Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[Snowdrop13]

What is the perlee variation ring?

It’s the one you bought recently, the “bubble” ring.

 

[LLJsmom]

It’s the one you bought recently, the “bubble” ring.

Oh. LOL!! Yeah. You wonder about some of VCA’s decisions.

 

[Snowdrop13]

Oh. LOL!! Yeah. You wonder about some of VCA’s decisions.

You did really well to nab yours, so jealous!

 

[yssie]

Channeling Gilmore Girls circa 2004 today. Pave Cosmos for the day at the office 'cause why the heck not

 

[LLJsmom]

Channeling Gilmore Girls circa 2004 today. Pave Cosmos for the day at the office 'cause why the heck not

I know you favor RG and YG, but I love WG on you too. Black+white=drama!! You can rock it all. And that orchidees ring is STUNNING with the the cosmos, my favorite of all your earrings.

 

[glitterbomb]

Channeling Gilmore Girls circa 2004 today. Pave Cosmos for the day at the office 'cause why the heck not

omg that ring and earrings!!! I love it They look amazing on you!

 

[lovedogs]

Channeling Gilmore Girls circa 2004 today. Pave Cosmos for the day at the office 'cause why the heck not

Love the cartier orchid rint too!!!!

 

[Pomelo]

I was in the NYC flagship recently (where you have to book an appointment! I tried to walk in and they were fully booked, so could only go back two days later) and tried on a few pieces.

I didn’t walk home with anything though, as I like to try on things multiple times to figure out if I truly love the piece and will wear it enough (cost per wear is important to me).

First up, some Cosmos earrings in small MOP, medium MOP and small pave:
- They were really comfortable to wear and I couldn’t see the lever back mechanism front-on which is always good (I can’t wear the Vintage Alhambra earrings due to the mechanism showing)
- I preferred the RG & MOP version, partly because I’m a YG&RG kinda gal, but also because I think the solo pave petal adds some more intrigue and makes it more wearable for all occasions (of course, @yssie wears the pave ones so well to the office )
- What I don’t like about the MOP ones though is the MOP itself because it’s such a delicate material! If I invest in a piece, I want to be able to wear it daily and not be concerned about it’s upkeep
- The pave pair also sat slightly lower on the ear, which seemed strange; the SA commented on this immediately and offered to adjust the position of the pin if necessary
- The size difference wasn’t obvious to me once the earrings were on photo showing the two difference sizes in the same ear below

 

[Pomelo]

I was in the NYC flagship recently (where you have to book an appointment! I tried to walk in and they were fully booked, so could only go back two days later) and tried on a few pieces.

I didn’t walk home with anything though, as I like to try on things multiple times to figure out if I truly love the piece and will wear it enough (cost per wear is important to me).

First up, some Cosmos earrings in small MOP, medium MOP and small pave:
- They were really comfortable to wear and I couldn’t see the lever back mechanism front-on which is always good (I can’t wear the Vintage Alhambra earrings due to the mechanism showing)
- I preferred the RG & MOP version, partly because I’m a YG&RG kinda gal, but also because I think the solo pave petal adds some more intrigue and makes it more wearable for all occasions (of course, @yssie wears the pave ones so well to the office )
- What I don’t like about the MOP ones though is the MOP itself because it’s such a delicate material! If I invest in a piece, I want to be able to wear it daily and not be concerned about it’s upkeep
- The pave pair also sat slightly lower on the ear, which seemed strange; the SA commented on this immediately and offered to adjust the position of the pin if necessary
- The size difference wasn’t obvious to me once the earrings were on photo showing the two difference sizes in the same ear below

I then tried on some Frivoles, Socrate and Rose de Noel.

Based on online photos, I have to admit that Frivole wasn’t a line I was keen on - it felt quite girly and playful. A friend also has the small Frivole pendant which, whilst very pretty on her, didn’t suit my personal style.

First, I tried on the pave small RG Frivole earrings in small:
- Looked very average in my ear
- Could see the closing mechanism from the front
- Wasn’t a fan of the pave, and it didn’t seem to sparkle as much in the ear

However, things all changed when I tried on the large ones in YG! This was my favourite piece of the day by far:
- The polished YG and the 3D-ness of the petals made it look like the earrings were “dancing”; those large flashes of gold mirror were spectacular to my eyes
- Comfortable to wear
- Large pair have a lot of presence. I was comparing them to a pair of white agate Chanel Camellias that I wear when I want to feel fancy
- Helps that they’re reasonably priced (by VCA standards )

Lastly, kudos to the SA who had to persuade one of her colleagues that had the large Frivoles on hold for another client, to allow me to try them on. Otherwise I think I would’ve passed on Frivole as a collection after trying on the pave.

