You''ve got 5 to 10K to spend - would you buy status or "special?"

[TravelingGal]

So over the weekend, my friend''s DH took her shopping and bought her a Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra necklace (black onyx and gold, the short one with several little clover things). One of my more direct friends asked her how much it was, and it was about 5K.

It''s a gorgeous piece and something she''s wanted for awhile. But I''m thinking, 5K for a gold and onyx necklace? You HAVE to be buying the name on that one! Meanwhile, I am sure she is looking at me and my padparadscha thinking, you spent WHAT on THAT? And I don''t blame her, lol.

If you had a few thousand lying around, would you like to buy a status piece like that where anyone who knows anything about jewelry will know what it is? (And there''s no shame in that, btw.) Or would you rather put together something special that only the savviest PSer would say, "ooh, wow, that is really something!" and just smile to yourself that you have something pretty unique even though it will most likely not be a head turner?

 

[iluvcarats]

Definitely special.

 

[neatfreak]

Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

 

[iluvcarats]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:59:12 PM
Author: neatfreak
Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

Good point NF. If I fell in love with a Tiffany cut, then I wouldn''t try to have it copied.

 

[E B]

Special, absolutely.

 

[chrono]

Something special. It might be a no-name special or a branded special as long as it is something I loved.

 

[Kaleigh]

Special for me.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

It depends on the day...and the reasoning....

 

[iheartscience]

Easy question-definitely special. When it comes to jewelry I really do not care about a designer name. And those necklaces in particular do nothing for me!

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:54:34 PM
Author:TravelingGal
So over the weekend, my friend's DH took her shopping and bought her a Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra necklace (black onyx and gold, the short one with several little clover things). One of my more direct friends asked her how much it was, and it was about 5K.


It's a gorgeous piece and something she's wanted for awhile. But I'm thinking, 5K for a gold and onyx necklace? You HAVE to be buying the name on that one! Meanwhile, I am sure she is looking at me and my padparadscha thinking, you spent WHAT on THAT? And I don't blame her, lol.


If you had a few thousand lying around, would you like to buy a status piece like that where anyone who knows anything about jewelry will know what it is? (And there's no shame in that, btw.) Or would you rather put together something special that only the savviest PSer would say, 'ooh, wow, that is really something!' and just smile to yourself that you have something pretty unique even though it will most likely not be a head turner?

"several little clover things". That's a charming description!

It's funny too that you were both kind of thinking the same thing about each other's purchases.

To be honest, I don't think that piece is paying for the name as much as the fact that VC&A makes its jewelry by hand and it's great! Her necklace can't be duplicated (except badly!). Congrats to her!

Congrats to you to!

I think happiness probably lies in knowing what you have and in being happy with it yourself, rather than what other people think.

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:59:12 PM
Author: neatfreak
Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

I definitely feel this way.

 

[packrat]

Special. Nobody really knows about "brand names" around here anyway!

 

[tigian]

Special! After finding PS, I''ve realized that I would much rather my money go towards quality and/or size

than name.

 

[Linda W]

Date: 5/25/2009 11:24:10 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Special for me.

My thoughts exactly Lisa.

 

[bee*]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:59:12 PM
Author: neatfreak
Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

I agree with this.

 

[Lovinggems]

I also choose special, and that VCA piece to me is quite special too.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/25/2009 10:59:12 PM
Author: neatfreak
Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

Same here. I buy what I like, because I like it. What other people will think, good or bad, never enters the equation.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Special or something of heirloom quality. Maybe I''m naive, but for me $5-$10k (outside of an ering) is a huge amount to spend on jewelry. I would want something memorable and special. That being said, I think VC&A or Cartier are heirloom-worthy pieces so the "name" would apply there. But would I blow $10k at T&Co just for the sake of saying I had something from T&Co? No, definitely not.

 

[tyty333]

Special for me!

 

[whitby_2773]

out of the two choices - definitely special. but...

if i had 5-10k laying around, i''d spend it on option 3 - resets! got all sorts of things here i want turned into something else, and more unset stones than i know what to do with. i really need to start getting this stuff organized.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Special and meaningful for me.

