Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[KristinTech]

If that's calling to you, you should definitely keep it at the forefront unless at some point, something tells you otherwise. Also, being 5'10, you could definitely rock that. I bet that magic size and length would look amazing on you.

@LLJsmom Your profile pic!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

do you happen to know what the price of the hong kong pendant is? it doesn’t say on the site

I have known before but I am sorry I don't recall the price. It's obviously between the VA pendant and the long Magic pendant! I want to say in the $3000 range, because the large wg MOP Magic pendant on short chain is about $4k and the smaller ones should be slightly less.

When the world spins as usual, I’m in families’ homes, doing speech and feeding therapy with toddlers. I think all butterfly VCA items should be tax deductible for me, since it’s a three-syllable word and I can target a lot of language and sound production strategies, hah! I have always thought I’d get a simple vintage Alhambra necklace, but I just love versatility of the magic long chain. I’m kind of wide open on that option, but the rose gold with MOP is gorgeous. I’d want to choose the most colorful one available. I’m 5’10, so I’m not too concerned about the size being too large. I’m not sure if it’s a smart first-purchase option, though. I guess I won’t know until I try things on!

Ahh, I agree that you need them for work!!! My background started with teaching hearing impaired children, so I have some speech-language training from that standpoint. I later specialized in dyslexia which was an easy transition since it has so much to do with speech sounds!

As far as the pendants go, I think the VA pendants are too small for me (other than the pave one), so I'd prefer the short medium Magic pendants for short pendants over VA (if they were accessible). But I do totally agree that the long Magic pendants are so versatile, and I'd love wearing them long or doubled! I just have to wrap my head around the pricing!

 

[Tonks]

Regarding what color/type of semi-precious stone for a 20 motif:

So many folks chimed in, with so many different opinions. Thank you!

You guys gave the most votes for the MOP and the Blue Agate. I agree, they are divine!

My boutique did not have the onyx, carnelian or agate in the 20 motif to try on, but I loved all three colors in the pendants and 10 motifs.

Here are my top choices that I love the most for the 20:

Onyx & YG
MOP & YG
MOP & WG
Blue Agate & YG
Carnelian & YG
YG (YG by itself - I can't afford the YG Guilloché & diamond 20 motif)

While I like the chalcedony, I don't love it on me as much as the other colors. @KristinTech asked if it bothered me that it greyed down in photographs. The answer is no, but just overall it was too subtle and I want more of a punch. Or if I go with subtle, I need the piece to be super versatile, like the MOP. The chalcedony was subtle, but because of the blue-ness, it will be a little more limiting wardrobe-wise.

The MOP has a silky, soft, feminine look. I feel like a movie star in it. It is subtle, and not as eye-catching as the onyx, carnelian or agate. But, it can go with absolutely everything (like @OdetteOdile @m-2-b and many others said!). And it feels sexy in a silky, feminine way.

The black onyx 20 piece would be amazing like @LLJsmom @diamondseeker2006 and @RosieR said. I think that one might be a winner when I try it on. (It wasn't in stock at my boutique, but the pendant version was and it really popped against my skin.) The onyx also feels sexy in a bad girl kinda way. The opposite to the MOP, but both I like.

I also think the 20 piece carnelian will be very eye-catching and I could wear it with black, white, camel & beige, so that covers a lot of my wardrobe. And red feels very powerful. It says, "I am here! See me!"

The blue agate is a wild card. The color looked amazing next to my skin tone - probably the best I tried on. So it is a finalist on my list. But I am concerned that it will be more limiting in what I can wear with it. I could see it paired with a white shirt (a man's button-down shirt, or a white t-shirt or even white silk blouse.) But I don't know what else? It has a lot of green in it, not just blue, so it may not see a lot of wear. My husband votes for this blue agate (but he likes it in single strand 10 motif.)

@yssie suggested the letterwood and the tiger's eye. I did not try them on, but I do think they'd be attractive. However, I just can't get myself excited about the letterwood on a gut level. It just doesn't seem as "gemmy" to me. It seems too ephemeral. I'm game to try the tiger's-eye. Next visit!

Thank you again to everyone who chimed in!

Oooh, I didn’t realize that YG was on the table for necklace options! That would be my choice for durability over any of the stone options, and it would look AMAZING on you. And you could wear it with anything and everything.

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom Your profile pic!!

I really need to get rid of that pic. I don't even own that any more.