The Socrate was something the SA brought just to show me - I put them on, snapped a couple of pics then took them off. WG just isn’t for me.

Similarly for the black MOP Rose de Noel - the SA brought them to show me and I appreciated her efforts, but the black blends & disappears into my dark hair. They didn’t have any other colour ways in store to show me, but that was fine for me - I generally prefer edgier designs.

 

[Pomelo]

After 45 mins spent with earrings, I moved onto rings and bangles.

To be honest, I prefer the ring designs from Cartier and Tiffany to VCA, except between the finger rings! I spied a gorgeous YG pave and lapis Two Butterfly ring when I walked through the store, and had to try it on:
- Loved it on my index finger as I like the look of one butterfly “flying” in the air as opposed to being on my fingers
- Really comfortable to wear
- Question is whether it’s worth it from a cost per wear perspective though and whether I’d reach for it enough. Answer is probably no at the moment

Lastly, two bangles - Perlee with one row of diamonds, and sweet clover Perlee bangle:
- Both were only available to try in size M which was too big for me, and I think this could’ve impacted how I felt about them
- The Perlee with sweet clovers was my preferred bangle but felt too feminine and “cute”, especially stacked next to my JUC
- The Perlee with single row of diamonds was nice but didn’t feel enough of a “design” piece to fit into my small collection

I was only looking for earrings and potentially a bangle, so that ended my playdate with VCA in NYC!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@Pomelo Thanks for all the beautiful pictures! I think it all looks great on you, but it is understandable that you might prefer more edgy looks such as Cartier especially when wearing JUC.

 

[yssie]

Finally catching up in this thread! @Pomelo thank you for sharing!!

I’m not surprised to hear that they’re still requiring appointments TBH, seems to be the way lots of brands are going with their boutiques - glad you were able to get a slot within a couple of days


I remember when I first saw the small and medium Cosmos - I fell in love with the small right away!! I saw the same thing you noted, the mediums were certainly bigger but not hugely so. But the cost difference is pretty hugely I normally do like big earrings but I found that for me, with this design, bigger wasn’t better - I preferred the delicacy of the smaller size on my ears. I can see the size difference on your ear though! So which size did you like better, all said and done?

Okay real talk, I wear the MOP cosmos wayyy more than the pave. I love rose gold, I love pearls, I love diamonds, these hit all my sweet spots in one go If you’re generally reasonable with your bling I really wouldn’t worry too much about upkeep. Pearls aren’t indestructible but they’re not un-enjoyably delicate either I follow all the normal "rules" - on after hair products and perfumes, off when I get home, I don’t shower or sleep in them. I usually just rinse them off and leave them to air dry for next morning

The post position makes such a difference. My pave pair has the posts in the wrong hole right now too, and they sit lower on the ears than I’d like. I’ll get them adjusted eventually!

I love love love your description of the Frivole. “Girly and playful”. That’s exactly what I love about them - and the things you love about the large earrings are exactly the reasons I don’t care for them I love that there’s something for everyone even within the one line I think the large Frivole work well with your other piercings, it’s a bit of an edgier look all over...

 

[Pomelo]

Finally catching up in this thread! @Pomelo thank you for sharing!!

I’m not surprised to hear that they’re still requiring appointments TBH, seems to be the way lots of brands are going with their boutiques - glad you were able to get a slot within a couple of days


I remember when I first saw the small and medium Cosmos - I fell in love with the small right away!! I saw the same thing you noted, the mediums were certainly bigger but not hugely so. But the cost difference is pretty hugely I normally do like big earrings but I found that for me, with this design, bigger wasn’t better - I preferred the delicacy of the smaller size on my ears. I can see the size difference on your ear though! So which size did you like better, all said and done?

Okay real talk, I wear the MOP cosmos wayyy more than the pave. I love rose gold, I love pearls, I love diamonds, these hit all my sweet spots in one go If you’re generally reasonable with your bling I really wouldn’t worry too much about upkeep. Pearls aren’t indestructible but they’re not un-enjoyably delicate either I follow all the normal "rules" - on after hair products and perfumes, off when I get home, I don’t shower or sleep in them. I usually just rinse them off and leave them to air dry for next morning

The post position makes such a difference. My pave pair has the posts in the wrong hole right now too, and they sit lower on the ears than I’d like. I’ll get them adjusted eventually!

