Special Orders
- Thread starter halliehallie
- Start date
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There is no chart for special order, each special order needs to be submitted to headquarters for approval. For MTO, there are no additional stones besides the current offerings in the Alhambra line, just different metal combinations or different formats for the same stones.
You're obviously super knowledgeable about SO, do you know if they would ever be willing to to a PG vintage guilloche pendant and/or earrings? I saw you got a ginza edition necklace on FP in between the magic and vintage and you said you ordered some PG guilloche so I thought you might know. TYIA.
Welcome new members! All SOs are subject to your relationship with your SA/boutique and is typically based on your spend as a client. One SO that is approved for one client might not be approved for another client. If you’re hoping to get the SO you want your best bet is to work with one home boutique where the majority of your spend goes and nurture your relationship with your SA and boutique manager there. Best of luck and happy spending!!
Well said!
I want to add where you spend matters as well. Boutiques are loyal to you if you are loyal them.
My SA told me the boutique knows who are travelers (VCA"s term for those who buy elsewhere), and while they appreciate their business, the boutique also realizes these clients are not always loyal.
This factors into SOs being approved, getting offered new collections first (e.g. the new turquoise butterfly collection), and getting offered the infamous Holiday Pendant (HP). It's why some people who are big spenders did not necessarily get offered the turquoise butterfly or a HP.
I would try to stay loyal to a boutique if possible as the boutique director often calls the shots, not the SA. Getting to know the boutique director also helps, and if you are a regular, the boutique director will reach out to you anyway to say hello.
Another thing to note is that we all have a set "home boutique", which is not always our current boutique or even the first boutique where a purchase was made. Some people have noted that buying from the home boutique is the best way to get approval for more unique SOs, but in the end, I prefer the best shopping experience and perhaps a longer wait time for approval for some SOs.
My
Last fall my SA offered me the 2022 HP and a couple of months ago she suggested a SO item. When I visited the boutique last week she offered me the turquoise butterfly pendant. I didn’t recognize any of this as a sign of a loyal relationship but it makes sense. I bought some of my first pieces from this SA about 2 years ago and have continued to work with her even though a boutique opened up near me. When it opened I told her I planned to continue working with her—this seems to have paid off. I like her very much. She is not pushy, has a good sense of my style, has alerted me to price increases, and has tracked down and/or ordered the items I wanted.
(FYI - I did not opt for the turquoise butterfly pendant. Although it is truly beautiful it is not me. She also showed me a Perlee Couleurs ring in YG with turquoise that was stunning. That’s a definitely possibility in the future.)
Separately, I would like to hear how other members have decided on SO pieces—type of gold, stones, etc. The idea of having something that is uniquely mine appeals to me very much.
Last fall my SA offered me the 2022 HP and a couple of months ago she suggested a SO item. When I visited the boutique last week she offered me the turquoise butterfly pendant. I didn’t recognize any of this as a sign of a loyal relationship but it makes sense. I bought some of my first pieces from this SA about 2 years ago and have continued to work with her even though a boutique opened up near me. When it opened I told her I planned to continue working with her—this seems to have paid off. I like her very much. She is not pushy, has a good sense of my style, has alerted me to price increases, and has tracked down and/or ordered the items I wanted.
(FYI - I did not opt for the turquoise butterfly pendant. Although it is truly beautiful it is not me. She also showed me a Perlee Couleurs ring in YG with turquoise that was stunning. That’s a definitely possibility in the future.)
Separately, I would like to hear how other members have decided on SO pieces—type of gold, stones, etc. The idea of having something that is uniquely mine appeals to me very much.
My SA is like that too. Her letting me know certain pieces are available doesn’t seem like I’m getting special treatment, just her servicing existing clients and she knows their tastes. Whenever WG pieces come up, she will let me know. Any SOs she suggests are based on my preferences. I do look to her as an advisor and as someone who has had a lot of feedback from other VCA lovers and what worked for them. I think that is a benefit to me. I don’t think VCA withholds to gatekeep. Not my experience anyway.
Hello! I am about to hit my spend mark! Which my SA told me in which I can likely put in an SO. I know there is a 10 motif YG pave necklace, but would a RG version be possible? As VCA already have RG single pave vintage motifs? Also maybe an alternating RG guilloche and pave vintage 10 motif necklace like this one? I just dont want to ask for something that is not allowable to begin with. 
You never know. Just ask for it if your SA will do it for you. I’ve asked for stuff that has never been done and it happened. And stuff that has been done but I got rejected. Throw it out there and see what sticks.
I had a similar experience as well, I was offered the beautiful turquoise butterfly pendant without knowing that she was showing me because I was loyal client. I didn't think of it at the time but I recall the piece came from the back and was not on display. I was offered another item (not on display) on another visit which is not readily available and hard to find and didn't clue in that she considered me as a loyal client. Actually, it isn't hard being a loyal client as there are so many things on my wishlist! Lol.
I went a little nuts in 2021 and 2022 and bought a few items and want to wear and enjoy them before deciding on my next piece. VCA is very addicting!
Ha! We are twins of different mothers! I made some key purchases in 2021 and 2022–mostly Alhambra—and have branched out to Perlee and Frivole. I need to refrain from new purchases because I am going to be in Paris in the Fall and hope to pick up something unique there. You are spot on about wearing what you have and enjoying them. I’ve been trying to do that more lately. I always get compliments whenever I do.