 

[KristinTech]

I really need to get rid of that pic. I don't even own that any more.

Oh, hah! I looked at it and I thought maybe your new ring had finished a little early!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@RunningwithScissors I also overlooked your mention of the classic solid gold. I think that is an excellent option. It looks so good on blondes, especially, and it can be worn with anything. It really looks great with black. I bought the solid gold bracelet as my first piece, and I like the versatility because then that piece can be worn with any of the stone pieces.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

@RunningwithScissors I also overlooked your mention of the classic solid gold. I think that is an excellent option. It looks so good on blondes, especially, and it can be worn with anything. It really looks great with black. I bought the solid gold bracelet as my first piece, and I like the versatility because then that piece can be worn with any of the stone pieces.

(And also @Tonks! I don't know how to include two quotes in one post, but yours is included in spirit!)

Yes! I agree! I think any of their solid gold or their guilloché items would be classic pieces to add to a wardrobe.

I was off of the YG color for probably ten years so the items I own didn't get any love for a long time. But this winter I've started wearing them again and have a new found love for YG. I have several non-branded, but classic pieces (chunky chain bracelets, hoop earrings, etc) from the 90's that form a foundation. So now if I add a VCA necklace, it will make my YG collection a bit more "au courant" and kick it up a notch.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

@diamondseeker2006

I've seen several of your photos in this thread and LOVE all the VCA you've collected. I would really enjoy seeing a "family photo" of your collection if you ever have the time and feel comfortable posting it. And more modeling pics showing how you combine your pieces would also be inspirational!

What is the next VCA item on your own wish list? What direction are you heading with your Alhambra collection -- do you feel you have gaps to fill, or is your collection complete?

 

[Paisley2628]

I bet the YG guilloche did look amazing on you. If you order them online, you can fully return them as well, so there is a pro to shopping online. The blue agate surprisingly looks great on people of all coloring. Did you like that on?

I really liked the blue agate- I agree with you that it looks great on all coloring. That shade of blue with the yellow gold is striking.

 

[Paisley2628]

Those earrings are stunning! I didn't get to see them at my boutique, but I can vouch for the blue agate necklace being an amazing color!

I'm sorry you didn't have a great experience in person. But at least it sounds like you were able to discover some things that will be helpful for your future purchases (about liking the yg and the agate, ruling out some others, etc.)

The blue agate necklace looked lovely on you. I think the shade of the blue agate with the yellow gold is perfection.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@diamondseeker2006

I've seen several of your photos in this thread and LOVE all the VCA you've collected. I would really enjoy seeing a "family photo" of your collection if you ever have the time and feel comfortable posting it. And more modeling pics showing how you combine your pieces would also be inspirational!

What is the next VCA item on your own wish list? What direction are you heading with your Alhambra collection -- do you feel you have gaps to fill, or is your collection complete?

Thank you! You are so very kind to say that! My collection is quite small! But I'm looking to see if I have any pictures. I think I'd have to do an onyx pave family pic since I got that bracelet for Christmas. That's going to probably always be my favorite. So I'll try to do that tomorrow!

I am kind of at a crossroads not knowing what I want next. I want a few more things, but I do not want to be known as the clover lady with sets in all colors! I do feel black onyx and white MOP will be my most worn stone colors and I am focusing on completing those sets. I need to add a little more yg, too. I eventually might get a couple of bracelets like blue agate or carnelian for the pop of color! I am uncertain if I'll keep the lapis bracelet as much as I love it, because I think the onyx pave goes with almost all my clothes whereas the lapis won't get much wear. Tough decision!

 

[Polabowla]

Thank you! You are so very kind to say that! My collection is quite small! But I'm looking to see if I have any pictures. I think I'd have to do an onyx pave family pic since I got that bracelet for Christmas. That's going to probably always be my favorite. So I'll try to do that tomorrow!

I am kind of at a crossroads not knowing what I want next. I want a few more things, but I do not want to be known as the clover lady with sets in all colors! I do feel black onyx and white MOP will be my most worn stone colors and I am focusing on completing those sets. I need to add a little more yg, too. I eventually might get a couple of bracelets like blue agate or carnelian for the pop of color! I am uncertain if I'll keep the lapis bracelet as much as I love it, because I think the onyx pave goes with almost all my clothes whereas the lapis won't get much wear. Tough decision!

How different are the lapis & blue agate?
Are they both just blue?

