My absolute pleasure @Glossyreactions would you wear the bracelet solo or stack it with other 5-motifs like the WMOP or onyx? I personally love the combo of white and blue!
For Newbies and Seasoned Collectors: Share Your Tips and Experiences in Curating Your VCA Collection
- Thread starter eternallove4bag
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Such excellent points @glamourbag
Quality over quantity anyday! I would rather have 2-3 amazing ‘I am going to wear the heck out of these’ pieces than a dozen ‘I don’t know if these are the right pieces for me’!
I'm totally the opposite, I don't have a collection, I buy what I absolutely adore ( , looks good on me and makes me feel emotional) and don't worry about pieces matching or not. Oh and I try to go for a bit more unique pieces like a 6 motif carnelian/ tiger eye.
All of my jewelry is totally eclectic and I'm honestly fine with it.
I don't over research either and so far that's working for me.
I also don't prefer more than two or max 3 pieces from one line so that limits me too.
I guess I'm just more spontaneous in my purchases but open to seeing how things look on me ( for example I love the look of malachite but it just falls flat on me ; mop/grey mop and chalcedony totally get lost on my pale skin). Ten motifs get lost on me since I'm not slim and 20 look ridiculous because I'm short.
It's really a matter of trying on what you can , being open to things you didn't expect and hoping to fall in love on the way.
All of my jewelry is totally eclectic and I'm honestly fine with it.
I don't over research either and so far that's working for me.
I also don't prefer more than two or max 3 pieces from one line so that limits me too.
I guess I'm just more spontaneous in my purchases but open to seeing how things look on me ( for example I love the look of malachite but it just falls flat on me ; mop/grey mop and chalcedony totally get lost on my pale skin). Ten motifs get lost on me since I'm not slim and 20 look ridiculous because I'm short.
It's really a matter of trying on what you can , being open to things you didn't expect and hoping to fall in love on the way.
I am part like you and part not like you. Common part is I also just buy what I love individually and I got for more unique pieces. My rings are my favourite and they are less common ones (noeud, lotus, 9 frivoles, Bulgari double perlee serpenti, big yellow heart diamond). I do prioritise buying pieces where there is a gap in my collection - ie I have been wanting to add some wg pieces for years now but only recently feel in love with a few so prioritising adding them. Uncommon part is I think long and hard about adding pieces and am not at all spontaneous. I will miss out on rare pieces for this reason but that is ok since I am very sure I will love a piece when I do purchase.
I also find the word collection funny. I use it to refer to my jewellery but I am not trying to build anything.
What a fantastic thread! Quick question, looks like your bracelets are different sizes? or are they same size?Whether starting a new collection for the first time or curating an existing collection, we could all use some help! Most of us have a working budget that we keep aside for our discretionary purchases. I wish I could say I had unlimited funds but truth of the matter is I don’t. So I earn, save and then spend on things I love! And, REPEAT!
I thought it would be nice to have a separate thread to share our ideas on what works and what doesn’t work for everyone when curating their individual collections!
I can start off with things I have learnt:
- When starting a collection, identify a piece that you know you wear the most! It could be a pair of earrings or a ring or bracelet or necklace. Research, research, research! Whether by looking at mod shots, going into the store to try in person or researching on the longevity of the piece in terms of durability and wearability. When I started my collection, I wanted it ALL! I got a ring, then a bracelet and then a pair of earrings within a span of 3-4 months! I was like a Cookie Monster that could not be stopped! Bad strategy! I was everywhere and frankly, nowhere at the same time! Fast forward to today, most days I wear a pair of earrings, a watch and rings. Those are my favorite pieces!
- Start slow and steady! Give yourself time to realize whether you actually like the piece before adding another. Over time I realized I am not even a necklace person! Then why was I buying necklaces like I had half a dozen necks to wear them? 😂 My sweet spot is the four necklaces I currently own - a 10-motif, 16-motif and two pendants. I rotate and wear them a lot. I love having the flexibility that I can add up to 4 more necklaces (2 RG/YG and 2 WG) but just because I can , I won’t do it because I know I won’t wear them and end up rehoming or gifting them! Buy what you love works in theory but buy what you love and will actually wear a lot is how I am now able to keep my monstrous wishlist in check!
- You don’t need ‘complete’ sets! What? This coming from a die-hard matchy-matchy gal! But, hear me out. People often think sets mean having the entire set of earrings, necklace, ring and bracelet! Not really, for me two pieces make a set! So, I am happy if I can find sets of two but it’s not a deal breaker! The beauty of VCA pieces is that we can mix and match, and still look put together!
- Organization keeps me sane and on target! I am a data girl through and through! I have a working excel sheet with everything I own broken down by each category (e.g. Necklaces, Rings, Bracelets, Earrings and Watches) and also by design (Alhambra, Perlee, Frivole etc.). This helps me get a visual layout of my collection and identify any gaps that exist. Oh, and I also update the current prices next to each piece.
