If you could only have 5 VCA items

[Rami00]

What would you pick and why?
Think realistic, everyday, day to night pieces. I wouldn't add any extravagant pieces like high jewelry. The goal of this thread is to generate ideas for people who want few but well curated collection.

I will start. For now, I have the following on my wishlist but seems like the priority keep changing.
-Perlée clover ring in white gold - check
-Perlée clover bracelet in white gold
-Virevolte ring
-White mop vintage earrings
-16 motif white/grey mop/chalcedony or 10 motif necklace
I tired to cover the classic Alhambra as well as Perlée collection, that I really love. I find VCA makes the most beautiful between the finger rings so I added one to my wishlist.

What is your thought process when you are buying jewelry? Thank you for letting me pick your intelligent brains.

Mods I tried to look for a similar thread but couldn't find one. Please feel free to move it or delete if it already exist.

 

[FairGrape]

Love your list!

Since my VCA wishlist is never ending, I think you pose a great question! I am still a VCA newbie, so I am not sure if I can be of much help but here it goes:
1) Pave Frivole earrings in white gold.
2) Pave cosmos pendant (one without the stem, can't figure out if it's small or medium).
3) 20 motif yg alhambra necklace (I have 10 motif already).
4) 11 motif magic alhambra long necklace mop YG.
5) Perlee clover bracelet YG.

Interestingly, PC bracelet used to be number one in my list, but after giving it a lot of thought, and looking at my own teeny-tiny collection, I moved it to the end. I am seriously obsessed with pave Frivole though. They will go great with pave cosmos pendant. Inspiration pic by kim_mac here:
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/vca-van-cleef-arpels-addiction-support-group.737862/page-17

My thought process, I usually look at my existing collection and see where I am lacking, I wear my diamond studs a lot, but now I crave variety, and Frivole would be perfect as it is very different that what I have. So I am saving up for it. Cosmos, because I love that line and that pendant is to die for. But saving up for it would require a lot of self control on my part.

Sorry if this is of no help. I will be watching this thread to hear more inputs from our very own VCA enthusiasts!

 

[Rami00]

@FairGrape Thank you for chiming in. You were a great help I love your wishlist. I am fairly new to jewelry, only own one pair of large Tiffany Victoria earrings (in earrings category) and I have worn them every single day since day one, and just like you crave variety. I also considered frivole wg pavé, actually my SA is holding it for me to try on this weekend. I asked few people for opinion about frivole earrings and consensus "extremely close to Victoria you already have" sigh.

Omg, Kim_mac wear those pieces like a boss! Love! Thank you for sharing the link.

How are you liking the 10 motifs? Do you wear it often?

 

[HADASSA]

Rami, I just googled the TV earrings since I am not too familiar with the brand.

I do not find the Pave Frivole similar at all. In fact, the Frivole stand up like flowers fluttering in the breeze.

You don't have to be scared to different - to each his own.

I don't like big motifs near my face and I am petite but you in the other hand might rock that 16-motifs Magic necklace with your "je ne sais quoi."

 

[Rami00]

@HADASSA right! Thank you! I think, I tend to fall more for earrings and bracelets, still discovering the jewelry girl in me, baby steps. I liked 16 motif but not 100% hence you see or 10 motifs

I'll try the frivole and report back with pictures comparison.

 

[Emily1830]

Great thread!

I currently have only two items, the MoP 5-motif vintage bracelet and matching MoP pendant necklace.

If I could get three more, I would get
1. Vintage malachite Alhambra earrings. I have a pair of diamond emerald earrings that I wear constantly, so I think I could get a lot of wear out of the malachite ones.