 

[LLJsmom]

How different are the lapis & blue agate?
Are they both just blue?

Lapis is opaque, and a deeper blue, with flecks of gold, some pieces with more and some less. Blue agate is generally lighter and more translucent. I think I see a wider range of light to darker blue with blue agate. I have never seen it as dark as lapis.

 

[Phoenix]

Lapis is opaque, and a deeper blue, with flecks of gold, some pieces with more and some less. Blue agate is generally lighter and more translucent. I think I see a wider range of light to darker blue with blue agate. I have never seen it as dark as lapis.

Yes, you can get pyrite which are the gold flecks (they're absolutely gorgeous btw - like twinkling stars) and calcite (white calcium deposits, which are not desirable). Lapis can also range from very bright cornflower blue (but def darker than agate) to very very dark blue, almost navy or even black at night indoors. Mine is very very dark blue whereas one of my friends has a very light blue lapis bracelet. Both are gorgeous. I also have an agate bracelet, which is def translucent. It is also on the darker side. But the blues in lapis and agate are totally different - hard to describe, you have to see them in person and put them next to each other (even if both are dark blue) to discern the difference in shades.

 

[Polabowla]

They sound beautiful!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

How different are the lapis & blue agate?
Are they both just blue?

From a painter's perspective (because we are always thinking about how we would mix a certain color) the blue hue of the lapis leans purple and the blue of the agate leans green.

That does NOT mean the average person will think "that looks purple" or "that looks green." They will both look "blue." But if the colors are studied, especially side-by-side, you will see one blue has more red in it making it lean towards purple, and the other has more yellow in it, making it lean green.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Let me give a visual example.

If I wanted to paint a realistic painting of the agate necklace, I'd select a paint called Cerulean blue as a "base" color and modify it with little bits of other colors to make it look like the agate. Cerulean blue is known as a cooler, greener blue on our palette.

If I were to paint a picture of lapis, I'd select Ultramarine blue because it is a warmer, more red blue.

Here are the two blues side by side:

Cerulean (leans green):








Ultramarine (leans red/purple):

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Look at some of the green-y blues Cerulean makes when mixed.

The agate VCA necklace I tried on was similar in color to number 6, 2 or 3 on the chart below:

 

[Polabowla]

Very detailed visual explanation, thank you!

 

[canuk-gal]

@RunningwithScissors thank you for this information! I may never see what you see but now I will try and look at my lapis egg through a new lens.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I adore the lapis. If I sell it, I likely will get a blue agate one. The main difference in the two bracelets is that the blue agate is in all 5 motifs. The lapis is in 3 motifs and the other two are pave and gold. So the lapis costs more than 3 times the price of a blue agate bracelet. Of course there are varying colors of lapis and blue agate.

Lapis outside and inside:

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here's a great example of some shades of blue, credit for the photo is in the picture. That's the lightest turquoise I've ever seen in VCA. Usually the blue is more deep and vibrant. The Sevres pieces are porcelain.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I adore the lapis. If I sell it, I likely will get a blue agate one. The main difference in the two bracelets is that the blue agate is in all 5 motifs. The lapis is in 3 motifs and the other two are pave and gold. So the lapis costs more than 3 times the price of a blue agate bracelet. Of course there are varying colors of lapis and blue agate.

Lapis outside and inside:

That lapis bracelet is gorgeous!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That lapis bracelet is gorgeous!

Thanks! It's a rainy, cold, dreary day, so I won't be able to take decent pictures today of the other things.

 

[Polabowla]

It is a stunning bracelet!

 

[canuk-gal]

I adore the lapis. If I sell it, I likely will get a blue agate one. The main difference in the two bracelets is that the blue agate is in all 5 motifs. The lapis is in 3 motifs and the other two are pave and gold. So the lapis costs more than 3 times the price of a blue agate bracelet. Of course there are varying colors of lapis and blue agate.

Lapis outside and inside:

Stunning!!!

This is pretty!

Van Cleef & Arpels 'Vintage Alhambra' Tiger's Eye Necklace, 20 Motifs in 18K Gold for sale from Beladora | Beladora

 

[KristinTech]

Look at some of the green-y blues Cerulean makes when mixed.