- No matter how carefully we curate our collections, our tastes evolve over time and what looks like a perfect collection at one point in time may not always be true! Modifications and adaptations are the true rules of the game! Case in point, I started with VCA stone pieces because I was enamored by the vivid colors. Nearly 7-8 years later I find they no longer work in my collection. I want pieces that I can wear and travel with without caring about whether it’s snowing, raining, humid etc. I love and appreciate the durability of solid gold and pave pieces so my current collection reflects that. My biggest irk is owning and not using something! I am NOT a collector! So my collection only includes pieces I wear a lot. I don’t hold on to pieces I have outgrown because they are a reminder of my ‘mistakes’. I would rather cut my losses and re-home them or gift them. I do a lot of the latter to close family members. They are happy and so am I seeing them wear those pieces!
In the end, it’s important to stay true to yourself! Not being swayed by what’s ‘popular’, ‘trending’ or ‘splashed’ on social media is so important! Never try to keep up with the Joneses. In fact the best thing you can do is gladly let your friends, neighbors and everyone else pass you in the race to accumulate material things! It’s not the quantity that matters but how well-loved your collection is.
Phew, I wrote a story, didn’t I? Call it the perils of my job!
Since this is a VCA forum, would love to know how you curate your VCA jewelry collection but honestly, this can apply to any collection in general! We could all benefit from each other’s learnings and experiences! And, add pictures of your favorite pieces please for us to drool over
Sharing a few pieces from my current collection. Still waiting for a few more pieces to join before I am ready to share a complete ‘family’ pic! 😝
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I started collecting VCA in 2015 and have been on this forum since then as well. This forum has been a tremendous help in currating my collection.
1 - a tpf'er posted she had the VA earrings in MOP, onyx, tigers eye, malachite, etc...... until she saw someone wearing the pave VA earrings....she bought the pave and regretted the previous. I took this advice and am thankful....so, I have only one pair of VA earrings and they are pave.
2 - I have found only yellow gold works on my skin tone so that's helpful
3 - Pendants -only exception on metal is the holiday pendants....my 1st was the 2015 pink, so I have collected since and have turned down 3, 2017 Bulls Eye, 2020 white gold Guilloche, and 2024 two tone white and rose gold guilloche....
I also enjoy the Perlee couleurs pendants for layering and have the coral and lapis.
VA pave pendant and magic MOP pendant
Zodiac pendant on trace chain
Seashell clip, I wear as a pendant
Butterfly pendants - Tigers eye and turquoise
4 - for now I only have the 10 and 20 motifs in hammered in yellow gold and I am satisfied
5 - VA 5 motifs bracelets - love layering and also brings out color - I have six - Pave, hammered, MOP, carnelian, tigers eye, and blue agate...
I layer them in sets of 3
6 - Earrings - Perlee small hoops, frivole small pave, and VA pave....
7 - Perlee bracelets - perlee d'or (pearls of gold), perlee sweets clover, and perlee clover bracelet
8 - Frivole - large pendant pave, and the clip pendant very large model, small earrings pave...
9 - Pinterest boards - I have one that is private that has everything in my collection and others such as VCA - necklaces, perlee, etc...
10 - I have always wanted the sweet alhambra long necklace 16 motifs but it was in rose gold....I am waiting on this special order in yellow gold also the 6 sweet alhambra bracelet in yellow gold.
For now, I am quite satisfied with my collection. I hope I've made sense and have been helpful.
1 - a tpf'er posted she had the VA earrings in MOP, onyx, tigers eye, malachite, etc...... until she saw someone wearing the pave VA earrings....she bought the pave and regretted the previous. I took this advice and am thankful....so, I have only one pair of VA earrings and they are pave.
2 - I have found only yellow gold works on my skin tone so that's helpful
3 - Pendants -only exception on metal is the holiday pendants....my 1st was the 2015 pink, so I have collected since and have turned down 3, 2017 Bulls Eye, 2020 white gold Guilloche, and 2024 two tone white and rose gold guilloche....
I also enjoy the Perlee couleurs pendants for layering and have the coral and lapis.
VA pave pendant and magic MOP pendant
Zodiac pendant on trace chain
Seashell clip, I wear as a pendant
Butterfly pendants - Tigers eye and turquoise
4 - for now I only have the 10 and 20 motifs in hammered in yellow gold and I am satisfied
5 - VA 5 motifs bracelets - love layering and also brings out color - I have six - Pave, hammered, MOP, carnelian, tigers eye, and blue agate...
I layer them in sets of 3
6 - Earrings - Perlee small hoops, frivole small pave, and VA pave....
