VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[eternallove4bag]

Hi ladies,

just received my RG Frivole pave pendant ❤ , my sister got the pink sapphire one! The Frivole Pave earrings were always on my list.
Do I really need to match the pendant? I’m used to wearing diamond studs in white gold and really need help deciding if I should do earrings in RG and be matchy matchy or go for WG?

My style is very casual, I wear VA RG sweet motif necklace doubled everyday with my new Frivole pave pendant. I wear VA YG five motif and alternate with onyx or MOP. I also have Cartier love bracelets in YG and RG. I don’t wear my Cartier much anymore as I don’t like the hassle of removing!

my question is: if you don’t care about being matchy matchy which metal would you go for? WG or RG ? and based on my daily wear of RG pieces, is it too much of a clash?
TIA and thank you for letting me share

RG please! Even though I like RG and WG paired together but that’s only bracelets and rings for me. Congrats on your beautiful pendant!

 

[eternallove4bag]

Hi!
I am new to this subforum and need some help to decide on my first VCA piece.
I tried some bracelets but will probably get some earings to pair with! So I am trying to find the best option.
I know it is a matter of taste but would love to get your comments as you are knowledgeable. Thanks a lot!

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I would do either white mop or the guilloche in a heart beat for you! Both really go so well with your current stack!

 

[BigAkoya]

Hi!
I am new to this subforum and need some help to decide on my first VCA piece.
I tried some bracelets but will probably get some earings to pair with! So I am trying to find the best option.
I know it is a matter of taste but would love to get your comments as you are knowledgeable. Thanks a lot!

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Hi! I like the MOP and the oynx, but not the guilloche.
For me, I would get the MOP. The MOP pops against your skin, and it would look great with earrings or a necklace if you decide to get another piece in the future. But more importantly, I think the MOP softens the look of your stack.

Your stack is very architectural, and the lines are stiff and hard edged (eg. Love, JUC).
I think the MOP adds a nice elegant touch to your stack and the MOP softens it a bit, giving it a nice feminine touch.

I think oynx is very pretty, but when I look at your stack with all that YG metal, I feel oynx makes it looks harsh and "angry". If you want a harsh look, this is it, and I would get the oynx. If you want to soften it up a bit, I would get MOP.

Finally, I do not like guilloche with the stack at all. All I see is a bunch of metal bracelets, so the eye is bored. The eye does not bother to "pause" and check out the wrist and look at each piece individually. It's just a bunch of gold metal. I hope that made sense.

This is just my opinion of course to share my thoughts with you. I know everyone is different. It's more about the "look" you want to create as everyone has a look. All these pieces are classics, and all VCA is lovely.

I vote MOP! I hope this helps in your decision. Congrats on your soon to be first VCA!

 

[Chanelandco]

Absolutely, will be very pretty on you and also try it in the magic size… you might love it more than regular

Thanks a lot beautiful brune !

 

[Chanelandco]

Hi! I like the MOP and the oynx, but not the guilloche.
For me, I would get the MOP. The MOP pops against your skin, and it would look great with earrings or a necklace if you decide to get another piece in the future. But more importantly, I think the MOP softens the look of your stack.

Your stack is very architectural, and the lines are stiff and hard edged (eg. Love, JUC).
I think the MOP adds a nice elegant touch to your stack and the MOP softens it a bit, giving it a nice feminine touch.

I think oynx is very pretty, but when I look at your stack with all that YG metal, I feel oynx makes it looks harsh and "angry". If you want a harsh look, this is it, and I would get the oynx. If you want to soften it up a bit, I would get MOP.

Finally, I do not like guilloche with the stack at all. All I see is a bunch of metal bracelets, so the eye is bored. The eye does not bother to "pause" and check out the wrist and look at each piece individually. It's just a bunch of gold metal. I hope that made sense.

This is just my opinion of course to share my thoughts with you. I know everyone is different. It's more about the "look" you want to create as everyone has a look. All these pieces are classics, and all VCA is lovely.

I vote MOP! I hope this helps in your decision. Congrats on your soon to be first VCA!