I love love love your description of the Frivole. “Girly and playful”. That’s exactly what I love about them - and the things you love about the large earrings are exactly the reasons I don’t care for them I love that there’s something for everyone even within the one line I think the large Frivole work well with your other piercings, it’s a bit of an edgier look all over...

I prefer the small size for Cosmos as it was just a bit lighter, sat a big snugger and as there wasn't a noticeable size difference, I'd much rather invest the $$$ elsewhere!

You're absolutely right, VCA has something for everyone. I tried on the YG + emerald mini frivoles and as much as I love the combo (gold + green = heaven, my ideal Alhambra is the YG + malachite but am concerned about its upkeep), it was too "pretty" on me! This is to the extent that, gasp, I actually preferred the WG mini frivoles

My theory is that WG is a harder / more industrial looking metal. For example, the WG JUC is more unisex (in my eyes) than the RG/YG. So for a feminine line like Frivole, maybe that’s why I like the WG minis more?

In any case, I’ll continue noodling on the large YG Frivoles and maybe give the WG small & large a try next time I’m in the store.

 

[yssie]

I prefer the small size for Cosmos as it was just a bit lighter, sat a big snugger and as there wasn't a noticeable size difference, I'd much rather invest the $$$ elsewhere!

You're absolutely right, VCA has something for everyone. I tried on the YG + emerald mini frivoles and as much as I love the combo (gold + green = heaven, my ideal Alhambra is the YG + malachite but am concerned about its upkeep), it was too "pretty" on me! This is to the extent that, gasp, I actually preferred the WG mini frivoles

My theory is that WG is a harder / more industrial looking metal. For example, the WG JUC is more unisex (in my eyes) than the RG/YG. So for a feminine line like Frivole, maybe that’s why I like the WG minis more?

In any case, I’ll continue noodling on the large YG Frivoles and maybe give the WG small & large a try next time I’m in the store.

Oh I love green and gold too. That would be my top choice of Alhambra - those rich darker green is a good colour on me. But same concern, seems like malachite really IS woefully delicate.

I get what you mean re. white metal designs potentially erring more industrial. Maybe the small WG Frivole will be the ticket for you!!

 

[Phoenix]

Planning my own birthday present. I am toying with the following options, in no particular order of preference:

1) a 20pt tennis necklace in light yellow diamonds, in YG (16 inches)
2) 10-motif white MOP in YG - hard to source though since I really want pink/ amazing iridescence
3) hammered gold 10-motif necklace in YG
4) the following set of Magic necklace and bracelet (I have the bracelet in YG and absolutely love it):

Actually, what I'd really love most is a 10-motif grey MOP in RG but am waiting for VCA to introduce the line. I don't want to pay the 30% premium. This may have to wait until next year or year after (whenever VCA decides they want to do it).

Also, re # 1, Alex Park has the right necklace but alas it's the wrong length (20 inches). I really only just want 16". He won't sell me just 16". I wouldn't know what to do with the remaining 4".

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Planning my own birthday present. I am toying with the following options, in no particular order of preference:

1) a 20pt tennis necklace in light yellow diamonds, in YG (16 inches)
2) 10-motif white MOP in YG - hard to source though since I really want pink/ amazing iridescence
3) hammered gold 10-motif necklace in YG
4) the following set of Magic necklace and bracelet (I have the bracelet in YG and absolutely love it):

In my unsolicited opinion, I would go with the tennis necklace! IIRC you have these lovely oval yellow diamond earrings so it would make a great set and I think you would wear it a lot!

 

[Phoenix]

In my unsolicited opinion, I would go with the tennis necklace! IIRC you have these lovely oval yellow diamond earrings so it would make a great set and I think you would wear it a lot!

No no, totally solicited!

I definitely agree. I also have "the Monster" (my humongous halo'ed yellow diamond pear ring). That's what I wanted to pair the necklace and oval earrings with.

I did have those oval earrings (excellent memory, btw) but I sold them back to the original owner - long story. I have asked Alex to duplicate them but I guess it's not easy to find a matching pair in my specs.

I'd love the tennis necklace. But what would I do with the extra 4 inches? I really don't want to fork out the extra thousands and end up not doing anything with them. I really don't need nor want anything else in yellow diamonds.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

No no, totally solicited!

I definitely agree. I also have "the Monster" (my humongous halo'ed yellow diamond pear ring). That's what I wanted to pair the necklace and oval earrings with.