The agate VCA necklace I tried on was similar in color to number 6, 2 or 3 on the chart below:

@RunningwithScissors I thought about this last week—I was surprised that you would entertain the idea of a colored stone in multiple motifs. Would it bother you to see differences stone to stone (in the agate 10-motif, for example)? Or would the minute differences be a way to appreciate the natural stones? I know that VCA is known for quality control in this regard, but I don’t know how many superseers they have on staff.

 

[LLJsmom]

@RunningwithScissors I thought about this last week—I was surprised that you would entertain the idea of a colored stone in multiple motifs. Would it bother you to see differences stone to stone (in the agate 10-motif, for example)? Or would the minute differences be a way to appreciate the natural stones? I know that VCA is known for quality control in this regard, but I don’t know how many superseers they have on staff.

Or on the other hand, would you enjoy the variances? I have yet to see one bracelet where the colors on each motif are basically the same (except onyx). When I was choosing my blue agate, I chose the bracelet with the darkest colors, but color still varied among the five motifs. It doesn't bother me though cause these are made by nature. They're not going to be copies.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Hey @KristinTech and @LLJsmom

Its funny how our personal likes and dislikes are emotional and not strictly logical.

I actually don't mind variations in colors in semi-precious gemstones. So an agate necklace with variance in the agate wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Yes I'd see it. But no problemo.

I have both an emotional and practical dislike of yellow in my diamonds.

On the practical side, I've very, very pale. The photos I posted of myself at VCA do not show my true skin tone. The light was very warm in the boutique and so I look tan -- like Malibu Barbie! LOL! In reality, I'm as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost (anyone else here a child of the 80's and remember Casper?). So diamonds outside of the true colorless range don't pop against my almost albino skin tone. They go dead. They really do.

There's also an emotional factor why I don't like any yellow in my diamonds. My grandmother, who I loved dearly (she's long since deceased) was a chain smoker. Everything in her house, from her dishes, to her walls, to her clothes had a layer of greasy yellow film on it. Tar I guess? Nicotine? I dunno. She stank of Parliament Lights cigarettes. I loved her, but I hated her smoking. So to this day, I can't stand yellow. And because of my ability to see nuances in color, any amount of yellow in my diamonds gives me the heebie-jeebies.

So no problem having an agate or lapis necklace of different blues, or a ruby eternity ring of slightly varying shades of red. But if I'm going to buy a diamond, it has got to be a D or E color, even if that means I buy a smaller one, or own fewer jewelry pieces.

Remember the Saturday Night Live spoof where Dana Carvey plays George Bush Sr? That's how I feel about non colorless diamonds on me...





(This is not a judgement on anyone else's diamonds. For example, warmer diamonds look very good on my husband who is darker due to his Latino/African heritage )

 

[LLJsmom]

Hey @KristinTech and @LLJsmom

Its funny how our personal likes and dislikes are emotional and not strictly logical.

I actually don't mind variations in colors in semi-precious gemstones. So an agate necklace with variance in the agate wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Yes I'd see it. But no problemo.

I have both an emotional and practical dislike of yellow in my diamonds.

On the practical side, I've very very pale. The photos I posted of myself at VCA do not show my true skin tone. The light was very warm in the boutique and so I look tan -- like Malibu Barbie! LOL! In reality, I'm as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost (anyone else here a child of the 80's and remember Casper?). So diamonds outside of the true colorless range don't pop against my almost albino skin tone. They go dead. They really do.

There's also an emotional factor too why I don't like any yellow in my diamonds. My grandmother, who I loved dearly (she's long since deceased) was a chain smoker. Everything in her house, from her dishes, to her walls, to her clothes had a layer of greasy yellow film on it. Tar I guess? Nicotine? I dunno. She stank of Parliament Lights cigarettes. I loved her, but I hated her smoking. So to this day, I can't stand yellow. And because of my ability to see nuances in color, any amount of yellow in my diamonds gives me the heebie-jeebies.

So no problem having an agate or lapis necklace of different blues, or a ruby eternity ring of slightly varying shades of red. But if I'm going to buy a diamond, it has got to be a D or E color, even if it means I buy a smaller one, or own fewer jewelry pieces.

Remember the Saturday Night Live spoof where Dana Carvey plays George Bush Sr? That's how I feel about non colorless diamonds on me... (not a judgement on anyone else's diamonds.)

I totally agree about the emotional reaction to stuff. I react to stuff emotionally. I associate certain colors with certain things, physical objects, relationships, memories, people. So some of my likes/dislikes don't seem logical/reasonable to some people.