2. Perlee clover bracelet in YG. This is my dream item.

3. Vintage onyx Alhambra ring. So stunning and would go with all my black outfits.

I would be more than content if I could add these. [emoji7][emoji173]️

 

[doloresmia]

Too late! Too late!!!!! I can't do five only

 

[tbbbjb]

Hmm! This is a difficult question. I love to mix and match between the lines even though I always tend to get a complete set. I know that makes no sense but I like having a set (old fashioned that way). But, if I really had to choose my 5 favorite pieces it would be the following:

1) Lucky Alhambra YG MOP butterfly pendant necklace (I wear it everyday as it symbolizes someone very special to me who passed away and butterflies are just so precious to me. We gifted our daughter the YG MOP butterfly sweet pendant necklace for her first birthday and it still looks so sweet (LOL, pun intended) on her 7 years later. I know this will be a forever piece of jewelry for her. Also, I love that we both have a similar piece but not exactly the same). This has become my statement piece.

2) Frivole YG small earclips - I really like the 3D effect and they are so feminine and whimsical. The single diamond in the center is just enough of a pop of sparkle without going over the top. The small size suits me perfectly for casual and dressier events. I do have this same size in the pave as well but if I could only choose one it would be this one because sometimes the pave is just too much for casual occasions. I would also suggests trying on the Large Frivole as a good friend has those and really rocks them. It depends on your ears and whether you yourself can pull-off a bigger earring. I personally just cannot. It always comes off looking like I am a little girl wearing my grandmother's earclips.

3) My small YG fleurette earrings - [emoji173]️ [emoji173]️ [emoji173]️ these. These are my go-to everyday earrings. To me they are a step-up (more exquisite) from the plain diamond stud earrings but have the same elegance and versatility. They also have this beautiful butterfly detailing the back that is so endearing. No one can see it when you are wearing it but it is that little extra special design touch that the designers added and I love that.

4) Something from the Socrate line - probably my BTF ring because for me it symbolizes my DH and 3 children. I find it to be such a truly unique and special piece. When I got it I had never seen a between the finger ring before and it was love at first sight. It is so beautiful and really makes me smile whenever I wear it. And I can actually enjoy it all day long were my earrings and shorter necklaces are more for others to admire and enjoy because I cannot see them without looking in the mirror.

5) An YG Vintage Alhambra 20 motif "pop of color" necklace instead of neutral which for me would be lapis (actually I would cheat the '5 piece' rule here and do 2 10 motif necklaces instead because it would be more versatile. You can wear it long, doubled, as a single 10 motif and wrapped a few times around your wrist as an amazing bracelet. A good friend of mine has done this with her turquoise and it looks truly spectacular.). I am still hoping to get this one day if and when VCA re-releases it or if I win the lottery and buy one from Sotheby's or have VCA custom make one for me. I also love the look of the MOP as a modern take on the pearl necklace, the Onyx with YG is so elegant looking and the malachite and its striations are just gorgeous but again if I could only get one my heart is with the lapis.

 

[couturequeen]

This list is if money was no object. I wouldn't trade any of the pieces I currently have, but most of them don't make this list.

My wedding set is white gold so I'm partial to silver tones. My lifestyle is also more casual. I haven't worn pearl earrings or necklaces in nearly a decade. I'd definitely choose pieces from different lines:

1) RG Perlee Clover Diamond Bracelet

2) WG Small Frivole Earrings (Own)

3) WG Onyx Magic Alhambra Pendant

4) WG Blue Sapphire Bird of Paradise Volutes Ring

5) WG 16 Motif Alhambra White, Grey, Chalcedony Necklace

 

[texasgirliegirl]

This is such a great question. It's also a really hard one!! Perhaps the real quest here is to determine what five core pieces of VCA to own. What is iconic and what pieces will lend the most value.
1) Vintage Alhambra 20 motif in either white mop, onyx, or yg. Quintessential VCA. Perfect neutral.
2) Pave earrings. Wg pave frivole is my favorite wg option.
3) Perlee bracelet. Diamond clover.
4) Pave yg vintage earrings. Can be worn day or night and with any other vintage necklace (yg).
5) Colorful stone in either vintage Alhambra 10, 20, magic or a simple pendant. My favorite (and first piece of VCA) is turquoise/yg but choose whatever makes you happy.

