@etoupebirkin Tagging you here because many people on the forum like me would love to know how you curate your beautiful collection and how many pieces would you consider to be a ‘set’?♥️
For Newbies and Seasoned Collectors: Share Your Tips and Experiences in Curating Your VCA Collection
- Thread starter eternallove4bag
- Start date
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Be still my beating heart….i love the wg hammered. Two pieces definitely make a set but 3 is definitely max.
@eternallove4bag I think it depends on how bold the pieces are; for example with my carnelian pieces I might wear my bracelet and 6 motif necklace together as a set but I would not add a third piece as it's too much.
For something like hammered or pave vintage or sweet sized pieces I think 2-3 is nice.
For something like hammered or pave vintage or sweet sized pieces I think 2-3 is nice.
Adding on to @lisawhit’s helpful reply.
I have some stone sets that are a combo of 10 + 5, some sets that are 10 + 5 + 5, but for onyx I have 5 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 20 (+ 3 pairs of earrings, magic necklace, magic bracelet). It may not seem useful to have so many permutations, but to me it makes more sense to choose your most useful or signature stone or two and have every format that you need, instead of branching out to another stone or item that may add more variety but you would not necessarily use more.
I assume the question of why I need 3 VA bracelets would be valid, but it is because one is shortened to the max and they will no longer make them this short without a fight, two are unaltered to lengthen a 10 or 20 or when I want to wear the magic bracelet as a necklace (they are the old smaller/thinner clasp style so the clasp does not really stand out, making them very useful).
So I absolutely think a 5, 10 and 20 in onyx makes a lot of sense to have in your collection!
I did not get a 20 for every stone, but I also am not super opposed to clasps in a 10 + 5 + 5, so for you, I feel even more confident that an onyx 20 would be a nice addition since you do not want extra clasps to show!
Thank you @nicole0612 for your detailed response. How you incorporate the 3 bracelets actually makes sense and also not redundant. You may have already addressed this elsewhere but is it still possible to have the original bracelet clasp switched to the smaller one or do they not offer this service anymore. Also @lisawhit I love how you have figured out that you love YG and were able to SO the 16. The 20 and 16 despite being both in YG are definitely very different looks
The WG hammered has your name written all over it @missie1 🤗 and yes, 3 is definitely the max (I am NOT including mixed metal pieces from the same design as part of a set or my OCD brain will have a meltdown 😂).
Makes so much sense @A bottle of Red ♥️
For bold pieces, I wouldn’t wear more than 2 pieces together either! Each would be competing for attention.
Back with a couple of related questions today!
Many of us agreed 2 pieces would be enough to make a set and 3 would be great to wear in different combos!
1) Would you wear more than 2 pieces of a set together?
For me, 90% of the time I won’t but 10% I would, depending on the mood and occasion.
It would also depend on how bold the pieces are! For bold pieces I would stick to wearing 1 or 2 pieces max, 100% of the time!
2) Would you consider mixing and matching different designs together?
As much as I love matchy matchy, I do also love mixing and matching different designs so long as they look cohesive together!
Pic 1: Me, wearing all three of my pave Frivole pieces in RG (in response to Q1).
Pic 2: Mixing and matching WG hammered 10-motif, Serpenti WG pave earrings, Serpenti RG pave bracelet and RG butterfly/pave BTF ring (in response to Q2).
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s responses to the two questions 🤍🤍
Many of us agreed 2 pieces would be enough to make a set and 3 would be great to wear in different combos!
1) Would you wear more than 2 pieces of a set together?
For me, 90% of the time I won’t but 10% I would, depending on the mood and occasion.
It would also depend on how bold the pieces are! For bold pieces I would stick to wearing 1 or 2 pieces max, 100% of the time!
2) Would you consider mixing and matching different designs together?
As much as I love matchy matchy, I do also love mixing and matching different designs so long as they look cohesive together!
Pic 1: Me, wearing all three of my pave Frivole pieces in RG (in response to Q1).
Pic 2: Mixing and matching WG hammered 10-motif, Serpenti WG pave earrings, Serpenti RG pave bracelet and RG butterfly/pave BTF ring (in response to Q2).
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s responses to the two questions 🤍🤍
Unfortunately, they will not switch out the new clasp style for the older smaller one. The only thing they will consider is with a special order, requesting to replace the regular clasp with the sweet-size clasp. That is what I did with my all-onyx magic bracelet, because I knew I would want the option to wear it as a necklace and not have clasps showing. However, I will say that the bracelet was made in about a week, but the back-and-forth to get the clasp approved took about nine months, even with the best sales associate in the world who always goes to bat for me! I figured it was worth the wait though.
I really have nothing to say after seeing these stunning photos!
Aww thank you @nicole0612 But I am dying to get your perspective on both questions because not only do you have one of the most enviable collection here but every action pic I have seen of yours, I have seen you wearing and styling your pieces so beautifully 😍
I’m still new in my VCA journey and don’t own sets yet but that’s what I’m working towards. Both your combinations are gorgeous, but the frivole collection is chefs kiss! The matching serpenti earrings and bracelet are also lovely together.
Here's my jewelry collecting experience. As to what I consider a set, that will be another post.
I’ve been collecting jewelry for close to 50 years.
Buying philosophies have evolved over time matching to my lifestyle and budget. Over time I learned what I want and what works with my style. Your needs change and evolve as you age.
For the TLDR Types: Buy what you LOVE. Save for it if you don’t have the money. Don’t settle.
