Van Cleef in action!

[Deleted member 626500]

Happy early Birthday! Stay on track girl and get the JUC as planned. I know easier said than done but I would resist going into VCA store at all if that means you will be tempted and obliged to buy something VCA. I was getting this pressure from my Bvlgari SA. I appreciate how sweet she is in informing me of price increases and how I can put a deposit and secure the price etc. but the thing is, tempted as I was initially to add the serpenti bracelet at the thought of a price increase, I am not going to do it! I finally had to tell her firmly that this purchase wasn’t happening this year. Period. I told her if it happens, it will be late in 2023 or 2024. See, it’s the SA’s and SM’s job to get us to buy but ultimately it’s us who have control over our purse strings and I am holding on to mine with a death grip

Best to wait. By the time you have the funds, you may not want it anymore. And so what if there's a price increase? Hopefully by then you'll be in a better financial position and it will be a more comfortable purchase, even with the price increase.
There's no rush to spend money. There's always something to buy.

 

[Deleted member 626500]

It’s super tempting to add a few ‘knick-knacks’ here and there, just for instant gratification or as a ‘pick-me-up’ when I am in a celebratory mood. Like earlier this week, I went into Tiffany and tried on a ring I have been eyeing but it’s not made it to my WL yet. The price was reasonable too. In my head, I was like ‘it’s just 5k, I can take it out of my funds’ and then I had to remind myself that this was an item not even on my WL yet. I had no business even thinking of spending money on it. So I walked out of the store empty handed. Later, I was so thankful because if I had spent the 5k, I would have been 5k short of paying for my ‘Hermes and VCA SOs’ and ‘maybe a chanel mini if I am lucky to find it’ fund … I am a planner and I have to stick to that. The good part is I cannot shop when I am busy or stressed out at work. It’s only when I have idle time to kill, the monster in me comes out… what do they say about - ‘an empty mind is a devil’s workshop’ … so apt for me!

Thank you for sharing. We're so much alike!

 

[glamourbag]

So much love for these Frivole pave earrings and perlee bracelets..they brightened my day on a cold, rainy day
View attachment 5374630

You have the most beautiful collection of H shawls! Gorgeous

 

[Deleted member 626500]

Yes, I am really trying to be good. I have to remind myself that I want these pieces for the long term much more than the “easy”, less expensive ones!



This is me 1000%.

@BigAkoya I went back to London today - by the way, as it happened, I was having a conversation with my friend (a big watch collector) and the owner of London, and I had no idea that not only do they own the VCA and the Cartier there (which I knew), they also own the VCA at Short Hills too. And they are doing some amazing expanding there! A boutique, and watches….lots of great things. I get out there a few times I year so I told C that I would definitely come by and that the Short Hills VCA team is wonderful.

Anyway, I see what you mean about the diamonds in the photo, but in person they look the same as the VCA and Cartier - three of us standing there making sure the diamonds are just as white. I wonder why it doesn’t look so in the photo (I took more):

View attachment 5373990

And of course I tried on the Noeud again too.

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As terrible as my photos are, they do actually look worse when I post them. Uploading must do something to the compression. They even look better before I upload them.

A zillion years ago my mom and I were in a jewelry store in Florence. I knew exactly what I wanted. I tried two items and chose one. My mom asked if I was buying "what I wanted or what I could afford." I had chosen what I could afford; I wanted the immediate gratification. It's an important distinction and one I remind myself of all the time.

My lovely mother knew how badly I wanted the other piece and offered to loan me the money so I could buy what I wanted. I still have it. I still love it. I still wear it. And if I was back in Florence today, I would choose exactly the same thing.

Stay strong!

 

[Deleted member 626500]

The Neoud is gorgeous. You don’t that pink sapphire bracelet. For me, I would skip. What you have without the pink sapphire bracelet looks great.

And yes to Neoud! It looks gorgeous!

Agreed-110%

 

[etoupebirkin]

The Neoud is gorgeous. You don’t that pink sapphire bracelet. For me, I would skip. What you have without the pink sapphire bracelet looks great.

And yes to Neoud! It looks gorgeous!

I also agree with @BigAkoya and @Happyish. There are far better pink sapphire bracelets out there, if you want them. BUT, I think you will be far better served by putting the $ towards the Noeud or your special orders.

 

[LucyMadrid]

Sorry, I made a mistake. It was for another thread.