Thank you for this detailed analysis that makes total sense .
I agree, the guilloche, even beautiful, is just another metal added, while the mob and onyx bring something different.
I smiled when you said the onyx makes it look angry.
I did not have that feeling but on opposite I wonder if the MOP is too romantic!
So I get what you mean.
I will have to go back and try the mop and onx earings in order to decide what will be more wearable for my daily use.
Thanks again

 

[BigAkoya]

Thank you for this detailed analysis that makes total sense .
I agree, the guilloche, even beautiful, is just another metal added, while the mob and onyx bring something different.
I smiled when you said the onyx makes it look angry.
I did not have that feeling but on opposite I wonder if the MOP is too romantic!
So I get what you mean.
I will have to go back and try the mop and onx earings in order to decide what will be more wearable for my daily use.
Thanks again

When you try them on again, if I may suggest, ask the SA to bring in the earrings and necklace.
I am actually deciding on a WG oynx set (I already have a MOP set). I love oynx as it is so bold. However, I have not ordered it yet as I feel it may be too much oynx against my face and look harsh and angry! I like bold & feminine, but I do not like bold & harsh-rocker. And this is coming from a person who used to dress in head-to-toe black. It was a harsh look, but it was my look back then. Just FYI as I wanted to share thoughts. If you think MOP is too romantic (e.g. wimpy), I'd go for oynx. I do think MOP goes with everything though and brightens things up.

I think both look great on you, and each conveys a different look. It's more about the vibe you want to project. I do think you will know once you try other pieces in the same stone (e.g. earrings, necklace).

Keep us posted! We're an excitable bunch here on this forum and love to see everyone's new pieces!
Good luck!

 

[innerpeace85]

Hi! I like the MOP and the oynx, but not the guilloche.
For me, I would get the MOP. The MOP pops against your skin, and it would look great with earrings or a necklace if you decide to get another piece in the future. But more importantly, I think the MOP softens the look of your stack.

Your stack is very architectural, and the lines are stiff and hard edged (eg. Love, JUC).
I think the MOP adds a nice elegant touch to your stack and the MOP softens it a bit, giving it a nice feminine touch.

I think oynx is very pretty, but when I look at your stack with all that YG metal, I feel oynx makes it looks harsh and "angry". If you want a harsh look, this is it, and I would get the oynx. If you want to soften it up a bit, I would get MOP.

Finally, I do not like guilloche with the stack at all. All I see is a bunch of metal bracelets, so the eye is bored. The eye does not bother to "pause" and check out the wrist and look at each piece individually. It's just a bunch of gold metal. I hope that made sense.

This is just my opinion of course to share my thoughts with you. I know everyone is different. It's more about the "look" you want to create as everyone has a look. All these pieces are classics, and all VCA is lovely.

I vote MOP! I hope this helps in your decision. Congrats on your soon to be first VCA!

When you try them on again, if I may suggest, ask the SA to bring in the earrings and necklace.
I am actually deciding on a WG oynx set (I already have a MOP set). I love oynx as it is so bold. However, I have not ordered it yet as I feel it may be too much oynx against my face and look harsh and angry! I like bold & feminine, but I do not like bold & harsh-rocker. And this is coming from a person who used to dress in head-to-toe black. It was a harsh look, but it was my look back then. Just FYI as I wanted to share thoughts. If you think MOP is too romantic (e.g. wimpy), I'd go for oynx. I do think MOP goes with everything though and brightens things up.

I think both look great on you, and each conveys a different look. It's more about the vibe you want to project. I do think you will know once you try other pieces in the same stone (e.g. earrings, necklace).

Keep us posted! We're an excitable bunch here on this forum and love to see everyone's new pieces!
Good luck!

I know what you mean by onyx being "angry". I have had my 5 motif onyx YG bracelet for 4 years now . I like atleast 2 pieces in the same stone to form a set and I have been trying to find something to go with the bracelet for a long time. I have tried vintage and magic earrings onyx, 10 motif and magic necklace onyx. It all ends up looking edgier than I am comfortable with and sometimes harsh as well. Maybe its time for me to give up on onyx and mix it with other pieces in my collection or even consider selling the 5 motif onyx.
I want a darker stone in Alhambra line and I am considering GMOP. I am planning to try both the magic pendant and 5 motif as a set before getting it to avoid the same mistake as onyx. Did you look into GMOP?