- Teens to 20s: No money, no jewelry (juggling up to 3 jobs). Well maybe three pieces (eRing, sapphire stud earrings that I wore to death, and a Paloma Picasso 18K Squiggle pin). Engaged at 27, DH bought an engagement ring with borrowed money from his parents. We dutifully paid it back in $250 increments until it was paid off.
- 30s: Some $, some jewelry. Mostly from small independent jewelers, quality varied, but I began to learn about jewelry construction and what was quality. When you order a custom piece, make sure the jeweler has the chops to pull it off.
- 40s–50s: More $, more jewelry, more lifestyle requirements. This is when I began to acquire nice things and learn about designers like VCA, Verdura, Jean Mahie, Elizabeth Locke, Paul Lantuch, Paul Morelli. This is when I purchased most of my collections. I went on buying jags (like a kid in a candy store) in which I bought lots of works from one designer. First, I bought Locke, Lantuch, Mahie, and Morelli. Then, I discovered Verdura, VCA, Graff, Procop, and Temple St. Clair. I made some great purchases and some mistakes. But I learned.
- 60s. I have money. But my lifestyle has changed. COVID, employment changes, and I’m no longer going to black tie events, store events, retreats. So, I do not need to have formal jewelry. And my adult children do not go to black ties, etc. I am in the process of “right-sizing” my collection. That means taking a hard look and what I have and ruthlessly culling. Now, I only buy things I LOVE that I mean to keep for the rest of my life. Same thing with my handbags.
- Being dragged into jewelry inheritance squabbles with my own family and my In-laws. Won’t get into it here. I refused to fight for jewelry with either side of the family. Relatives wanted the stuff badly and made sure they got it. Fine. But man, was it unpleasant at the time.
I do not want my kids to squabble over my stuff. I’ll rise from the grave and smack them silly if they do. - I buy my jewelry myself, with my own money. Sometimes I’ll ask DH to buy me something, but it’s rare. It means I am in control of my collection. I love DH dearly, but I want to choose jewelry myself. DH hates shopping. So, it works.
- I do not hesitate to resell items. Review your jewelry box periodically. Does everything spark joy? Or not. It’s better to get some money back rather than have items languish in a jewelry box, unused. I use TRR and Beladora regularly. When I cull, here’s my calculus:
- When was the last time I wore the piece of jewelry?
- Do I still love it?
- Is it too similar to something else in my jewelry box?
- Will I have use for it in the future?
- Is it replaceable?
- How much did I pay for the item(s)?
- How much can I resell it for?
- What vendor is the right reseller? This takes research. Do your homework. Beladora is direct buy out, whereas TRR is consignment. TRR can be a pain in the a** to work with. But for certain pieces of jewelry, they are a better reseller.
- I rarely regret purchases. But sometimes I regret not buying something.
- My best friend is in the jewelry business. Through her, I have access to a world-class jeweler. When the Smithsonian needed to unmount the Hope Diamond to examine it, this jeweler was hired to do the work. He made my Emerald ring.
- I buy items from resellers, such as TRR, 1stDibbs, and Beladora. Sometimes you can find under-priced items on TRR. Jewelry is returnable, so it’s worth the $30 in postage both ways to look at things IRL. I bought the emerald from my emerald ring on TRR. It was originally in a pendant and was very well priced. My friend reviewed the stone and confirmed it was a good deal. The jeweler and I came up with the design. The final ring is spectacular. I recently got an Opal for a pendant from TRR and we are mimicking Irene Neuwirth style on it. Again, my friend confirmed the stone was worth the price. And it had 2 carats of 8 point VS G melee on it too.
TRR is where I discovered Irene Neuwirth. You can find well priced items there. I started off with a Peruvian Opal candy bracelet and I was hooked. So I buy Newirth from both TRR and Bergdorfs. - Negotiate with Stores. At Neimans and Bergdorfs, you can negotiate on price if you are buying items in excess of $10K. Buy on double/triple points days. You can accrue lots of gift cards. When the VCA boutique was in my local Neimans, I used to buy Verdura and others, negotiate discounts, buy on triple points days, and use the rewards cards to buy Van Cleef, which was not eligible for triple points.
Regarding sets. I decided to get some really nice base items with VCA across YG, WG, and RG. By getting items that are multipurpose and can go with differing VCA lines, it justifies the expense.
Earrings: YG: Hammered Magic Alhambra / PG: Perlee Diamond Hoops / WG: Pave Diamond Lotus
Rings: YG. Perlee Diamond / WG Perlee Diamond / PG: Coccinelle BTF ring (I also have a Cosmos ring too.)
With these as the basis I mix and match necklaces and bracelets to suit my mood. Here's an example of how I style rose gold.
Earrings: YG: Hammered Magic Alhambra / PG: Perlee Diamond Hoops / WG: Pave Diamond Lotus
Rings: YG. Perlee Diamond / WG Perlee Diamond / PG: Coccinelle BTF ring (I also have a Cosmos ring too.)
With these as the basis I mix and match necklaces and bracelets to suit my mood. Here's an example of how I style rose gold.
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So many good points @etoupebirkin. I'm also in my 60s and have learned to move things on if they're languishing or seeing no action. I've learned that branded jewelry has better resale value. I never thought about this in the past because I considered everything I bought to be a forever purchase. Time and changed circumstance has proven that this is no longer really the case, so I seek out branded goods more than before. Having the resources to buy whatever I want makes all of this easier than when I was younger and had very few pieces of karat gold jewelry.