How to buy preloved VCA? Give this newbie some tips!

[diamondyes]

After lurking on the VCA thread for ages, I have caught the bug. I’m going to purchase a bracelet some time in the next two years, and I’d like it to be secondhand.

Can I:

-buy from a trusted seller
-and then lay VCA $500 for an appraisal?

Is that a thing I can do? I’ve been searching on the internet, but if anyone has any tips for me I’d greatly appreciate it.

 

[diamondyes]

I am also wondering about VCA and repairs/refurbishing options: what happens if I wear a bracelet everyday and I need a repair? Can I take it to VCA? Does it cost a ton? Does anyone know?

And maybe the most important question: is the first VCA piece a gateway to lifelong addiction? Lol

 

[diamondyes]

Calling @diamondseeker2006 @yssie @LLJsmom
Perhaps you know the answers?

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Their website says the appraisal is $1800 USD now! Yikes!

 

[lovedogs]

Pre loved VCA pieces are often only a few hundred less than buying from the boutique. So I typically recommend against it unless it's a particular piece you love and cpildnt get at the store for whatever reason.

 

[diamondyes]

Their website says the appraisal is $1800 USD now! Yikes!

Wowza!!! That is excellent to know. The preowned market isn’t exactly a major discount. It might make sense to just buy from VCA. This is what I have my eye on. It sold off TRR very quickly.

 

[lovedogs]

Wowza!!! That is excellent to know. The preowned market isn’t exactly a major discount. It might make sense to just buy from VCA. This is what I have my eye on. It sold off TRR very quickly.

I honestly would just buy from VCA directly.

 

[diamondyes]

Pre loved VCA pieces are often only a few hundred less than buying from the boutique. So I typically recommend against it unless it's a particular piece you love and cpildnt get at the store for whatever reason.

That’s some good advice, thank you!

I want to have this bracelet for August 2024. Do you have any idea how much lead time I should give this order? I know sometimes the VCA supply chain is hurting!

 

[diamondyes]

I honestly would just buy from VCA directly.

I can see the sense in that! Thank you.

 

[lovedogs]

That’s some good advice, thank you!

I want to have this bracelet for August 2024. Do you have any idea how much lead time I should give this order? I know sometimes the VCA supply chain is hurting!

Yeah, sometimes ordering takes forever so I would order whenever you have funds available and are comfortable doing so. I was gifted a necklace from them, and getting it to my local store took months due to COVID related delays and supply chain issues.

 

[diamondyes]

Yeah, sometimes ordering takes forever so I would order whenever you have funds available and are comfortable doing so. I was gifted a necklace from them, and getting it to my local store took months due to COVID related delays and supply chain issues.

Bwahaha I read this as “VCA gifted me a necklace” and I was like WOAH. Lol!!

 

[yssie]

My strong recommendation would be “don’t” unless you’re buying from someone you personally know and trust!!

Well, actually, my specific recommendation would be to buy a couple of pieces new from boutique, establish some sort of relationship with an SA (no need to be besties, just one specific person you can email or text to “work with”), and then venture into the preloved market. And I still would only go preowned for discontinued pieces unless you’re buying from someone you personally know and trust.

Preloved pricing is really close to retail, as @lovedogs observed, and for the more popular lines (Alhambra, Perlee, Frivole) fakes abound. These con artists will forge the pieces themselves and all accompanying paperwork and packaging - boxes, tissue, CoAs, receipts.

The only ways to authenticate a piece with certainty are to either get a new valuation ($1800) or have it altered in some way that requires servicing from the workshop - the service receipt is tantamount to proof of authenticity. And since even CoAs and receipts are faked, you can’t rely on paperwork you purchase with.

The thing is, if you walk into a random boutique and ask to have a piece worked on, you might end up working with an SA who’s happy to help you or you might not. (And no point cooking up a story about inheriting it or something - they can smell them coming!!) If you end up with an SA who’s happy to help you, and the servicing request is accepted, if the workshop finds it to be fake they might return it to you or they might send it out to Paris for further evaluation. If Paris finds it fake they might return it to you (very unlikely, from my understanding) but they also might just destroy it. By this point even if you do get it back you’re at least four months past initial submission and probably closer to six or eight - definitely well past any return period, possibly also past your CC chargeback time limit.

Having a human being you can email or text short circuits a lot of the risk. Your SA will probably be willing to run the serial for you. If the local workshop declines to service it, he or she could intercept a forward to Paris. I imagine most SAs are happy to help known clients authenticate/“authenticate”-by-service discontinued pieces, and many will be willing to do a known client a favour with a current piece as well.


I have a personal example. My Cartier Orchid ring. I bought it preowned from TRR and I needed it sized up a touch. I don’t have a Cartier SA… I took it to the NYC flagship for servicing and luck was with me: I met a lovely consultant to whom I told the truth about buying it preloved (which she appreciated!). And it was a discontinued piece. It had to be sent to Paris for evaluation. I okayed that, I didn’t think about the “will probably be destroyed if found inauthentic” bit… Actually didn’t register until several months later that I’d taken such a HUGE risk - if it hadn’t been authentic I’d have flushed 10k down the loo. My stomach flips just thinking about that now!!

