“Does anyone else get Van Cleef ick?”

[GlamarousBarbie]

I was scrolling on social media and I like to follow jewelry pages, and this lady was talking about how Van Cleef gives her the ick and was wondering if anyone else felt that. I go and check the comment section and it’s full of people saying it looks like Kendra Scott, or they can get it for $5 from AliExpress, or “it’s not even real gold”. I can understand if you are over the Alhambra line, but to drag the entire brand down and say it gives you the “ick” is cringey.

Alhambra is not giving you the “ick”, trends are giving you the ick. Trends always come and go, and these people have turned a 60+ year old collection into a trend. It’s also cringey to see people say it’s “not real gold” and then proceed to say they can get a 22k gold version from their local jeweler. They will dig on VCA but always want a dupe…

What do you think of this?

 

[Kabuki]

Team “ick.” I think jewelry should be extremely beautiful or unique. Alhambra is neither. I feel the same way about all of the trendy designs hyped on TPF from the likes of Cartier, Tiffany, Bvlgari, etc.

 

[xanncy]

I think I saw this same video, but funnily enough even though she said all that about getting the "ick", she followed it up by saying she was still going to wear her 5 motif bracelet 🙄 It honestly sounds more like wanting to be "not like the other girls" since Van Cleef is so popular right now, everyone likes to feel special by disliking the most popular thing.

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

Team “ick.” I think jewelry should be extremely beautiful or unique. Alhambra is neither. I feel the same way about all of the trendy designs hyped on TPF from the likes of Cartier, Tiffany, Bvlgari, etc.

Alhambra is beautiful, I think jewelry inspired by nature is the most beautiful and feminine. It correlates with the femininity of Mother Nature. Trends just seem to ruin these timeless pieces, but it’s a matter of how they continue to be timeless afterwards.

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

I think I saw this same video, but funnily enough even though she said all that about getting the "ick", she followed it up by saying she was still going to wear her 5 motif bracelet 🙄 It honestly sounds more like wanting to be "not like the other girls" since Van Cleef is so popular right now, everyone likes to feel special by disliking the most popular thing.

Exactly! And then the comments of “it’s not real gold” and that they can get a “real gold version” from their local jeweler is even cringier. They will hate on VCA yet still continue to purchase a dupe.

 

[vko]

I buy jewelry that I like regardless of trends. For example ,I was never sold on Cartier even though it is (or was?) very popular.

Not sure if people are bias in their “ick” due to the price and I don’t care if someone else has the ICK tbh because I wear what like for myself if that makes sense? I’m interested what other people think 😊

 

[chanellover333]

What I wished these Tiktok stars understood is the high ticket price on most designer items has less to do with the materials used to make them as it does with the branding and marketing behind them. You can't sell a gold bangle from a jeweler with the same carat weight as cartier for a cartier bangle price. Those love bracelets are worth what they are worth because of their brand.

Even local jewelers have a markup on gold, diamonds, other gemstones.. those pieces decline significantly the moment you walk out of the jewelers even though they are deemed a "good value".. so I don't really understand what the tiktok cult is trying to shove down our throats in justification of them being better with money or whatever they claim.

The whole thing is just weird to me. There are plenty of beautiful designs and jewelry items that aren't intended to be copies of mainstream luxury pieces, I don't understand why they don't take that route instead?

Anyways, I try to avoid these threads because it always turns into an argument.. my thoughts on this is there is nothing wrong with not being able to afford to pay or want to pay 4k for a bracelet. If someone doesn't want to or can't do that, I think it is weird to pretend that they did just that by buying and wearing a fake version of it.

Anyways, I saw the tiktok you are referring to and the user had such horrible things to say about poor people who buy fakes vs wealthy. The whole thing gave me the ick! A fake is a fake regardless of your income or assets.. her view was so elitist and odd to me. Pro fakes for elites but not for poor/working class people? Such an odd perspective.