 

[Coconuts40]

Hi Rami, I have always loved your approach to collections, such as your perfectly thought out handbag collection. I also believe less is more, and I'm not a big fan of collecting too many pieces. I have been purchasing VCA for a few years now and try to select pieces that are primarily for daytime and then can transition into evening. Simply because my days are so so casual and my personal life is also super casual that I can't own pieces that will sit for special occasions or else they would never be worn. My five:

1. Any alhambra necklace of your choice - 16 motif sounds beautiful, but it can be anything of your choice. I have the WG MOP 20 motif and I haven't desired another 20 motif since then which means I made the right choice!!

2. Frivole earrings - any pair, whether they be small, or large. Mini is great, I have a pair for work but to be honest small would be perfect!!

3. Pave earrings - any pair from any collection. I have the Lotus and really love them, have even worn them shopping during the daytime when I'm not working and then perfect for the odd evening event.

4. A bracelet. The perlee collection is super gorgeous. It's not for me, but I can appreciate it. I have the WG MOP bracelet that I wear separately and also attach to my 20 motif when I want to extent the length of my necklace.

5. A wild card - something fun that you never imagined you would purchase but did anyways. Whether it be a large earring, or a colourful alhambra piece. Still searching for my wild card but I will know it when I see it

 

[Notorious Pink]

I hope you don't mind if I answer your question more than once.
Answering as it applies to me and my specific jewelry-situation comes next -

But what I really wanted to answer is a bit of a variation on your question (hope that's ok!) of what a "VCA Capsule Collection" could look like.

This would be my list of a capsule collection. All items in the same metal (wg/yg/pg).
Vintage Alhambra pieces in that metal and all with the same stone, any or all of these could be pave as long as the metal is the same:

Vintage Alhambra and/or frivole earrings
20 (2x10) motif
Vintage Alhambra bracelet
Perlee clover bracelet
Perlee clover or pave Alhambra ring

If we went to ten this is how I would do it - The same five as above - either to match or coordinate -

Magic Pendant
6 motif
Pave earrings (whichever one you didn't select above, so if you have frivole, then pave Alhambra)
BTF ring
One "fun" piece - effeuillage earrings, 3-motif earrings, 16 motif necklace, magic bracelet or another 5 motif

 

[Notorious Pink]

Ok for me, I would do the first five on my list, all in pg -

[emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175]
Pave Alhambra earrings
Pave 10 motif necklace
Pave Alhambra bracelet
Perlee clover bracelet
Perlee clover ring
[emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175][emoji175]

In reality, it would probably be more like this:

Pave vintage Alhambra earrings
20-motif (2x10)
6 Motif Necklace
Perlee clover bracelet

I think five is hard because we have at least four body parts to cover (ears, neck, wrist, fingers) so only one body part gets an alternative. So for number five I can either choose a ring or another pair of earrings -

Frivole earrings (yg either pave or large)
OR
Perlee ring or pave Alhambra ring

 

[lynne_ross]

I have similar thoughts as other members here - want mostly items I can wear daily.
My 5 are:

1) perlee clover bracelet Yg - will be wearing daily with my love bracelet, fits in with my causal lifestyle and Corporate job
2) vintage alambra 10 clover necklace Yg - plan to wear this daily and plan not remove unless I want to wear another necklace that does not go with it
3) vintage alambra 5 clover bracelet Yg - can use to extent 10 clover necklace
4) pave earrings - I wear diamond studs daily, want something to step up my look here and there
5) pave vintage alambra 10 clover necklace wg - dream piece for special occasion wear

If I could add to list I would get 2 more perlee clover bracelets since I love stacking bracelets and I don't mind changing bracelets daily. I am not a ring person - I only wear my engagement set, so I don't see myself wanting any VCA rings.

 

[cloee]

My 5 items

Pave frivole earrings
10 or 20 motif gray mop or pg vintage alhambra
vintage alhambra holiday pendant (have this in onyx)
vintage alhambra earrings (have this in onyx)
perlee or vintage alhambra bracelet

These would be great everyday pieces that fit my lifesttyle and I feel the price point is still something I can achieve.