Please...I need a guide to VCA stones

[closetluxe]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to dip my toes into the world of VCA this year. I am currently saving up to buy the Guilloche bracelet by Mother's Day and hopefully add the pendant later on in the year. I wanted my first piece to be a precious metal and not stone because 1)it's a beautiful collection and 2)I have no clue regarding all the different stones VCA has to offer. After my Guilloche pieces, I want to add some MOP pieces, but after that I don't know what else to get? What are the most common stones that VCA offers and what are the pros and cons for each? TIA.

 

[sosauce]

Let me know if I’m missing any. I’ll order it by hardness later.

Mother of pearl (white, gray, pink, gold)
Coral
Lapis lazuli
Pink opal
Turquoise
Carnelian
Agate (blue, green)
Jade
Onyx
Letterwood
Chalcedony
Malachite
Tiger’s eye
Rock crystal
Sevres porcelain (pink, raspberry, blue, Dubai purple, Place Vendome blue)

 

[Notorious Pink]

Let me know if I’m missing any. I’ll order it by hardness later.

Mother of pearl (white, gray, pink, gold)
Coral
Lapis lazuli
Pink opal
Turquoise
Carnelian
Agate (blue, green)
Jade
Onyx
Letterwood
Chalcedony
Malachite
Tiger’s eye
Rock crystal
Sevres porcelain (pink, raspberry, blue, Dubai purple, Place Vendome blue)

They don't currently offer most of these.

OP, best to just look at the VCA website and read through all the threads here.

 

[acheronbeach]

To continue with what Notorious Pink said, the stones available also really depend on what you're buying, the time of year, and where. The different sizes/motifs have different standard stones available. For Alhambra, the most common "stone" colours are white MOP, carnelian, malachite and onyx. The most common metal colour is yellow gold. Most of the colours listed by sosauce aren't available anymore - you'd need to do a special order or buy from the secondhand market.

There are lots of threads on here about the pros and cons of each item/stone, and I'd recommend doing a deep dive if you have the time. For instance, Malachite is supposedly high maintenance/goes cloudy, onyx is durable but shows fingerprints, and MOP is soft and prone to dings.

 

[closetluxe]

Thank you for this quick synopsis. I did try to look into previous threads but there's just so many of them that it was really daunting.

To continue with what Notorious Pink said, the stones available also really depend on what you're buying, the time of year, and where. The different sizes/motifs have different standard stones available. For Alhambra, the most common "stone" colours are white MOP, carnelian, malachite and onyx. The most common metal colour is yellow gold. Most of the colours listed by sosauce aren't available anymore - you'd need to do a special order or buy from the secondhand market.

There are lots of threads on here about the pros and cons of each item/stone, and I'd recommend doing a deep dive if you have the time. For instance, Malachite is supposedly high maintenance/goes cloudy, onyx is durable but shows fingerprints, and MOP is soft and prone to dings.

 

[sosauce]

Mohs Hardness	Motif
<2.0	Wood (letterwood, rosewood)
2.0 – 4.0	Ivory
2.5 – 4.5	Mother of pearl (white, gray, pink, gold)
2.75 – 3.0	18k gold (yellow, white, rose)
3.5	Coral
3.5 – 4.0	Malachite
5.0 – 5.5	Lapis lazuli
5.0 – 6.0	Turquoise
5.5 – 6.0	Opal (pink)
6.0 – 7.0	Carnelian
6.0 – 7.0	Chalcedony
6.0 – 7.0	Chrysoprase
6.5 – 7.0	Agate (blue, green)
6.5 – 7.0	Jadeite (apple green)
6.5 – 7.0	Onyx
6.5 – 7.0	Tiger's eye
7.0	Rock crystal
7.0	Sevres porcelain (light pink, raspberry pink, celestial blue, bleu de sevres, gris de lin)
9.0	Ruby
9.0	Sapphire (blue, pink)
10.0	Diamond

 

[Notorious Pink]

To continue with what Notorious Pink said, the stones available also really depend on what you're buying, the time of year, and where. The different sizes/motifs have different standard stones available. For Alhambra, the most common "stone" colours are white MOP, carnelian, malachite and onyx. The most common metal colour is yellow gold. Most of the colours listed by sosauce aren't available anymore - you'd need to do a special order or buy from the secondhand market.

There are lots of threads on here about the pros and cons of each item/stone, and I'd recommend doing a deep dive if you have the time. For instance, Malachite is supposedly high maintenance/goes cloudy, onyx is durable but shows fingerprints, and MOP is soft and prone to dings.

In general you will find just white MOP, onyx, carnelian, chalcedony, malachite and tigers eye as far as stones go.

recently blue agate and gmop pieces have been added, limited selections.

the rest are discontinued (like coral) one offs (gold mop, pink sevres), or available in a few Items in one boutique (like blue sevres)

some of the stones are limited to just a few pieces (sapphires) or high jewelry.

Thank you for this quick synopsis. I did try to look into previous threads but there's just so many of them that it was really daunting.

it’s fun! Even I go through most of the threads every so often when I have the time.