 

[LucyMadrid]

I love this watch model in white and rose gold and I am thinking about the third one in yellow gold to complete the set.

 

[eternallove4bag]

THIS!! We all feel the pressure of the price increase tactics from our SA and whether or not we are ready to buy at that time is up to us. Unfortunately for me, I believe there will be a price increase for Cartier before August which stinks but at the same time, as money savvy as I may seem, I am the type that will spend more for the in-store experience. I love my Cartier SA and enjoy the purchase experience she offers in store and will pay more for that. There’s just always something special about in-store purchases that’s always meaned a lot to me. What fun is it to open a box at home?? No judgment for those who do, but it does nothing for me. I must keep my eye on the prize though! Maybe 2023 will bring more VCA to my collection, that is if the Clash doesn’t derail my plan lol! And good for you for holding out! It feels like a total accomplishment when we stick to our plans and won’t let anything get in the way of that! But the serpenti bracelet is stunning. I will wait for that reveal

Thank you. Yes, commit to VCA pieces when you are ready. They are not going away anywhere. That’s what I remind myself often. BTW the JUC and the clash look stunning together. I have the JUC with diamonds on the head and I have often dabbled with the idea of adding the clash but I am still not convinced I need it in my collection. It might be too redundant with my perlee bracelets.

You look stunning as always. I thought of you today. I tried on the Cosmos RG MOP and diamond BTF ring. All they had was this one and the WG all diamond BTF ring. I wanted to see the look as I would have to do a SO for oynx diamond version.

The RG MOP and diamond BTF ring was stunning! Cosmos is very different than Frivole which is not a true BTF. Cosmos is a true BTF, and it looks like two flowers floating on your hand. It's not as diamond blingy as Frivole, but it's a bolder statement ring. I'm not sure if you already tried it on and did not like it. If you have not tried it on, it's worth taking a look. I think it would go great with your Perlee bangles.

Every time I see RG, I think of you!

Aww thank you … yes, I have tried the cosmos before. I will try and find a picture of it. Somehow it didn’t look that good on me plus since I already have white mop and pave butterfly BTF it would drive me nuts to have two white mop rings. I agree that cosmos and Frivole BTF rings are completely different looks. The Frivole BTF is more like over the finger ring while the cosmos is definitely a true BTF ring. I wish VCA would come out with more BTF rings rather than doing the same thing in different stones like the butterfly BTF ring.

Everything--perfection!

Thank you so much

Best to wait. By the time you have the funds, you may not want it anymore. And so what if there's a price increase? Hopefully by then you'll be in a better financial position and it will be a more comfortable purchase, even with the price increase.
There's no rush to spend money. There's always something to buy.

I agree 100%. I am beyond these prices increases now. I refuse to decide with a gun to my head. I prioritize my purchases and have timelines to get them. Unless I fall in love with the time so madly that I cannot live without it for a second (never happened ), I am going to stick to my plan even if it takes me a few years to get to it.

Thank you for sharing. We're so much alike!

Yay! Rationalizing always helps me put things in perspective

You have the most beautiful collection of H shawls! Gorgeous

Thank you …shawls are what got me into Hermes and shawls are what I will keep buying from them long after I stop buying their bags

I love this watch model in white and rose gold and I am thinking about the third one in yellow gold to complete the set.

View attachment 5374748

I find these watches to be so pretty!

 

[Deleted member 626500]

I love this watch model in white and rose gold and I am thinking about the third one in yellow gold to complete the set.

View attachment 5374748

They are beautiful, but just a thought. I know from experience that when I buy things in multiples (the same pant or sweater in black and navy), multiples of the same shirt . . . when I get tired of one, I'm tired of them all . . .
What happens if you look at these one day and decide you've had your fun and now it's time for something else? It's a lot of money to put into one look.

Perhaps fill in with a yellow gold in a different style such as the Alhambra bracelet watch, or pendant guilloche? That way it will feel new, and these will feel different and just as special.

 

[Belle-brune]

Agree with bigakoya, Neoud is stunning! I would always stay on my wishlist rather than spend my budget on other pieces especially if not designer!

Also, my SA told me since the war is affecting so many things. Russian diamonds are going up in price and will eventually affect the diamond market in general. If you are thinking of any VCA Diamond pieces, now is the time as an increase is happening soon! I did ask if VCA uses Russian diamonds and the answer was no but as it is traded it will affect the increase!

