Help! 10 motif necklace OR 5 motif bracelet + single motif necklace

[frenchcitygirl]

Hi everyone! My birthday is coming up and I need to choose between either:

A. 10 motif vintage alhambra necklace in agate yellow gold

Or

B. 5 motif vintage alhambra bracelet in malachite yellow gold + matching vintage alhambra single motif necklace

I'm struggling to choose because I prefer the agate yellow gold combination as it really brings out my blue eyes (my best and only good feature as I get older....) BUT it's not necessarily suitable for everyday use, school run, groceries...

I also love the malachite yellow gold combination as I grew up in Ireland and it looks like the national lucky charm + I think I'll get more use out of a single motif necklace and bracelet which I can wear together or separately.

Please let me know your thoughts! If helpful - I have a limited jewelry collection, just a few rose gold or diamond pieces, no colourful stones yet. And I won't add anymore jewelry for another year.

Thank you so much for your help

 

[eliseypeesey]

I would go for the agate because malachite is a very delicate stone that isn’t suitable for everyday use in my opinion. There’s plenty of posts on here talking about the how fussy of a stone malachite is! can’t touch water or else the colour will darken and you’ll lose the stripes in the stone etc
I also feel like you’re leaning towards the 10 motif necklace more than the 5 motif bracelet? I think you could also double wrap the necklace around your wrist to make it into a bracelet!
If you want something to wear everyday though then your best bet is to buy something that’s all gold (guilloche or hammered gold)

 

[lynne_ross]

It sounds like you want the 10 motif agate. So I would go for that. It is such a wearable piece. I wear mine a lot and mostly only with very casual outfits. The design works well with T-shirt’s with a few motifs peeking out. Or with a tank where you can see the pieces. It is a hardy stone so no issues getting it wet. My 10 motif pieces are by far my most worn pieces. So I would get one over any other piece.
I also have the malachite bracelet and I use to barely wear it due to fear of ruining it. But I now wear it once every other week (home a lot with covid). I figure I can just replace the stones over the years if they get ruined and I rather enjoy the piece. The stones on mine still look new after 3 years. Malachite is my favourite stone so a combo bracelet and necklace sounds like a great option too.
Hard choice. Both are great options!

 

[meeowy]

I tried on the blue agate 10 motif necklace and it is stunning. The blue is very vibrant. Can you try in the store? Also learned from the lovely ladies here that the blue comes in many shades so it’s best to choose in person. I know some prefer dark navy-like colors, but I tried on a cerulean tone one, and it was pretty.
Happy birthday!

 

[880]

because I prefer the agate yellow gold combination as it really brings out my blue eyes (my best and only good feature as I get older....) BUT it's not necessarily suitable for everyday use, school run, groceries...

Get what you love. As you get older, you start to wear things everyday that you thought were only for occasions. Have fun deciding! also, if you wear the ten motif inside your shirt collar, it doesn’t look as dressy.

 

[frenchcitygirl]

Thank you so much for your advice @eliseypeesey, @lynne_ross, @meeowy and @880!

I had completely forgotten to take into account that malachite is a more fragile stone!!! Which definitely doesn't go towards the argument of getting more wear out of those pieces vs. the agate necklace! Thank you for putting me back on the right track.

I generally dress casual (especially these days) i.e. bleu jeans and a white shirt, and now see that the 10 motif would work very well.

@880 that's a very good point regarding the shade of bleu, I think for my first agate piece I'm happy to let my husband choose and let it to be a surprise. But if I'm ever lucky to get the matching bracelet, we'll need to think about whether to get same or slightly different shade of bleu

So decision is... 10 motif agate necklace!

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[frenchcitygirl]

And credit to @meeowy for her guidance regarding the shades of blue, much appreciated!

 

[meeowy]

And credit to @meeowy for her guidance regarding the shades of blue, much appreciated!

Show us when you get it and wear in good health!

 

[Rockerchic]

Perfect choice!!

 

[DS2006]

Thank you so much for your advice @eliseypeesey, @lynne_ross, @meeowy and @880!

I had completely forgotten to take into account that malachite is a more fragile stone!!! Which definitely doesn't go towards the argument of getting more wear out of those pieces vs. the agate necklace! Thank you for putting me back on the right track.

I generally dress casual (especially these days) i.e. bleu jeans and a white shirt, and now see that the 10 motif would work very well.

@880 that's a very good point regarding the shade of bleu, I think for my first agate piece I'm happy to let my husband choose and let it to be a surprise. But if I'm ever lucky to get the matching bracelet, we'll need to think about whether to get same or slightly different shade of bleu

So decision is... 10 motif agate necklace!

Thanks again for the advice!

Great choice!

I'd strongly advise picking out the blue yourself. You will know which tone goes best with your clothing and eyes. Most people will have a preference when shown various shades of blue. You may even have to wait for them to get more in if you don't love the current options. I'd definitely want the blues to match if I ever got another blue agate piece.

Here are some examples of the blue agate. I like one or two and there are a couple I wouldn't want at all. Just be sure you like all shades of blue if you really want your husband to pick it out.

 

[VCALoverNY]

Hi everyone! My birthday is coming up and I need to choose between either:

A. 10 motif vintage alhambra necklace in agate yellow gold

Or

B. 5 motif vintage alhambra bracelet in malachite yellow gold + matching vintage alhambra single motif necklace

I'm struggling to choose because I prefer the agate yellow gold combination as it really brings out my blue eyes (my best and only good feature as I get older....) BUT it's not necessarily suitable for everyday use, school run, groceries...

I also love the malachite yellow gold combination as I grew up in Ireland and it looks like the national lucky charm + I think I'll get more use out of a single motif necklace and bracelet which I can wear together or separately.

Please let me know your thoughts! If helpful - I have a limited jewelry collection, just a few rose gold or diamond pieces, no colourful stones yet. And I won't add anymore jewelry for another year.

Thank you so much for your help

It sounds like you want the 10 motif blue agate MORE. So, I think you should get that. I wear a 10 motif YG necklace as an everyday necklace. It makes me so, so happy. I wear it to school pick up, the grocery store, and sometimes when I'm just sitting at home doing nothing!

There's also a question of how delicate the malachite is-- you should search here. I don't own any malachite, but I've seen people discuss how delicate it can be. I'm not a delicate person, thus the YG! (I even wear it in the shower sometimes.)

VCA is so obscenely expensive. I think you should buy the one you are utterly, completely obsessed with. And just wear it all the time, because life is short.