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

I buy jewelry that I like regardless of trends. For example ,I was never sold on Cartier even though it is (or was?) very popular.

Not sure if people are bias in their “ick” due to the price and I don’t care if someone else has the ICK tbh because I wear what like for myself if that makes sense? I’m interested what other people think 😊

I agree. I don’t like Cartier either, it’s not my style. I like HRH Collection’s Cartier stack, other than that it’s just not me. I won’t go and hate on the design though. I think people feel entitled to own things nowadays, so if they can’t own it, they’ll throw a tantrum and find a dupe.

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

What I wished these Tiktok stars understood is the high ticket price on most designer items has less to do with the materials used to make them as it does with the branding and marketing behind them. You can't sell a gold bangle from a jeweler with the same carat weight as cartier for a cartier bangle price. Those love bracelets are worth what they are worth because of their brand.

Even local jewelers have a markup on gold, diamonds, other gemstones.. those pieces decline significantly the moment you walk out of the jewelers even though they are deemed a "good value".. so I don't really understand what the tiktok cult is trying to shove down our throats in justification of them being better with money or whatever they claim.

The whole thing is just weird to me. There are plenty of beautiful designs and jewelry items that aren't intended to be copies of mainstream luxury pieces, I don't understand why they don't take that route instead?

Anyways, I try to avoid these threads because it always turns into an argument.. my thoughts on this is there is nothing wrong with not being able to afford to pay or want to pay 4k for a bracelet. If someone doesn't want to or can't do that, I think it is weird to pretend that they did just that by buying and wearing a fake version of it.

Anyways, I saw the tiktok you are referring to and the user had such horrible things to say about poor people who buy fakes vs wealthy. The whole thing gave me the ick! A fake is a fake regardless of your income or assets.. her view was so elitist and odd to me. Pro fakes for elites but not for poor/working class people? Such an odd perspective.

I agree. I’m just not sure why people care about people’s financial status so much. I feel that people would rather hate instead of sharing kindness. If you cannot afford something, that’s okay; if you want a dupe for those reasons, that’s okay, just don’t hate the brand you’re copying from.

The lady who said it’s okay to own fakes if you’re rich is absurd. I guess it’s more believable then, but why does that matter? I’m over the elitist attitude people have nowadays, one thing which stopped me from owning nice things is associating luxury with stuck-up people whose noses are so high in the air.

 

[HPhilly]

I agree. I don’t like Cartier either, it’s not my style. I like HRH Collection’s Cartier stack, other than that it’s just not me. I won’t go and hate on the design though. I think people feel entitled to own things nowadays, so if they can’t own it, they’ll throw a tantrum and find a dupe.

Who really cares what other people like or dislike? I started my VCA collection when most of the current influencers were in still in diapers. I do not own a single Cartier piece because I do not like the design. But I love Chaumet which has very understated jewelry. I also love Piaget, and you will never hear any conversations regarding their jewelry pieces. I will not buy 5 motif braces because I do not like them, but have perlee that I love. Not sure why people care so much about other people opinion. Buy what you love and enjoy it every day.

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

Who really cares what other people like or dislike? I started my VCA collection when most of the current influencers were in still in diapers. I do not own a single Cartier piece because I do not like the design. But I love Chaumet which has very understated jewelry. I also love Piaget, and you will never hear any conversations regarding their jewelry pieces. I will not buy 5 motif braces because I do not like them, but have perlee that I love. Not sure why people care so much about other people opinion. Buy what you love and enjoy it every day.

I agree, I don’t care at all. It’s definitely interesting that social media keeps doing this thing where they build something up and turn it into an idol, and then they bring it down and burn it after a few weeks.

 

[heatherB]

I agree, I don’t care at all. It’s definitely interesting that social media keeps doing this thing where they build something up and turn it into an idol, and then they bring it down and burn it after a few weeks.

You nailed it. People need to calm down. None of this stuff really matters.