Mohs Hardness	Motif
<2.0	Letterwood
2.0 – 4.0	Ivory
2.5 – 4.5	Mother of pearl (white, gray, gold, pink)
2.75 – 3.0	18k gold (white, yellow, rose)
3.5	Coral
3.5 – 4.0	Malachite
5.0 – 5.5	Lapis lazuli
5.0 – 6.0	Turquoise
5.5 – 6.0	Opal (pink)
6.0 – 7.0	Carnelian
6.0 – 7.0	Chalcedony
6.0 – 7.0	Chrysoprase
6.5 – 7.0	Jadeite (apple green)
6.5 – 7.0	Agate (blue, green)
6.5 – 7.0	Onyx
6.5 – 7.0	Tiger's eye
7.0	Rock crystal
7.0	Sevres porcelain (celestial blue, light pink, raspberry pink, gris de lin, bleu de sevres)
9.0	Ruby
9.0	Sapphire (blue, pink)
10.0	Diamond

this is great. Thanks for posting it.

 

[closetluxe]

Mohs Hardness	Motif
<2.0	Wood (rosewood, letterwood)
2.0 – 4.0	Ivory
2.5 – 4.5	Mother of pearl (white, gray, gold, pink)
2.75 – 3.0	18k gold (white, yellow, rose)
3.5	Coral
3.5 – 4.0	Malachite
5.0 – 5.5	Lapis lazuli
5.0 – 6.0	Turquoise
5.5 – 6.0	Opal (pink)
6.0 – 7.0	Carnelian
6.0 – 7.0	Chalcedony
6.0 – 7.0	Chrysoprase
6.5 – 7.0	Agate (blue, green)
6.5 – 7.0	Jadeite (apple green)
6.5 – 7.0	Onyx
6.5 – 7.0	Tiger's eye
7.0	Rock crystal
7.0	Sevres porcelain (celestial blue, light pink, raspberry pink, gris de lin, bleu de sevres)
9.0	Ruby
9.0	Sapphire (blue, pink)
10.0	Diamond

This is so helpful. Didn't know MOP was so soft! Thanks for posting.

 

[closetluxe]

In general you will find just white MOP, onyx, carnelian, chalcedony, malachite and tigers eye as far as stones go.

recently blue agate and gmop pieces have been added, limited selections.

the rest are discontinued (like coral) one offs (gold mop, pink sevres), or available in a few Items in one boutique (like blue sevres)

some of the stones are limited to just a few pieces (sapphires) or high jewelry.

it’s fun! Even I go through most of the threads every so often when I have the time.

It is fun learning new things. I have to set aside some time to read and learn more about VCA.

 

[880]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to dip my toes into the world of VCA this year. I am currently saving up to buy the Guilloche bracelet by Mother's Day and hopefully add the pendant later on in the year. I wanted my first piece to be a precious metal and not stone because 1)it's a beautiful collection and 2)I have no clue regarding all the different stones VCA has to offer. After my Guilloche pieces, I want to add some MOP pieces, but after that I don't know what else to get? What are the most common stones that VCA offers and what are the pros and cons for each? TIA.

If you are able to go to a boutique in person, I recommend keeping an open mind re colors, materials and styles and trying on a bunch of things. I personally adore the six motif necklace in mixed MOP. Have fun and buy what you love! And, of course, update this thread with fabulous action pics of whatever you decide

Thank you @sosauce for your comprehensive list above!

 

[closetluxe]

If you are able to go to a boutique in person, I recommend keeping an open mind re colors, materials and styles and trying on a bunch of things. I personally adore the six motif necklace in mixed MOP. Have fun and buy what you love! And, of course, update this thread with fabulous action pics of whatever you decide

Yes, I will try to keep an open mind as you said. Will definitely come back and post what I decide to get. Thank you.

 

[Egel]

Apart from pros and cons of every stone, also look at what color will suit your skintone and clothes best. Pictures and the brightness of your screen might differ from how something will actually look when you wear it. If you are very understated a pop of color like turquoise or malachite might be a good idea but a bit much to wear. If you are overwhelmed by it all, just take a step back and realise you are doing thisbecause you want to. Don't forget to have fun with finding something that suits you.

 

[closetluxe]

Apart from pros and cons of every stone, also look at what color will suit your skintone and clothes best. Pictures and the brightness of your screen might differ from how something will actually look when you wear it. If you are very understated a pop of color like turquoise or malachite might be a good idea but a bit much to wear. If you are overwhelmed by it all, just take a step back and realise you are doing thisbecause you want to. Don't forget to have fun with finding something that suits you.

All very good points to consider. Thank you. And yes, I will only buy what I !

 

[innerpeace85]

Since you are looking into pros and cons of stones, you might also want to consider that Guilloche is delicate despite of being all gold. It cant be repaired if the motifs are scratched and hence not advisable for stacking or wearing 24/7. With that being said, don't worry too much about hardiness of the stones/all gold versions - I have had my MOP pieces for 3 years now, I wear them regularly and they look brand new till date.
Have fun choosing the right ones for you! Good luck deciding!

 

[DS2006]

I started with the classic solid gold bracelet! I think gold is a great way to start as any of the other gold/stone pieces can coordinate. Once you visit VCA, you'll have a much more clear idea of what you really love. I think that black onyx and white mop would be my most worn colors. I'd like to add in some color with a bracelet or two, though (like carnelian or blue agate).

The most durable stones are onyx, carnelian, blue agate, chalcedony, and tiger eye. Even though MOP is low on the Moh's scale and can scratch, it is quite durable. The stones that aren't as durable will be better for earrings and pendants.

You also may want to read the care instructions.

Jewelry Care - Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry pieces are made with precious materials and metals fulfilling the most stringent selection criteria. Depending on their properties, certain materials require specific care. To preserve the beauty of your jewelry piece over time, we recommend the following precautions.

www.vancleefarpels.cn