 

[Belle-brune]

Thank you!!! I think the bracelet is very pretty, but Im sure you are right.

I will add, though, that I don’t love the Perlee and the Love next to each other. The Love is amazing but weird for stacking. I could get that single perlee beads, but in my mind it’s rather expensive for a “barrier” bracelet.

Agree with bigakoya, Neoud is stunning! I would always stay on my wishlist rather than spend my budget on other pieces especially if not designer!
Also, my SA told me since the war is affecting so many things. Russian diamonds are going up in price and will eventually affect the diamond market in general. If you are thinking of any VCA Diamond pieces, now is the time as an increase is happening soon! I did ask if VCA uses Russian diamonds and the answer was no but as it is traded it will affect the increase!

 

[LucyMadrid]

They are beautiful, but just a thought. I know from experience that when I buy things in multiples (the same pant or sweater in black and navy), multiples of the same shirt . . . when I get tired of one, I'm tired of them all . . .
What happens if you look at these one day and decide you've had your fun and now it's time for something else? It's a lot of money to put into one look.

Perhaps fill in with a yellow gold in a different style such as the Alhambra bracelet watch, or pendant guilloche? That way it will feel new, and these will feel different and just as special.

I don't think I will be tired of these watches, they are dainty and elegant and if I would, I could easily resell them. On the other hand, I've got other watches, only that I adore these! Thank you for your advice.

 

[Notorious Pink]

Agreed-110%

I also agree with @BigAkoya and @Happyish. There are far better pink sapphire bracelets out there, if you want them. BUT, I think you will be far better served by putting the $ towards the Noeud or your special orders.

Agree with bigakoya, Neoud is stunning! I would always stay on my wishlist rather than spend my budget on other pieces especially if not designer!
Also, my SA told me since the war is affecting so many things. Russian diamonds are going up in price and will eventually affect the diamond market in general. If you are thinking of any VCA Diamond pieces, now is the time as an increase is happening soon! I did ask if VCA uses Russian diamonds and the answer was no but as it is traded it will affect the increase!

Thank you so much, ladies!
I am not going to get the bracelet. @etoupebirkin you know me so well I am not always so great at staying focused. I am going to get the first SO this month, and for the rest of the year the following two SOs. I finally got the prices for them and they are not terrible.

I will try my best not to get many more clothes this year (there is a dress I just purchased at Lafayette 148 which will be on heavy rotation once it is finished being tailored, and one or two other pieces I may add which are definitely “for life”. I am desperately trying not to look anything else…Michael Kors pink everything??!?) My husband buys the H bags, so that’s not an issue, and for the rest of Hermès, consciously or not I tend to be approximately one-in-one-out so it’s about even if I get any more scarves or anything from there. And I do NOT need shoes!

 

[Deleted member 626500]

Thank you so much, ladies!
I am not going to get the bracelet. @etoupebirkin you know me so well I am not always so great at staying focused. I am going to get the first SO this month, and for the rest of the year the following two SOs. I finally got the prices for them and they are not terrible.

I will try my best not to get many more clothes this year (there is a dress I just purchased at Lafayette 148 which will be on heavy rotation once it is finished being tailored, and one or two other pieces I may add which are definitely “for life”. I am desperately trying not to look anything else…Michael Kors pink everything??!?) My husband buys the H bags, so that’s not an issue, and for the rest of Hermès, consciously or not I tend to be approximately one-in-one-out so it’s about even if I get any more scarves or anything from there. And I do NOT need shoes!

Excellent! But there's the need vs. want. Do we NEED anything we write about on this thread? It's still an itch you want to scratch.

When I "needed," to buy something, I would head to Williams-Sonoma rather than Barney's and buy a pot instead of a pair of shoes. I now have a wonderful assortment of pots and pans. Then there was the treadmill or the bicycle (neither of which worked particularly well), or indulging in a nice lunch. Anything to break that cycle.

When I was just starting out in my practice, I bought a wonderful YG necklace from Tiffany's. At the time (I don't know if they do this anymore) if you paid within ten-months it was interest-free. I stopped going out to lunch. And yes, I missed lunch with my colleagues but I got my work done faster, I was able to go home about an hour-and-a-half earlier and the money I saved paid for the necklace. I never missed those lunches--they were so interruptive of the work-day anyway.

So think strategy! If you waiver, write! That's what we're here for.