I did have those oval earrings (excellent memory, btw) but I sold them back to the original owner - long story. I have asked Alex to duplicate them but I guess it's not easy to find a matching pair in my specs.

I'd love the tennis necklace. But what would I do with the extra 4 inches? I really don't want to fork out the extra thousands and end up not doing anything with them. I really don't need nor want anything else in yellow diamonds.

Ah yes, how could I forget your stunning ring!! I’m even more convinced you have to go with the tennis necklace now.

Hmm, it’s a conundrum. You’ll be left with ~24-28 stones I think. But 4 inches isn’t enough for a tennis bracelet I’m sure, even with your slim hands!

Do you have/wear index rings? It just struck me that those many stones should be able to make a double eternity ring for you since your fingers are slim. I’m picturing a thicker ring for your pointer finger which is two rows of the yellow diamonds sandwiching a thin row of white diamonds (perhaps even white diamonds in a different shape to round)! It would again tie in beautifully with the rest of your YD pieces, will be something you can wear very frequently (even casually if you have a day you don’t want to bling out).

Also, I don’t remember what studs you have exactly, but IIRC they’re solitaire round diamonds in a fairly white colour and large size (I want to say Brian gavin but I am either right and a creepy stalker; or wrong; so that’s not an official guess ). If finding yellow diamonds in your desired specs is proving challenging but you’d still like something yellow to tie your pieces together, would you do a removable YD/YG halo jacket for your studs? I LOVE that look.

 

[Phoenix]

Ah yes, how could I forget your stunning ring!! I’m even more convinced you have to go with the tennis necklace now.

Hmm, it’s a conundrum. You’ll be left with ~24-28 stones I think. But 4 inches isn’t enough for a tennis bracelet I’m sure, even with your slim hands!

Do you have/wear index rings? It just struck me that those many stones should be able to make a double eternity ring for you since your fingers are slim. I’m picturing a thicker ring for your pointer finger which is two rows of the yellow diamonds sandwiching a thin row of white diamonds (perhaps even white diamonds in a different shape to round)! It would again tie in beautifully with the rest of your YD pieces, will be something you can wear very frequently (even casually if you have a day you don’t want to bling out).

Also, I don’t remember what studs you have exactly, but IIRC they’re solitaire round diamonds in a fairly white colour and large size (I want to say Brian gavin but I am either right and a creepy stalker; or wrong; so that’s not an official guess ). If finding yellow diamonds in your desired specs is proving challenging but you’d still like something yellow to tie your pieces together, would you do a removable YD/YG halo jacket for your studs? I LOVE that look.

You really do have a very excellent memory. Yes, I do have BGD diamond studs of 2.3ct each, G and H colour.

I'd really love a pair of oval yellow diamonds (am willing to go to U-V to save money). Alex is on the look out for them and I have just sent him a gentle reminder, lol.

Awww. Yes, I do love The Monster. It's so big and overwhelming - in a good way.

Hmmm...index rings. It's something to think about but I almost always only wear rings on my ring finger. I find rings on other fingers uncomfortable. I did think of maybe having an eternity made for my pinky/little finger which I could wear occasionally. But that'd still leave a lot of stones left. I think a pinky ring would only take up 10 approx stones of 20pt each.

Thanks for all your great ideas.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

You really do have a very excellent memory. Yes, I do have BGD diamond studs of 2.3ct each, G and H colour.

I'd really love a pair of oval yellow diamonds (willing to go to U-V to save money). Alex is on the look out for them and I have just sent him a gentle reminder, lol.

Awww, yes. I do love The Monster. It's so big and overwhelming - in a good way.

Hmmm...index rings. It's something to think about but I almost always only wear rings on my ring finger. I find rings on other fingers uncomfortable. I did think of maybe having an eternity made for my pinky/little finger. But that'd still leave a lot of stones left. I think a pinky ring would only take up 10 approx stones of 20pt each.

Thanks for all your great ideas.

I have a great memory for your jewelry because I love it all! Haha.

If index rings are uncomfortable for you, you could do the thick band for your ring finger, but then I wonder if you’d actually use it that often.

How do you feel about asymmetrical bracelets? Assuming you need around 6 inches for a tennis bracelet, you could add 2 inches worth of white diamonds (I would do a contrasting shape to make it clear that it’s a deliberate choice) and do a bracelet where you have 2 yellows followed by 1 white. I think it would look really pretty and would hopefully not be too expensive to make?

 

[Phoenix]

I have a great memory for your jewelry because I love it all! Haha.