7 - Perlee bracelets - perlee d'or (pearls of gold), perlee sweets clover, and perlee clover bracelet
8 - Frivole - large pendant pave, and the clip pendant very large model, small earrings pave...
9 - Pinterest boards - I have one that is private that has everything in my collection and others such as VCA - necklaces, perlee, etc...
10 - I have always wanted the sweet alhambra long necklace 16 motifs but it was in rose gold....I am waiting on this special order in yellow gold also the 6 sweet alhambra bracelet in yellow gold.
For now, I am quite satisfied with my collection. I hope I've made sense and have been helpful.
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How long has it taken for your special order on the sweet Alhambra in YG hammered? I’m going into VCA later to talk about SO for this. Would love to know your feedback on the wait time for approval / etc
Necklace approved and ordered February 2024 and the bracelet approved and ordered May 2024
One of my favorite collections, because you can mix and match any of the pieces, very cohesive.
I started purchasing VCA since 2019.
1. I also like to keep a spreadsheet of my wishlist items with price, taxes and price after tax lol. Once I go to the boutique and try on different pieces, items either come off or get added on. This wishlist is constantly evolving, but if there is an item that stay on the list or keep coming back to the list, I know it's a keeper and I will eventually purchase it. For example, the Zodiaque pendant keeps going back on the list, so I know it's something I will probably purchase in the future.
2. When I try things on, I take pictures. I keep looking back at them to see how I like them weeks/months later. For example, I tried on pave Frivole pendant in all three golds two years ago. I keep going back to the WG pave Frivole pendant as that one pops the most. That will probably be my next year's purchase.
3. It's good to take a break. I took a break from VCA for a year. If I hadn't, I probably would have kept adding Alhambra bracelets, pendants, etc. Because I took a break, I was able to really enjoy the pieces I currently own and identify the gaps in my overall VCA family (bangles, 10 motif, etc.), so those will go on my wishlist.
4. Don't impulse buy! I made two impulse purchases (which is really good imo lol) and those are the pieces I wear the least! Beautiful pieces, but I just don't reach for them as much...
1. I also like to keep a spreadsheet of my wishlist items with price, taxes and price after tax lol. Once I go to the boutique and try on different pieces, items either come off or get added on. This wishlist is constantly evolving, but if there is an item that stay on the list or keep coming back to the list, I know it's a keeper and I will eventually purchase it. For example, the Zodiaque pendant keeps going back on the list, so I know it's something I will probably purchase in the future.
2. When I try things on, I take pictures. I keep looking back at them to see how I like them weeks/months later. For example, I tried on pave Frivole pendant in all three golds two years ago. I keep going back to the WG pave Frivole pendant as that one pops the most. That will probably be my next year's purchase.
3. It's good to take a break. I took a break from VCA for a year. If I hadn't, I probably would have kept adding Alhambra bracelets, pendants, etc. Because I took a break, I was able to really enjoy the pieces I currently own and identify the gaps in my overall VCA family (bangles, 10 motif, etc.), so those will go on my wishlist.
4. Don't impulse buy! I made two impulse purchases (which is really good imo lol) and those are the pieces I wear the least! Beautiful pieces, but I just don't reach for them as much...
Here is the updated group shot. The metal Alhambra surprised me with how versatile it moved between my WG pieces. I definitely will need to have RG one.
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Don’t buy a smaller piece unless that’s what you really want. Save or wait a little longer for the perfect one. 
If possible, try IRL before you buy. Take a close up and full length pic of you wearing the item to be sure the scale works.
I prefer to wear the same type of plain clothing when trying on jewelry, so my focus is on the piece itself.
Go slowly.
If possible, try IRL before you buy. Take a close up and full length pic of you wearing the item to be sure the scale works.
I prefer to wear the same type of plain clothing when trying on jewelry, so my focus is on the piece itself.
Go slowly.
I feel you are one of the lucky few who know your style so well and what works for you and what doesn’t @A bottle of Red
You wear the 6-motif carnelian and TE so beautifully! And you said it well - it’s a matter of trying! Things that look blah in pics may end up looking stunning on someone and vice versa! So it’s all about trying and finding pieces that look good on us
@lynne_ross I agree with you. The term ‘collection’ can be misleading! I use the term often to refer to groups of things I own but I am not a collector at all!
Your rings are a ring-lover’s dream TBH! I love how you have such diversified pieces in all three metals, each a showstopper in its own right!
I am excited to see which WG pieces you add in the future. Of course, rooting for your dream piece next!
Thank you so much, but in a way I'm the opposite; I don't really have a style I just always wear what I love and feel good in .I feel you are one of the lucky few who know your style so well and what works for you and what doesn’t @A bottle of Red
You wear the 6-motif carnelian and TE so beautifully! And you said it well - it’s a matter of trying! Things that look blah in pics may end up looking stunning on someone and vice versa! So it’s all about trying and finding pieces that look good on us