Help please: HP MOP necklace or Onyx 5 motif bracelet

[iykyk]

Hi all! My husband is gifting me a push present and currently we're down to 2 contenders that are similar in price.

We've found that the 2012 HP can be sourced on eBay and some consignment stores for a comparable price to the onyx bracelet.

I've always loved the look of MOP and the 2012 HP version with a little diamond in the middle makes it more special. I've read that MOP is very high maintenance though but this one has the solid gold back. Does anyone own this and can share their experience? I'll for sure try to look after it and take it off before shower etc, but I don't want a special occasion piece that I can only wear once a year..

I've also always wanted the 5 motif onyx bracelet. I love that it's a durable piece. The only concern is my wrist measurements have gone up a little due to the pregnancy weight. I just don't want to order to my size now and have it being too big in the future when I've lost some weight. I just don't want to have to fuss with resizing it later on.

Which one should we go for?
About my lifestyle: I have 2 toddlers and a baby on the way 😅 I already own sweet pave bracelets (which I love and wear almost daily), a 5 motif chalcedony bracelet, the 2023 HP obsidian pendant, a yg guilloche pendant, and carnelian pendants in both sweet and vintage sizes.

Thanks so much 🙏🏼💕

 

[Sophie0121]

hello
- I would like to share my experiences in buying preloved MOP Alhambra: some parts of the clover MOP I bought are a bit tarnished (not shiny any more) ; I wouldn’t recommend to buy preloved if you didn’t see the piece of jewelry in person first (or be sure you can get a refund if you return it). MOP is fragile and be sure you can cope with a piece that could get damaged if you buy it.
— cost of the HP is high ; you get only 1 motif instead of the 5 motif with bracelet. Even with a diamond at the centre it doesn’t justify for me the price point
- 5 motif bracelet : I don’t have any piece in onyx so will let other share. But you could easily buy a 5 motif bracelet even with your wrist size that is unsure for next year as VCA offers free modification of the bracelet size if you do it in the first 12 months

Have fun choosing ☺️

 

[iykyk]

hello
- I would like to share my experiences in buying preloved MOP Alhambra: some parts of the clover MOP I bought are a bit tarnished (not shiny any more) ; I wouldn’t recommend to buy preloved if you didn’t see the piece of jewelry in person first (or be sure you can get a refund if you return it). MOP is fragile and be sure you can cope with a piece that could get damaged if you buy it.
— cost of the HP is high ; you get only 1 motif instead of the 5 motif with bracelet. Even with a diamond at the centre it doesn’t justify for me the price point
- 5 motif bracelet : I don’t have any piece in onyx so will let other share. But you could easily buy a 5 motif bracelet even with your wrist size that is unsure for next year as VCA offers free modification of the bracelet size if you do it in the first 12 months

Have fun choosing ☺️

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and opinion! Now I'm leaning towards a pave vintage pendant 😊 it's a little more than the HP though but potentially more durable?

 

[Julie’s Purse Closet]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and opinion! Now I'm leaning towards a pave vintage pendant 😊 it's a little more than the HP though but potentially more durable?

Pave vintage Alhambra gets my vote! Out of all my Vca pendants (inc. several HP), the pave pieces are my most worn and for the most part, carefree and durable. Congrats on your newest addition!!

 

[Mjxxsyd]

Pave vintage Alhambra gets my vote! Out of all my Vca pendants (inc. several HP), the pave pieces are my most worn and for the most part, carefree and durable. Congrats on your newest addition!!

+1 here it’s my absolute FAVOURITE. I wear it everyday, gym, beach, work and everytime I see it in the mirror I smile. A quick brush with the cleaning kit provided by VCA and its back shining as when it came out of the store. I had mine for two years now and having 3 other VCA necklaces (MOP and the two last years HP) never gets used anymore. Get the pave!!!!!

 

[iykyk]

Pave vintage Alhambra gets my vote! Out of all my Vca pendants (inc. several HP), the pave pieces are my most worn and for the most part, carefree and durable. Congrats on your newest addition!!

+1 here it’s my absolute FAVOURITE. I wear it everyday, gym, beach, work and everytime I see it in the mirror I smile. A quick brush with the cleaning kit provided by VCA and its back shining as when it came out of the store. I had mine for two years now and having 3 other VCA necklaces (MOP and the two last years HP) never gets used anymore. Get the pave!!!!!

Thank you both so much! I think I'm set on the pave pendant. Now I'm just deciding between YG and WG 😂 which one do you have? I think WG sparkles more but YG is so classic..my wedding set which I never take off is in WG & platinum but my other jewelry is a mixed of wg and yg. I don't mind mixing metal but I want to get one that looks best in the pave Alhambra design.

 

[Julie’s Purse Closet]

Thank you both so much! I think I'm set on the pave pendant. Now I'm just deciding between YG and WG 😂 which one do you have? I think WG sparkles more but YG is so classic..my wedding set which I never take off is in WG & platinum but my other jewelry is a mixed of wg and yg. I don't mind mixing metal but I want to get one that looks best in the pave Alhambra design.