If index rings are uncomfortable for you, you could do the thick band for your ring finger, but then I wonder if you’d actually use it that often.

How do you feel about asymmetrical bracelets? Assuming you need around 6 inches for a tennis bracelet, you could add 2 inches worth of white diamonds (I would do a contrasting shape to make it clear that it’s a deliberate choice) and do a bracelet where you have 2 yellows followed by 1 white. I think it would look really pretty and would hopefully not be too expensive to make?

Hahaha. You're too cute.

I don't think I'd wear a thick band with my rings, cuz most of my rings have a split shank or are of some shape that'd make pairing with an eternity not possible. Also, my fingers are not long and as such, I usually avoid stacking rings. I could wear the band(s) alone. But at the moment, I wear Holly and The Monster most often.

I've also thought of doing such a bracelet. I can't visualise it on my wrist though. And I'd just be doing something just to use up the 4 inches, as opposed to it being something I really want.

Thanks for the ideas though.

I've asked Alex if, were I to purchase the whole 20 inches, would he be able to help me make the extra diamonds into something or some things that he could sell to other people.

 

[Phoenix]

I am also back to craving the VCA Magic bracelet in pave, haha. I think I will need to wait for a milestone b'day.

 

[RosieR]

Hahaha. You're too cute.

I don't think I'd wear a thick band with my rings, cuz most of my rings have a split shank or are of some shape that'd make pairing with an eternity not possible. Also, my fingers are not long and as such, I usually avoid stacking rings. I could wear the band(s) alone. But at the moment, I wear Holly and The Monster most often.

I've also thought of doing such a bracelet. I can't visualise it on my wrist though. And I'd just be doing something just to use up the 4 inches, as opposed to it being something I really want.

Thanks for the ideas though.

I've asked Alex if, were I to purchase the whole 20 inches, would he be able to help me make the extra diamonds into something or some things that he could sell to other people.

That’s a shame. I’m looking to buy a yellow diamond eternity ring of 0.20 pointers, but won’t be ready to purchase until mid 2023 (to celebrate an anniversary) is there another thread on this subject so I don’t clutter this one up with non vca chatter?

 

[Phoenix]

That’s a shame. I’m looking to buy a yellow diamond eternity ring of 0.20 pointers, but won’t be ready to purchase until mid 2023 (to celebrate an anniversary) is there another thread on this subject so I don’t clutter this one up with non vca chatter?

Great!! Perhaps on my preloved thread? Or are you on "the other forum"? You could DM me there.

You could even text Alex on IG directly to let him know you're interested. I am ok to wait if he's willing to keep the diamonds til then.

 

[Phoenix]

Alex just replied. He's selling me the 16" necklace. B'day gift sorted.

@RosieR , I'd text Alex and let him know you're interested in some of the remaining diamonds.

I will now not bog this thread down anymore with non-VCA matters.

 

[Phoenix]

I am also back to craving the VCA Magic bracelet in pave, haha. I think I will need to wait for a milestone b'day.

@glitterbomb , did you have this bracelet? If so, would you happen to have a pic of you wearing it? I'd love to see it.

VCA site doesn't even list it anymore. I hope it's not discontinued.

 

[glitterbomb]

@glitterbomb , did you have this bracelet? If so, would you happen to have a pic of you wearing it? I'd love to see it.

VCA site doesn't even list it anymore. I hope it's not discontinued.

Oh wow, really??? It's not on the website now? That's so odd.

I did own it at one point, and I actually returned it to the store. I have very sensitive skin and for some reason the way this bracelet moved on my wrist/arm was causing me to break out in hives. I'll see if I have any pictures

 

[glitterbomb]

 

[oldcutclubmember]

No no, totally solicited!

I definitely agree. I also have "the Monster" (my humongous halo'ed yellow diamond pear ring). That's what I wanted to pair the necklace and oval earrings with.

I did have those oval earrings (excellent memory, btw) but I sold them back to the original owner - long story. I have asked Alex to duplicate them but I guess it's not easy to find a matching pair in my specs.

I'd love the tennis necklace. But what would I do with the extra 4 inches? I really don't want to fork out the extra thousands and end up not doing anything with them. I really don't need nor want anything else in yellow diamonds.

Maybe you can turn it into a partial tennis/chain bracelet kind of like these? Maybe with a more substantial chain. I know you have tiny wrists so it would probably only end up being 1.5 inches of chain if that.


ETA: just read the updated post! IGNORE since this is non VCA matter.

 

[glitterbomb]

some more pics I found in my archives!