Guilloche white gold or Alahambra sweet pave pendant

[Faith2]

Hi. I am new to VCA and only have a couple of pieces, WGMOP and Frivole. I was planning on purchasing the Alhambra sweet pave pendant but now that the new Guilloche white gold pendant is being released I am wondering if it would be a better purchase. I haven't seen it in person and hope to do so soon but was wondering for those of you who may have seen it or know more about the product if you could share your expertise.

I was planning to purchase the Alhambra sweet pave as I feel it would be something easier to wear daily compared to my WGMOP which I think is more delicate. I have a fairly casual lifestyle so I am looking for something that I can wear daily and not necessarily take it off every night and something that I do not have to be worried about. Any advice you could provide would be helpful.

 

[kelsenia]

A few things to consider: vintage pendants are attached to the chain, meaning they don’t really move, whereas sweet pendants are on a ring and thus move a lot. So the clasp can end up next to the pendant etc.
Many people feel that sweets are simply just too small, they’re about the size of a pea, so they grow out of them at a certain point unless they are very very petite.
Of course diamonds are going to be very sturdy. Ideally I would say choose the pave vintage pendant but I understand if that isn’t in your budget.
I’m not sure about the hardiness of wg guilloche vs yg guilloche, but guilloche as a whole gets hairline scratches and dust accumulating in it. These hairline scratches are not repairable. While this is less of an issue with a pendant than a bracelet, it’s still probably not a good idea to wear it working out, sleeping or showering. I do know someone who has worn her 2020 wg guilloche holiday pendant everyday since it came out and it looks nice still, but there is evidence of those scratches if you stare at it. I would maybe wait and see how people are reporting the hardiness to be as wg tends to be more hardy than yg.
Another nice wg option is chalcedony, which is a hardy stone. Each pendant will be unique as the striations differ, some are more white and others are more lavender. I wear a chalcedony pendant daily for years with no issues. Ive occasionally gotten it wet accidentally and it hasn’t shown any damage. I wear it every minute other than showering!

Other nice WG everyday options that you wouldn’t need to worry about are any size of the frivole pave pendants and the two butterfly pave pendant. There are also the various fleurette, lotus and socrates pendants. These are more expensive though, other than the mini frivole. But once again the mini frivole is very mini, only a little bigger than the sweet alhambra.

One other general piece of advice is that if you are eyeing a more expensive piece, but want to compromise with a smaller one for the time being, I would recommend actually saving for the more expensive piece and forgoing the littler one as price increases impact more expensive pieces more significantly.

 

[waterlily112]

Sweet pave would be a better piece to wear alone as a care-free everyday necklace or to layer with your other pendants. I have the 2020 holiday pendant, which is the WG guilloche, I find it hard to layer without looking too distracting, so I just pair it with a simple solitaire diamond pendant or most of the time just wear it alone. Also, I'm not a fan of layering two VA pendants or pendants of the same size, it just look like I can't decide which necklace I want to wear more so I just threw on both.

 

[Faith2]

Thank you Kelsenia and waterlily112 for the information and your experience.

I am quite petite and I have tried on the Vintage Pave and the Sweet Pave when I was last in the boutique. At the time I preferred the Sweet as I felt it was more understated, but I agree it is small. I layered it with my WGMOP and I thought it looked really nice. However, I do not want to make the decision based on it being a layering piece but prefer to make the decision based on a stand alone piece that is worry free (as much as it can be). I guess I am not sure if the Guilloche will have the same presence (shine/flash) as the Vintage Pave. I am concerned about the dust and scratches and from that perspective I am leaning toward the sweet pave.

I am hoping to go into the boutique in the next few weeks and hope to be able to see all three pieces to decide. I will also look at the chalcedony when I am there as it might be the answer as well as the other items you suggested. This is all very new to me so I have lots to learn.

 

[kelsenia]

Thank you Kelsenia and waterlily112 for the information and your experience.

I am quite petite and I have tried on the Vintage Pave and the Sweet Pave when I was last in the boutique. At the time I preferred the Sweet as I felt it was more understated, but I agree it is small. I layered it with my WGMOP and I thought it looked really nice. However, I do not want to make the decision based on it being a layering piece but prefer to make the decision based on a stand alone piece that is worry free (as much as it can be). I guess I am not sure if the Guilloche will have the same presence (shine/flash) as the Vintage Pave. I am concerned about the dust and scratches and from that perspective I am leaning toward the sweet pave.

I am hoping to go into the boutique in the next few weeks and hope to be able to see all three pieces to decide. I will also look at the chalcedony when I am there as it might be the answer as well as the other items you suggested. This is all very new to me so I have lots to learn.