 

[diamondyes]

My strong recommendation would be “don’t” unless you’re buying from someone you personally know and trust!!

Well, actually, my specific recommendation would be to buy a couple of pieces new from boutique, establish some sort of relationship with an SA (no need to be besties, just one specific person you can email or text to “work with”), and then venture into the preloved market. And I still would only go preowned for discontinued pieces unless you’re buying from someone you personally know and trust.

Preloved pricing is really close to retail, as @lovedogs observed, and for the more popular lines (Alhambra, Perlee, Frivole) fakes abound. These con artists will forge the pieces themselves and all accompanying paperwork and packaging - boxes, tissue, CoAs, receipts.

The only ways to authenticate a piece with certainty are to either get a new valuation ($1800) or have it altered in some way that requires servicing from the workshop - the service receipt is tantamount to proof of authenticity. And since even CoAs and receipts are faked, you can’t rely on paperwork you purchase with.

The thing is, if you walk into a random boutique and ask to have a piece worked on, you might end up working with an SA who’s happy to help you or you might not. (And no point cooking up a story about inheriting it or something - they can smell them coming!!) If you end up with an SA who’s happy to help you, and the servicing request is accepted, if the workshop finds it to be fake they might return it to you or they might send it out to Paris for further evaluation. If Paris finds it fake they might return it to you (very unlikely, from my understanding) but they also might just destroy it. By this point even if you do get it back you’re at least four months past initial submission and probably closer to six or eight - definitely well past any return period, possibly also past your CC chargeback time limit.

Having a human being you can email or text short circuits a lot of the risk. Your SA will probably be willing to run the serial for you. If the local workshop declines to service it, he or she could intercept a forward to Paris. I imagine most SAs are happy to help known clients authenticate/“authenticate”-by-service discontinued pieces, and many will be willing to do a known client a favour with a current piece as well.


I have a personal example. My Cartier Orchid ring. I bought it preowned from TRR and I needed it sized up a touch. I don’t have a Cartier SA… I took it to the NYC flagship for servicing and luck was with me: I met a lovely consultant to whom I told the truth about buying it preloved (which she appreciated!). And it was a discontinued piece. It had to be sent to Paris for evaluation. I okayed that, I didn’t think about the “will probably be destroyed if found inauthentic” bit… Actually didn’t register until several months later that I’d taken such a HUGE risk - if it hadn’t been authentic I’d have flushed 10k down the loo. My stomach flips just thinking about that now!!

Wow, thank you so much for all of this info! I really appreciate it! Gives me a lot to think about. I know you’re an experienced VCA buyer- gave you ever tried on the 5-row perlee bracelet? I will definitely be buying new.

 

[yssie]

To be fair my husband might choose the word "crazed" over "experienced"

I haven't tried that one on!! To be honest I haven't even seen it in-person! There's a poster on the other forum who has one though, and she styles it beautifully I hope you're able to get out to a boutique and try one on without having to wait too long!

 

[diamondyes]

To be fair my husband might choose the word "crazed" over "experienced"

I haven't tried that one on!! To be honest I haven't even seen it in-person! There's a poster on the other forum who has one though, and she styles it beautifully I hope you're able to get out to a boutique and try one on without having to wait too long!

Haha he says crazed, I say PASSIONATE!

I’ll share pics when I can finally try it on. I did see some pics of one on someone on the other forum. It looked fantastic.

 

[RosieR]

Wow, thank you so much for all of this info! I really appreciate it! Gives me a lot to think about. I know you’re an experienced VCA buyer- gave you ever tried on the 5-row perlee bracelet? I will definitely be buying new.

I’ve tried this on in the Paris boutique. It’s AMAZING in person, but photographs poorly.

 

[diamondyes]

I’ve tried this on in the Paris boutique. It’s AMAZING in person, but photographs poorly.

Ooo thank you for the pic! Someone on another forum described the look of it as “baby corn” lol- but to me it looked more like the old goldsmith technique of granulation… I think I need to visit it in person and decide. Looks great on you but the colour in the photo is not what I was expecting, maybe that’s what you mean about looking better IRL!

 

[diamondyes]

I’ve tried this on in the Paris boutique. It’s AMAZING in person, but photographs poorly.

Also I love your ring in this pic- where can I see more of it? Gorgeous!

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Bwahaha I read this as “VCA gifted me a necklace” and I was like WOAH. Lol!!

Saaaame.

 

[LLJsmom]

If you get to a boutique, I would try on anything you are remotely interested in, and even some you would never consider. VCA can be like Marc Jacobs back in the day. Some of his stuff has absolutely no hanger appeal but once it's on, you're like wow...

