@spaul has always reminded me of the equally important emotional aspect, and we can’t always rely on logical aspect when it comes to the interactions with SAs, how VCA policy works, or even provide some more tips when building up our own VCA family
For Newbies and Seasoned Collectors: Share Your Tips and Experiences in Curating Your VCA Collection
- Thread starter eternallove4bag
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
She is a wealth of knowledge 😍@spaul has always reminded me of the equally important emotional aspect, and we can’t always rely on logical aspect when it comes to the interactions with SAs, how VCA policy works, or even provide some more tips when building up our own VCA family
@BabyBenV One thing I have learnt is that loyalty pays off. I only shop at my local stores - VCA, Hermes etc. I buy luxury for the experiences of it along with the actual product. I am the worst online shopper 😂 I like to go in, browse, enjoy my conversations with my SAs and then buy! Like you, I trust my SAs’ opinions. It’s always been ‘we’ have a WL and ‘we’ add each piece and celebrate! Never ‘I’ strange as it may sound. I have also adjusted my expectations that I won’t always get the most coveted pieces. There’s a waitlist for certain items and I wound rather wait patiently than hop around stores to just get that coveted piece😅 Some of the items I have been waiting for years and I still have not got because I know it’s probably going to people on the waitlist above me. That seems fair to me. Anyway, got only one neck, two arms, finite fingers and two ears 😝 so how many pieces can I hoard, ahem wear at one time 😂😂
OMG 😂 my mum used to say the same thing to me when she saw my shoe collection - “Do you have separate pairs of feet that secretly go out at night without you? Because there is no reason why you need these many pairs!”
OMG I laughed so hard at that! God bless your mom @Prada Prince ‘separate pairs of feet…’ omg I am going to be chuckling at that forever 😂😂😂
Thanks for the idea! I was at a restaurant recently next to a table of influencers (invited by the new restaurant owners), and all of them were holding the table lamp at various angles to get a better shot. Could work with jewelry, too!
Another very helpful post! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. ❤️ I agree that a strong relationship with your SA makes a huge difference. My husband calls our VCA boutique my happy place, and it is. We have a lovely time looking at beautiful things while having a glass or two of bubbles. My local SA encourages all of his clients to go ahead and purchase things we find elsewhere since inventory can be so limited at our far-from-a-flagship boutique. It's fun then to come 'home' with show and tell - for example many of the other SA's at our boutique also wanted to take a closer look at the enamel ladybugs since Fifth Avenue was the only US point of sale.Thank you again for sharing your thoughts @meemeetoo As what @eternallove4bag mentioned this thread has been really helpful with lots and lots of great tips/advices/information.
I could try to share some perspectives/my thought process and I hope this could benefit you or all other members here. If @eternallove4bag admitted that she’s a number girl and super good with her organisation skill, I must say that I am more driven by my logical reasoning and come up with my own flowchart, options, steps to navigate given VCA has so many variables, i.e. variety of materials/metals, lines/designs, stones, jewelry types etc
I will always start with:
1) Identify which metals i am going to build up (even before going to decide which design or jewelry types to go). You can consider with what you already have and just add to make it work with your current ones, or whether you want to start fresh (regardless of your current ones). If you are clear since this 1st step, you can easily eliminate all those not relevant with your choice(s). I mentioned before that my main focus is WG so I would definitely add WG (or no qualms to add on more WG Diamond Paved pieces as long as they’re versatile designs) without doubts and I would also do YG because ~70% Alhambra offerings which I wanted to build were all in YG, including their rare/LE 20 motifs (i am so forward looking on this though so far no offers in sight 🤣🤣🤣) As a result, I could justify Frivole Mirror YG, or Lapis RdN to complement this option, and eliminate any RG offerings in sight.
2. Identify which VCA designs/collections , i.e. flora/fauna or which Alhambra you want to build. This is usually the steps where I also identify how many pieces to make a set and which pieces i am going for. I admitted sheepishly that majority has always been started with their earrings 🤣 I would think for Alhambra it will always be easier: whether 20m/10m/6m necklace, 5m bracelet or earrings (can be single VA/MA, 2 motifs, 3 motifs). Looking at what I have I will definitely do 20m/10m with 5m or 20m/10m with earrings. I agree with earlier ladies that 2 pieces are indeed sufficient to make a set.
This step - I would say it would be “All or Nothing” step and that means if I reject one - i will reject the entire collection, no in-between for e.g if I said I am not buying Malachite, I will not get any of the Malachite 5m, Malachite 3m pave earrings, Malachite Perlee Couleur line, or anything basically with Malachite.