Decisions, decisions!!!
Mine is in YG only because I wanted it to match my YG pave earrings. I wear a mix of metals too, so I have the WG pave two butterfly for when I want a sparkly WG pendant, BUT, I’d still like to have the pave vintage in WG too!! All these years I still love Alhambra, and it’s such an easy and beautiful piece to wear. Goes with anything. You can’t go wrong with either metal imo!! 😍😍

 

[waterlily112]

Personally I would lean toward a 5 motif onyx bracelet, it's rather carefree and hardwearing and a neutral color that would go with most outfits. I own several HP and agreed in regards to the price per motif, so only get it if you truly love it. I feel like it kind of take away the novelty factor when it's preloved though, it's more special if the HP represent the actual year to celebrate the special event and/or achievement.

As for resizing the bracelet, I have a personal suggestion. All my 5 motifs are resized to 15 cm (8 links removed) because I'm OCD so I prefer even number of links between each motif, and the next size up 16 cm is too loose. The 15 cm fits comfortably most time of the year except for summer months, where my arm tend to be a bit swollen/sticky because of the heat + sweat that made it a bit snug, so I bought a 5mm extender ring to add onto the clasp. It's fairly affordable for solid 14k/18k gold that you can purchase from Etsy or your local jewelers. It's very discreet and lay flat on the wrist, typically 5mm-7mm is all you need to accommodate the fluctuation in wrist size to make it a comfortable fit. That way you don't have to keep sending your bracelet out for resizing if you're either in between the sizes/lengths that VCA offer, or you just want a quick, non-permanent fix.

 

[Mjxxsyd]

Thank you both so much! I think I'm set on the pave pendant. Now I'm just deciding between YG and WG 😂 which one do you have? I think WG sparkles more but YG is so classic..my wedding set which I never take off is in WG & platinum but my other jewelry is a mixed of wg and yg. I don't mind mixing metal but I want to get one that looks best in the pave Alhambra design.

I got the rose gold because that’s what my heart set on when I saw it for the first time. saying that I’m wearing it daily with my yellow gold guilloche 5 motif, love, juc and love ring so I don’t think that should be the deciding factor. Pick the metal that makes your heart sing 🎶 so happy for you!

 

[iykyk]

Personally I would lean toward a 5 motif onyx bracelet, it's rather carefree and hardwearing and a neutral color that would go with most outfits. I own several HP and agreed in regards to the price per motif, so only get it if you truly love it. I feel like it kind of take away the novelty factor when it's preloved though, it's more special if the HP represent the actual year to celebrate the special event and/or achievement.

As for resizing the bracelet, I have a personal suggestion. All my 5 motifs are resized to 15 cm (8 links removed) because I'm OCD so I prefer even number of links between each motif, and the next size up 16 cm is too loose. The 15 cm fits comfortably most time of the year except for summer months, where my arm tend to be a bit swollen/sticky because of the heat + sweat that made it a bit snug, so I bought a 5mm extender ring to add onto the clasp. It's fairly affordable for solid 14k/18k gold that you can purchase from Etsy or your local jewelers. It's very discreet and lay flat on the wrist, typically 5mm-7mm is all you need to accommodate the fluctuation in wrist size to make it a comfortable fit. That way you don't have to keep sending your bracelet out for resizing if you're either in between the sizes/lengths that VCA offer, or you just want a quick, non-permanent fix.

View attachment 6021040 View attachment 6021041

Thanks for your response! Now I want both, the pendant and the 5 motif bracelet haha. If only I could get both 🥲

 

[iykyk]

I got the rose gold because that’s what my heart set on when I saw it for the first time. saying that I’m wearing it daily with my yellow gold guilloche 5 motif, love, juc and love ring so I don’t think that should be the deciding factor. Pick the metal that makes your heart sing 🎶 so happy for you!

Thank you so much! I've decided to go for wg if I end up making up my mind whether to get the pave pendant vs the bracelet 😝

 

[waterlily112]

Thanks for your response! Now I want both, the pendant and the 5 motif bracelet haha. If only I could get both 🥲

Ahh I know, so many pretty things but only if we have unlimited fund 😂 I saw that you’re now considering the VA pave pendant. If that’s the case, I’d recommend it in WG. I’m usually a RG girlie but when it comes to VA pave, WG just looks much better and more sparkly because the metal & diamonds blend in seamlessly, whereas in YG & RG the contrast with the metal make the diamonds look smaller & sparse. But of course, try on everything & let your heart decide when you want ☺️

 

[EpiFanatic]

Thank you so much! I've decided to go for wg if I end up making up my mind whether to get the pave pendant vs the bracelet 😝

Yes, love a WG pave pendant.

 

[iykyk]

Ahh I know, so many pretty things but only if we have unlimited fund 😂 I saw that you’re now considering the VA pave pendant. If that’s the case, I’d recommend it in WG. I’m usually a RG girlie but when it comes to VA pave, WG just looks much better and more sparkly because the metal & diamonds blend in seamlessly, whereas in YG & RG the contrast with the metal make the diamonds look smaller & sparse. But of course, try on everything & let your heart decide when you want ☺️

That's what I'm strongly leaning towards 🥰 a WG pave pendant. I think it adds a special touch and easy enough for me to wear now and during postpartum days too. Thanks so much for helping!