I'm planning what to get myself for my birthday in late November and can't make up my mind on what would work for me, so I'm turning to you all for guidance.
If you don't want to read the rest of the post since I know it is lengthy, I would appreciate your opinions on items that would fit the below criteria:
Budget: ~10k (can be a bit flexible)
What I'm looking for: Casual, Minimal, Versatile, Classic
Category: Necklace or bracelet only
What I already have: vintage Alhambra WG MOP pendant
I dress casually (sneakers, jeans, sweater/tee half the time) and only have one fine jewelry piece, a Van Cleef vintage Alhambra WG MOP pendant, which I have worn almost every day since I got in 2018. I'd like to add another classic piece that I can get a ton of wear out of. I would like either a necklace or a bracelet, or both. I don't wear earrings and most rings just don't look good on my "sausage fingers" (anyone else have this problem???). For reference, I am in my late twenties.
Here are some pieces that I love - some seem to fit what I'm looking for right now more than others:
If you don't want to read the rest of the post since I know it is lengthy, I would appreciate your opinions on items that would fit the below criteria:
Budget: ~10k (can be a bit flexible)
What I'm looking for: Casual, Minimal, Versatile, Classic
Category: Necklace or bracelet only
What I already have: vintage Alhambra WG MOP pendant
I dress casually (sneakers, jeans, sweater/tee half the time) and only have one fine jewelry piece, a Van Cleef vintage Alhambra WG MOP pendant, which I have worn almost every day since I got in 2018. I'd like to add another classic piece that I can get a ton of wear out of. I would like either a necklace or a bracelet, or both. I don't wear earrings and most rings just don't look good on my "sausage fingers" (anyone else have this problem???). For reference, I am in my late twenties.
Here are some pieces that I love - some seem to fit what I'm looking for right now more than others:
- VCA Perlee Clovers Necklace, YG ($4350):
- Pros: I already know that pendant necklaces work well for me. YG adds versatility to my existing WG MOP. Can wear daily without worry of damaging a stone.
- Cons: Not sure I can think of any. Longevity of style? This feels like a "younger" piece to me - will I be able to wear this for 20 years?
- Cartier Juste un Clou, YG ($6800 w/o diamonds, $11800 w/ diamonds):
- Pros: Classic style. Can be removed. Pairs well with other bracelets or works well alone.
- Cons: I work on a computer all day and worry that I won't be able to wear a bracelet when I'm working as it will constantly hit the keyboard/table. It's also a loud/common piece - I really hate the feeling of having friends/family look at a handbag and know exactly how much I spent on it, and the JUC/Love are so common that I think this would happen a lot.
- VCA vintage Alhambra guilloche 5 motif bracelet ($4950):
- Pros: Goes with everything - especially if I add more gold bracelets in the future. I love the style. I also would love to one day add the guilloche bracelet with diamonds and wear the two as a necklace (I can do that, right?)
- Cons: Might be too flashy for everyday wear. I've heard guilloche is delicate. Unfortunately the hammered gold just isn't as beautiful to me in photos - I have never seen it in person to give it a shot though. Also same issue here that I won't be able to wear it while I'm working/typing (right?)
- VCA vintage Alhambra 5 motif bracelet in malachite or blue agate ($4950):
- Pros: Part of what I love about VCA are the beautiful color stones. Green is my favorite color and compliments a lot of pieces in my wardrobe. I would also love to get 2 and connect them as a necklace but have the option to wear as a bracelet - as a side note it seems odd to me that one would buy a 10-motif when the price of 2 5-motifs is the same, given the two 5's gives you versatility. Do the bracelets look strange when connected/not the same as a 10-motif?
- Cons: I've read that malachite especially is very delicate, and dulls over time (that doesn't bother me a ton though). These wouldn't be everyday wear pieces.
- VCA magic Alhambra pendant in malachite ($6200):
- Pros: My favorite style of Alhambra pendant necklace. Would go with many items in my wardrobe.
- Cons: Malachite is delicate, wouldn't be an everyday piece.