3. In addition to Step 2 For Alhambra, i would think i will also need to decide the colored precious stones. As I think I would do YG Guilloche, Tiger Eye, Lapis, Turquoise for example - I will work towards those, or sometimes deliberate myself beyond Alhambra offerings to add from other lines that have these stones as justifiable.
And finally, after this step I will work on my wishlist/target and work with my finance. Ideally, I would be happy enough if I could grow 1 piece for each category (earrings, ring, pendant/necklace) every year; however, i do have a tendency to knock on item with higher price list first to beat any PI and the downside for this is that I may end up with some imbalance collection temporarily 🤣🤣
As other ladies have mentioned here, I also agree that the beautiful thing with VCA is that we can mix and match, for e.g. Perlee clover with Alhambra, Flowers designs with Flora designs, Bows, or even Animals pins etc
The other things that are working well for me (which maaaay be unusual for some):
1. It’s super important for me to find an SA that can click with me, who’s passionate about her job and therefore could give her honest views on which could/could not work for me, and finally could help to look out for stocks. As you’re aware, precious stones have different variations of shades or translucency - so ideally, i would rely on my SA to help me looking out the ones that meet most of my preferences. Though at the end of the day, I am still in control 100% with what I choose to purchase, I would appreciate my SA’s view/suggestion/opinions which ones I’d better go with my current collection and aspiration. My SA’s views really matter and carry some weight for me in making decision for e.g. I heeded to my SA’s opinions that WG Paved Cosmos were priced too high and aesthetically they’re not for me, and there’re so many more opportunity costs I could get from other designs. This is the luxury experience I would like to have from VCA by having a genuine individual interaction as well as boutique experience. I really disliked typical SAs who are just after their commissions and thought of their jobs as mere locating stocks for their clients. If that’s the case, there’s no difference with any online EBoutique selling/purchasing method with no value add to make your luxury jewelry purchase as memorable/significant as they should be.
2. Rather than influencers’ IG/Youtube reviews to ogle at, i find more inspirations from VCA SAs’ IG videos/pictures to find which combos that would work, or even getting to know new collections I’ve never come across in the Boutique (from standard jewelry, high jewelry, or even poetic complications etc) and thereafter, I could ask my SA more information about them, look out if my store receives any free stocks so that I could view and give it a try. Sometimes, following pics fom certain collectors through TPF, IG or even XHS - it may broaden my knowledge, my inspiration and more importantly, my own resolute on which direction I would go for.
I am so sorry again to write so long on this, to be honest I am still a VCA newbie in this journey with all the other ladies here. My logical thoughts/steps on the above may work well on stuffs that are orderable; However, as I mentioned I still found some challenge after all where I need to balance my Alhambra WL vs. non Alhambra WL, orderable stuffs vs. not orderable stuffs with no definite timeline/certainty which can suddenly throw any well-thought plans out of the windows or other stuffs on allocation basis. As you know, VCA is always full of surprises and the unfortunate thing is that we all keep coming back to it and it’s very difficult to find VCA peace 😂😂😂.
Would you mind sharing which VCA SA IG accounts you think are worth following? I've long resisted joining IG, if only to keep me from constantly scrolling in yet another site, but have finally given in.
I love all the input shared here—this thread is such a great source of inspiration! It also reminds me of the many considerations I need to keep in mind for my next piece.
This year, I haven’t been buying much as I’m saving for my next big purchase. So far, I’ve only added the Sweet Alhambra heart bracelet—something dainty, and also a way to see if rose gold suits me better. Most of my current collection is in yellow gold (MOP pendant, MOP 5-motif, and BA 5-motif bracelet) and white gold (Sweet Pave, 2022 Celadon Holiday pendant, and Chalcedony 5-motif bracelet).
One thing I’ve realized is that I naturally gravitate toward my white gold pieces—they just pop more against my skin tone. Like @BabyBenV mentioned, once you figure out which gold works best for you, it really helps narrow down your choices. I’m currently eyeing a 10-motif next, and there are a couple of things I’m taking into account: (1) my existing collection—because pairing a 10-motif with a 5-motif bracelet could make a really cute long bracelet, and (2) how often I’ll wear it (I usually only wear my VCA pieces when I go out).
Another piece I’m seriously considering is the Sweet Alhambra MOP watch with an alligator strap. I’m still deciding what my next piece will be, but my ultimate dream? The Sweet 16-motif in hammered white gold! I tried on the pavé version once and fell in love instantly. Of course, that’s just a dream for now—I’m definitely not a high-spending client!