@yssie pretty much explained it all, about buying pre-loved v. new. I've done both, with much success, and one mishap. I got a vintage pave pendant from Anns which VCA would not service because the number was not in their system. That's not unusual because VCA does not track pieces sold through Neimans. But in order to authenticate it, they needed to send to Paris and charge me $1800. I said no thanks, and returned it to Anns, and they gave me a full refund. Very cool of them. I also bought off FP successfully, and returned pieces that I did not feel comfortable with. So bottom line, if the piece is available at the store, I would get it from the store, unless you are buying from a friend who you trust or you are buying a retired piece. I will say that sometimes diamond pieces are priced lower by 20-30%, and if I got one, I would try to ask my SA for help to de facto authenticate it. I may send earrings in to get them replated or maybe replace a motif, some sort of service. If VCA suspects that the item may not be authentic, they won't service it. When they could not verify the serial number of my necklace they did not destroy it. They just sent it back to me when I declined the option of sending it to Paris. Something to consider.

And yes, VCA will repair your pieces. They may or may not charge you. I personally don't have a problem paying for repairs. I don't think its reasonable to expect them to warranty a item for life. I have been happy with all instances of their customer service thus far.

 

[RosieR]

Ooo thank you for the pic! Someone on another forum described the look of it as “baby corn” lol- but to me it looked more like the old goldsmith technique of granulation… I think I need to visit it in person and decide. Looks great on you but the colour in the photo is not what I was expecting, maybe that’s what you mean about looking better IRL!

I’d definitely say it looks like granulation. The little gold beads seem to glow!

(There are no threads on any of my jewellery I’m afraid, a few sneaky guest appearances on other threads)

 

[diamondyes]

If you get to a boutique, I would try on anything you are remotely interested in, and even some you would never consider. VCA can be like Marc Jacobs back in the day. Some of his stuff has absolutely no hanger appeal but once it's on, you're like wow...

@yssie pretty much explained it all, about buying pre-loved v. new. I've done both, with much success, and one mishap. I got a vintage pave pendant from Anns which VCA would not service because the number was not in their system. That's not unusual because VCA does not track pieces sold through Neimans. But in order to authenticate it, they needed to send to Paris and charge me $1800. I said no thanks, and returned it to Anns, and they gave me a full refund. Very cool of them. I also bought off FP successfully, and returned pieces that I did not feel comfortable with. So bottom line, if the piece is available at the store, I would get it from the store, unless you are buying from a friend who you trust or you are buying a retired piece. I will say that sometimes diamond pieces are priced lower by 20-30%, and if I got one, I would try to ask my SA for help to de facto authenticate it. I may send earrings in to get them replated or maybe replace a motif, some sort of service. If VCA suspects that the item may not be authentic, they won't service it. When they could not verify the serial number of my necklace they did not destroy it. They just sent it back to me when I declined the option of sending it to Paris. Something to consider.

And yes, VCA will repair your pieces. They may or may not charge you. I personally don't have a problem paying for repairs. I don't think its reasonable to expect them to warranty a item for life. I have been happy with all instances of their customer service thus far.

This is so helpful, thank you!

 

[diamondyes]

I’d definitely say it looks like granulation. The little gold beads seem to glow!

(There are no threads on any of my jewellery I’m afraid, a few sneaky guest appearances on other threads)

I *love* granulation.

Everything VCA makes is handmade?

 

[RosieR]

I *love* granulation.

Everything VCA makes is handmade?

Yes I believe so. Whenever I travel to Paris, I try to book myself on to a course at the van cleef and arpels l’école. The last one I went on was a tour of the workshop where I saw a zip necklace being made, a ballerina brooch being polished, a component of what I think was to be a frivole bracelet being made. I even went to the lapidary and saw a guy hand cutting rubies to go into a piece of jewellery which was to be mystery set. It was such a magical experience and made me love the brand even more.

There was strictly no photography or videos and we had to sign NDA’s on entering the building

 

[diamondyes]

Yes I believe so. Whenever I travel to Paris, I try to book myself on to a course at the van cleef and arpels l’école. The last one I went on was a tour of the workshop where I saw a zip necklace being made, a ballerina brooch being polished, a component of what I think was to be a frivole bracelet being made. I even went to the lapidary and saw a guy hand cutting rubies to go into a piece of jewellery which was to be mystery set. It was such a magical experience and made me love the brand even more.

There was strictly no photography or videos and we had to sign NDA’s on entering the building

Wow!!! Thank you for sharing that! It is my dream, too, to attend l’ecole VCA! Have you taken more than one course?

 

[RosieR]

I’ve been on 2 others but this one was the most enjoyable and memorable https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.co...having-access-van-cleef-arpels-creations-4h-0

 

[RosieR]

Wow!!! Thank you for sharing that! It is my dream, too, to attend l’ecole VCA! Have you taken more than one course?

I’ve been on 2 others but this one was the most enjoyable and memorable https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.co...having-access-van-cleef-arpels-creations-4h-0

 

[diamondyes]

I’ve been on 2 others but this one was the most enjoyable and memorable https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.co...having-access-van-cleef-arpels-creations-4h-0

That sounds memorable indeed!!

I really want to try this one: https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/fr/en/savoir-faire/gouache-high-jewelry-1-light-3h

 

[RosieR]

That sounds memorable indeed!!

I really want to try this one: https://www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/fr/en/savoir-faire/gouache-high-jewelry-1-light-3h

What a wonderful skill to learn!