 

[honey52]

I say good. Trendy influencers and the like please DO get the ick. They ruin everything. Make it a trend, just to tire it out. Give it back to us and take your hype and ick onto the next thing please!!! I’m ready for it! LOL

 

[sosauce]

This is an interesting topic. Well, VCA is now the most popular, or at least seemingly most sought, luxury jewelry brand in the world. Last year in 2023, Alhambra was apparently even the most googled line of designer jewelry.

VCA seemed to become really popular with the rise of the “old money” aesthetic. It’s inevitable that the brand can only fall out of favor from this height. There’s a certain dissonance now with people being perceived as trying too hard when they wear VCA. Maybe trying too much to signal that they come from old money, or that their money has always and only ever been spent on “quiet luxury” pieces.

The same pattern seems to occur every few years with preppy fashion. Anyway, VCA is clearly having its heyday. I would say that the brand is not that quiet anymore — if it could ever be called that to begin with. The brand awareness is growing, and its acceptance into mainstream luxury consciousness seems concrete. If people were asked to name a designer brand beginning with the letter V, I honestly think a large and growing portion of people would say “Van Cleef” before thinking of Valentino or Versace, which probably could not have been said 5 years ago.

I think the “ick” has several factors: oversaturation, a general rejection of classism from those who cannot afford VCA, a gatekeeping rejection of new money from those who’ve historically bought VCA, an attitude that VCA consumers are somehow posers, and an anti-luxury sentiment that the common materials and uninspired design of Alhambra do not justify its price.

People from both the upper and lower classes all have their reasons to dislike the current hype surrounding VCA. Some of those concerns are based on an apparent lack of authenticity from VCA wearers. Some of those concerns are based around the spurious authenticity of the pieces themselves.

The fixation on Cartier seemed to have lasted a decade since the 2010s. The 2000s was a time for Tiffany. It seems the 2020s will be the era of Van Cleef. I’m most curious what the next it jewelry brand will be.

 

[honey52]

This is an interesting topic. Well, VCA is now the most popular, or at least seemingly most sought, luxury jewelry brand in the world. Last year in 2023, Alhambra was apparently even the most googled line of designer jewelry.

VCA seemed to become really popular with the rise of the “old money” aesthetic. It’s inevitable that the brand can only fall out of favor from this height. There’s a certain dissonance now with people being perceived as trying too hard when they wear VCA. Maybe trying too much to signal that they come from old money, or that their money is only spent on “quiet luxury” pieces.

The same pattern seems to occur every few years with preppy fashion. Anyway, VCA is clearly having its heyday. I would say that the brand is not that quiet anymore, if it could ever be called that to begin with. The brand awareness is growing, and its acceptance into mainstream luxury consciousness seems concrete. If people were asked to name a designer brand beginning with the letter V, I honestly think a large and growing portion of people would say “Van Cleef” before thinking of Valentino or Versace, which probably could not have been said 5 years ago.

I think the “ick” has several factors: oversaturation, a general rejection of classism from those who cannot afford VCA, a gatekeeping rejection of new money from those who’ve historically bought VCA, an attitude that VCA consumers are somehow posers, and an anti-luxury sentiment that the common materials and uninspired design of Alhambra do not justify its price.

People from both the upper and lower classes all have their reasons to dislike the current hype surrounding VCA. Some of those concerns are based on an apparent lack of authenticity from VCA wearers. Some of those concerns are based around the spurious authenticity of the pieces themselves.

The fixation on Cartier seemed to have lasted a decade since the 2010s. The 2000s was a time for Tiffany. It seems the 2020s will be the era of Van Cleef. I’m most curious what the next it jewelry brand will be.

Harry Winston seems unobtainable, even for the non entry market in the thousands. Same with Graff. It would be their time to shine if they had signature pieces in the Alhambra range.

Boucheron? They’re just not that accessible….

I know. Maybe Bvlgari?