Definitely the best option is to go and try them on and see them in person at a boutique. Even mod shot photos of others won’t fully give you an idea of how a piece looks like on yourself. As stocks have been up and down, I would suggest contacting your SA (if you have one) and telling him/her which pieces you’re interested in so she can give you an idea of what’s available. Spend some time on the website… look at necklaces & pendants —> filter—> materials —> white gold and then you can see all of your options on one page rather than by collection. Some say guilloche is actually shinier than pave, especially in the beginning, but I think over time pave will remain shiner than guilloche due to dust/skin oil/lotion etc getting stuck in the small crevices.
Another good friend of mine has the sweet pave pendant and loves it. She’s extremely petite.. think gymnast body and about 5’1. The only thing she doesn’t like is the ring swinging aspect on the chain vs it being fixed.
You’ll find your dream piece Update us on what you end up choosing!

 

[jenayb]

For me, the sweet line is far too small. The pieces seem to get "lost" IMO... the only Sweet I have kept over the years is my 16 motif; the rest I have sold.

That said, it depends on the look you're after. Do you want something that makes a bit of a statement? If so, the Guilloche is your winner, hands down. And if you are concerned about the presence of flash versus a pave piece, trust me - the Guilloche definitely packs a punch when it comes to bling. Anyway, that is my vote.

 

[waterlily112]

I guess I am not sure if the Guilloche will have the same presence (shine/flash) as the Vintage Pave. I am concerned about the dust and scratches and from that perspective I am leaning toward the sweet pave.

Guilloche and pave give off very different aesthetic. Guilloche has a shiny/mirror affect, while pave has the bright, sparkly effect like other diamond pieces. It all comes down to personal preference in terms of size and guilloche vs pave, and you should definitely check them out at the boutique (include the vintage pave too) agreed with @kelsenia about picking one that makes your heart sing and not settle on a piece because of price. I do think the vintage pave may be a better option as a pendant, and sweet pave look nicer as earrings and bracelet.

 

[kelsenia]

Guilloche and pave give off very different aesthetic. Guilloche has a shiny/mirror affect, while pave has the bright, sparkly effect like other diamond pieces. It all comes down to personal preference in terms of size and guilloche vs pave, and you should definitely check them out at the boutique (include the vintage pave too) agreed with @kelsenia about picking one that makes your heart sing and not settle on a piece because of price. I do think the vintage pave may be a better option as a pendant, and sweet pave look nicer as earrings and bracelet.

Oh yes. i LOVE the 6 motif sweets bracelets!

 

[Metrowestmama]

I have the sweet pave and I wear it everyday. I’m average size (not petite) but it works because it is just a little bit of sparkle and it can be easily worn stacked with other VCA or non VCA necklaces. Mostly, I wear it paired with diamond studs for everyday leisure but when I wear my vintage Alhambra or Cartier love hoop earrings it works great. And looks great paired with all necklaces that are 20 inches and more, which I typically wear. On the occasions I wear a choker, I remove the sweet.

I own a vintage Alhambra necklace but I find that it is the only piece I can wear when I wear it. As the size (on me) is in between a statement piece and a layer piece. Sort of an necklace identity crisis. So I don’t wear it as much as my sweet.

I do find the clasp sliding around annoying but it would be like that with any other nonVCA necklace. So it just becomes a habit to move the clasp back. I still haven’t gotten a weight for the clasp to prevent the slide but one of these days I’ll get around to it!

 

[Faith2]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I was able to go into the boutique yesterday and try on the white gold Alhambra vintage size Pave and Guilloche pendants. I have decided that the Guilloche is not for me I much preferred the look of the pave. Although very beautiful, on me, the vintage size felt like a statement piece that I would not feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis. I wish they would have had a the sweet size in stock. I have asked my SA to let me know when one comes in and if I feel I could wear it daily without worry, I will likely buy it. I do not feel that I would want the larger one even as I get older, as I have a very understated casual style. From your comments, many of you have given me hope that the sweet size would be just right, as I am looking for a little bit of sparkle that looks different from a solitaire pendant. Thanks again!!

 

[EpiFanatic]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I was able to go into the boutique yesterday and try on the white gold Alhambra vintage size Pave and Guilloche pendants. I have decided that the Guilloche is not for me I much preferred the look of the pave. Although very beautiful, on me, the vintage size felt like a statement piece that I would not feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis. I wish they would have had a the sweet size in stock. I have asked my SA to let me know when one comes in and if I feel I could wear it daily without worry, I will likely buy it. I do not feel that I would want the larger one even as I get older, as I have a very understated casual style. From your comments, many of you have given me hope that the sweet size would be just right, as I am looking for a little bit of sparkle that looks different from a solitaire pendant. Thanks again!!

I totally get that. I think the sweet would be A great layering piece and something so easy and light that you would forget you even have it on. That’s the kind of jewelry I wear the most. My pave sweet studs are my most worn pair of earrings and my lifestyle is 100% casual, jeans if not sweats and leggings. My ideal size for a pendant is larger than vintage or smaller. Anyhoo, I’m sure they will get one in for you soon. Please keep us updated.