 

[Kelli]

special!

 

[DivaDiamond007]

I have a few special projects that I could complete if I had a few thousand laying around

I''d probably also buy a brand name something too - just for fun.

 

[decodelighted]

Hum. I think 5-10K worth of jewelry is "status" no matter how you slice it (or where you buy it). That said, I have mixed feelings about what I''d do. Keep in mind I bought two fakie VCA "clover" chains in Chinatown because I thought they were pretty (turquoise & mother of pearl in white metal). LOL! But I''ve been too chicken to wear them because I''d hate for anyone one to a) think they''re fake & that I''d wear a fakie .... b) think that they''re real & I''d spend that kind of $$ on something so outrageously expensive/branded. So they hang with my purses by the door. Oh well.

If I had 5-10K that I had to spend on jewelry or lose it: My first thought is a Jaeger watch which could be considered a flaunt-it brand though its much less known than, say, Cartier. My 2nd thought is that darn elusive Lucida bezel pendant ... which is also name-brandy ... but that''s not why I want it. And my third thought is OEC ear bobs of some kind. Not name brand.

Not sure what I''d do -- it could wind up in either camp, but my intentions wouldn''t be to show off my consumerism. I''d simply like those items. (However, I''ll admit that my initial interest in them might have been affected by marketing).

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Hmmm . . . $5k - $10k . . . If I had to spend it on jewelry or lose it I''d probably finally get the SS bracelet for my Chopard watch [getting tired of the leather!] and I would do a killer reset on my 6.39 carat EC.

 

[Burk]

Date: 5/26/2009 7:02:00 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/25/2009 10:59:12 PM

Author: neatfreak

Probably special. But if a company had something I couldn''t replicate and loved I would get it there regardless of whether it was a name or not.

Same here. I buy what I like, because I like it. What other people will think, good or bad, never enters the equation.

I agree with this. Depends on what it was.

 

[Viola]

I''d go for something special (well 9 out of 10 times).

 

[Circe]

Date: 5/26/2009 11:56:55 AM
Author: decodelighted
Hum. I think 5-10K worth of jewelry is ''status'' no matter how you slice it (or where you buy it). That said, I have mixed feelings about what I''d do. Keep in mind I bought two fakie VCA ''clover'' chains in Chinatown because I thought they were pretty (turquoise & mother of pearl in white metal). LOL! But I''ve been too chicken to wear them because I''d hate for anyone one to a) think they''re fake & that I''d wear a fakie .... b) think that they''re real & I''d spend that kind of $$ on something so outrageously expensive/branded. So they hang with my purses by the door. Oh well.


If I had 5-10K that I had to spend on jewelry or lose it: My first thought is a Jaeger watch which could be considered a flaunt-it brand though its much less known than, say, Cartier. My 2nd thought is that darn elusive Lucida bezel pendant ... which is also name-brandy ... but that''s not why I want it. And my third thought is OEC ear bobs of some kind. Not name brand.


Not sure what I''d do -- it could wind up in either camp, but my intentions wouldn''t be to show off my consumerism. I''d simply like those items. (However, I''ll admit that my initial interest in them might have been affected by marketing).

Agree w/every word of this.

I think it''s impossible to separate the individual out from the society past a certain point: while we define ourselves traditionally or oppositionally, we''re still the products of a v. status conscious society. Even the rarity appeal of items like set rough diamonds are still grounded in a reaction to an "if you''ve got it, flaunt it!" mentality, be it positive or negative.

That said, me? I''d go for the biggest, most beautiful pear pendant with strong blue fluorescence that I could afford, brands be damned. It may be an anti-marketing reaction, but I''d always prefer to have more for less, and the value of the "name" brands just doesn''t appeal to me ....

 

[lyra]

That''s easy. No to status, yes to kickin 5 stone ring.

 

[snlee]

Definitely special!