneous jewelry estate. And until recently, I would sell one to fund the other without major losses. But I've gotten so good at selecting what I want to collect, that I can't purge any pieces lately! I love my collection. I rationalize that Bc I bought estate, each piece is worth and will be worth what I paid for, if I ever had to sell. In the meantime, I enjoy rotating my favorite pieces when I feel like it. I used to feel guilty that they would sit around in a box, until I realized that happens to any other collector's item, but at least these pieces do t take up much space!! It took me a few months of reading PS to accept that I became a collector. I didn't set out to do that. But it gives me great joy and as long as all else is well in my life, I am blessed to be able to do that. I should add that I have been able to accumulate a decent collection Bc I add to it for every holiday or birthday!! Hope this helps!

 

[LLJsmom]

I have learned that I am NOT a collector. I want a few pieces that I absolutely LOVE and can wear EVERYDAY. I rarely change my jewelry. Once I start wearing a piece it is my go-to for 4-6 months. Then I change it out. So I need to stay away from impulse buys because I usually regret them. I would rather pay more for one piece that I love than get more pieces that I just like a lot. I probably need to stick with gold, platinum and diamonds because I am very lazy and don't even like to take jewelry off in the shower.

I also discovered that I do like more ornate settings than I thought. When I first got my upgrade I never liked Tacori or Ritani style ornate settings. When I looked at them IRL, they looked clunky and busy and distracted me from the center stone. I do not mean to insult anyone who has these settings. It's just a matter of what my eye focuses on. When I saw IRL some very well done more elaborate antique-y settings, Victor Canera, SingleStone, Erika Winter settings, I just loved them on my hand. I never would have thought. So maybe it was just a matter of detail done right. Since I stare at my ring a lot, I can see myself getting bored with the lack of detail in the simpler settings. So for me, it is a matter of exposure to a variety and quality of settings and styles as well as what I thought to be my natural inclination. I used to think that VCA was too fancy and busy, and considered myself much more a Cartier style girl. Now I appreciate the detail of VCA much more and would probably choose that over Cartier.

 

[Phoenix]

I have learned that I am NOT a collector. I want a few pieces that I absolutely LOVE and can wear EVERYDAY. I rarely change my jewelry. Once I start wearing a piece it is my go-to for 4-6 months. Then I change it out. So I need to stay away from impulse buys because I usually regret them. I would rather pay more for one piece that I love than get more pieces that I just like a lot. I probably need to stick with gold, platinum and diamonds because I am very lazy and don't even like to take jewelry off in the shower.

I also discovered that I do like more ornate settings than I thought. When I first got my upgrade I never liked Tacori or Ritani style ornate settings. When I looked at them IRL, they looked clunky and busy and distracted me from the center stone. I do not mean to insult anyone who has these settings. It's just a matter of what my eye focuses on. When I saw IRL some very well done more elaborate antique-y settings, Victor Canera, SingleStone, Erika Winter settings, I just loved them on my hand. I never would have thought. So maybe it was just a matter of detail done right. Since I stare at my ring a lot, I can see myself getting bored with the lack of detail in the simpler settings. So for me, it is a matter of exposure to a variety and quality of settings and styles as well as what I thought to be my natural inclination. I used to think that VCA was too fancy and busy, and considered myself much more a Cartier style girl. Now I appreciate the detail of VCA much more and would probably choose that over Cartier.

You've made several very excellent points, LLJsmom. Soooo many years down the line and I still haven't dressed Holly properly. I keep thinking maybe she needs to grow a little, but maybe it's a matter of the right costume (?). The current plain setting is a bit too boring for me; and as beautiful as Holly is, I'm just not drawn to her enough to give her the frequent wear and thus the love she deserves. Which is exactly why I love VCA sooo much. I love love love my Perlee clover bangle, the attention to the detail, the artistry aspect of this VCA piece makes it sooo attractive IMO. Even more so for my Lotus ring - it's absolutely mesmerising!! My Lotus ring is my most favourite pieces of bling, bar none - for now anyway, hehe. VCA carries sooo many beautiful pieces, inclg the stone pieces which I wouldn't wear personally (bc they're not my style), but regardless they're still breathtakingly beautiful. But LLJsmom, have you tried on the Cartier pave Love bangles? The workmanship is also exquisite.

So yeah, def not a collector here either - but a lot of that is a function of resources and to a lesser extent lifestyle. But if I could collect (ie. if money permitted), a lot more VCA diamond-jewellery and VCA watches - Oh My God!!!......Ok, going to wake up from that dream now, hehe!!

 

[Phoenix]

Yikes! Pls excuse the typos!lol

 

[psadmin]

Wink,
Go ahead and post your personal collection.

If another trade member wishes to post there personal collection, I give permission to do it here on this thread. It has to be a personal collection and not roaming pieces.

 

[whitewave]

Yay!!! Thank you! This will be so cool!!

Wink,
Go ahead and post your personal collection.

If another trade member wishes to post there personal collection, I give permission to do it here on this thread. It has to be a personal collection and not roaming pieces.