Uploaded some pictures on how WG creations look on me. ☺ loved the WG/MOP 10m on me. of course, the frivole 9 flower necklace is to die for! 🥰
This year, I haven’t been buying much as I’m saving for my next big purchase. So far, I’ve only added the Sweet Alhambra heart bracelet—something dainty, and also a way to see if rose gold suits me better. Most of my current collection is in yellow gold (MOP pendant, MOP 5-motif, and BA 5-motif bracelet) and white gold (Sweet Pave, 2022 Celadon Holiday pendant, and Chalcedony 5-motif bracelet).
One thing I’ve realized is that I naturally gravitate toward my white gold pieces—they just pop more against my skin tone. Like @BabyBenV mentioned, once you figure out which gold works best for you, it really helps narrow down your choices. I’m currently eyeing a 10-motif next, and there are a couple of things I’m taking into account: (1) my existing collection—because pairing a 10-motif with a 5-motif bracelet could make a really cute long bracelet, and (2) how often I’ll wear it (I usually only wear my VCA pieces when I go out).
Another piece I’m seriously considering is the Sweet Alhambra MOP watch with an alligator strap. I’m still deciding what my next piece will be, but my ultimate dream? The Sweet 16-motif in hammered white gold! I tried on the pavé version once and fell in love instantly. Of course, that’s just a dream for now—I’m definitely not a high-spending client!
Uploaded some pictures on how WG creations look on me. ☺ loved the WG/MOP 10m on me. of course, the frivole 9 flower necklace is to die for! 🥰
Attachments
Those necklaces are both stunning on you. For the money, the MOP really packs a huge punch. It glows on you.
Hello all, I’m fairly new to VCA jewellery. Started with japan yen being very week and a FOMO to not lose out and friends asking me to check out anything available for them to owning 4 prices in 9 months
I’m l torn between building a local
relationship with SA or travelling and purchasing items.
I travel a fair bit for work and have and Singapore based. I got Ginza exclusive as my first van Cleef.
Then went to Rome and found BA 5 motif bracelet and earrings during year end.
The last trip I was lucky to come across hammered gold 5 motif bracelet, earrings, 5m gullioche and chalcedony bracelet. To which I bought a pair of hammered gold earrings.
These are items I would never have a chance to purchase or even try in Singapore due to competitive luxury environment and would be able to get them at cheaper price.
Anyone here also a travel purchase shopper?
I’m more of a watch person and has 2 watches with diamonds and find the bracelet a tad casual ( or I’m afraid to scratch them as I’m super clumsy)
I’d like to work on getting 10 motif BA and a 10 motif gullioche as I feel the hammered gold necklace dulls me even though the earrings are great.
What do you guys think? Only have 20 motif hammered for red
I’m l torn between building a local
relationship with SA or travelling and purchasing items.
I travel a fair bit for work and have and Singapore based. I got Ginza exclusive as my first van Cleef.
Then went to Rome and found BA 5 motif bracelet and earrings during year end.
The last trip I was lucky to come across hammered gold 5 motif bracelet, earrings, 5m gullioche and chalcedony bracelet. To which I bought a pair of hammered gold earrings.
These are items I would never have a chance to purchase or even try in Singapore due to competitive luxury environment and would be able to get them at cheaper price.
Anyone here also a travel purchase shopper?
I’m more of a watch person and has 2 watches with diamonds and find the bracelet a tad casual ( or I’m afraid to scratch them as I’m super clumsy)
I’d like to work on getting 10 motif BA and a 10 motif gullioche as I feel the hammered gold necklace dulls me even though the earrings are great.
What do you guys think? Only have 20 motif hammered for red
Gorgeous photos! I think the only downside to travel purchasing is the lack of SA relationship to get you a holiday pendant or Limited edition pieces. That might not matter to you and it might be more important to have the memories of travel tied to your pieces or have the opportunity for pieces that are harder to find in your home country. I would still establish a relationship with a local SA because some pieces like the BA are very hard to get unless you order them with an SA. Cheers!
I absolutely love the WG on you @Glossyreactions I highly recommend the 10+5 look. I have only one 10+5 combo in WG that I have been wearing to death! I need one more combo in either RG or YG. Maybe both eventually 😝
The WMOP looks stunning on you and that Frivole necklace is TDF😍😍
I actually LOVE the hammered 20 on you @eis4elly Against your white t-shirt it pops! I also like the YG guilloche on you. Depends on which look you are going for. Hammered is muted and for every occasion imo and guilloche is more of a statement piece. Both. Have their pros and cons.
If you find something that you can’t get at home while traveling, get it. The just get what you can get at home. And let the chips fall where they may.