 

[innerpeace85]

Thank you for this detailed analysis that makes total sense .
I agree, the guilloche, even beautiful, is just another metal added, while the mob and onyx bring something different.
I smiled when you said the onyx makes it look angry.
I did not have that feeling but on opposite I wonder if the MOP is too romantic!
So I get what you mean.
I will have to go back and try the mop and onx earings in order to decide what will be more wearable for my daily use.
Thanks again

What about GMOP? I am thinking about getting this myself and I feel it might be a good compromise between MOP and onyx.

 

[BigAkoya]

I know what you mean by onyx being "angry". I have had my 5 motif onyx YG bracelet for 4 years now . I like atleast 2 pieces in the same stone to form a set and I have been trying to find something to go with the bracelet for a long time. I have tried vintage and magic earrings onyx, 10 motif and magic necklace onyx. It all ends up looking edgier than I am comfortable with and sometimes harsh as well. Maybe its time for me to give up on onyx and mix it with other pieces in my collection or even consider selling the 5 motif onyx.
I want a darker stone in Alhambra line and I am considering GMOP. I am planning to try both the magic pendant and 5 motif as a set before getting it to avoid the same mistake as onyx. Did you look into GMOP?

OMG! This is EXACTLY my dilemma. I like sets too, and I like sets of 3 (20 motif, VA earrings, 5 motif bracelet). I am also trying to buy a dark stone set as my next set.

My look is casual elegant feminine. I do not want to look edgey (e.g. rocker chic, harsh). I want to look bold, but feminine. And I hate to say this, but people often talk of look "edgey" like it's a cool thing to look edgey. For me, it's a big no.... edgey = harsh to me. It is elegant feminine for me all the way now. I already went through the harsh edgey phase. For jewelry, I'm all about pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies. No big gold chains or spikey edged pieces for me.

Add to that, I'm no spring chicken, but I am not old. However, I think oynx sometimes look aging. I tried on the 5 motif oynx bracelet and have also seen mod shots online. A few times, I thought... hmm... that makes the hand look harsh and old. The piece I love the most is the 20 motif, but not so much the oynx earrings nor the bracelet.

I love the oynx stone for how bold it is, but I don't seem to love the look and vibe. When I have tried on other pieces, in 10 seconds, I will say to my SA "okay, love it, I'll take it". I can't seem to say that with oynx. My new plan for a 3 piece set (from ideas from other TPFers in another thread) is the oynx pave alternating bracelet, VA pave earrings, and the 20 motif oynx. It's not a perfect matchy matchy set to me, but it's a compromise.

Yes, I just looked at GMOP three weeks ago as my plan B! The difference I see in GMOP vs oynx...
Oynx is dark and bold which I love. But to me, it is also harsh, an angry stone. GMOP is a dark stone, but it has a softer elegance, more refined. It is definitely not as bold, but it is still striking, think Tahitian Black Pearls.

So, that's my dilemma and why I have not ordered my oynx set.
What do you think of GMOP? I would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Jinsun]

Ladies. I’m trying to order the two motif frivole btf ring. I received ring sizers today and I am an 8 (middle) and 8.5 (index). I plan to wear it on both fingers and thinking I should ask for an 8.

Is the ring tts or have anyone sized down? Thanks

 

[EpiFanatic]

just received my RG pave pendant and as you know our SA found a pink sapphire one for my sister! Now trying to decide on which Frivole Pave earrings to get… WG or RG ?
Btw when deciding the Largest size was too flashy and really wanted a piece to wear on the daily so at least we can justify the price! It’s a very light piece but so much sparkle
what do you think ? Thank you for the picture

Ok so I’m NOT a matchy-matchy person at all. BUT……… since you are wwwring all those pieces close to your face and the same general area I would prefer matching earrings to you pendant. To me, the RG pave pendant is clearly rose gold and the whole pendant has a soft rose hue. The WG pave frivole earrings are distinctly a different color and feel. If you like that specifically then do you. But I would prefer to match in this instance. If you were considering a bracelet in YG for example you could get away with WF pave earrings. But pendant and earrings which people would notice all In The same glance requires matching for me.

 

[BigAkoya]

Ladies. I’m trying to order the two motif frivole btf ring. I received ring sizers today and I am an 8 (middle) and 8.5 (index). I plan to wear it on both fingers and thinking I should ask for an 8.

Is the ring tts or have anyone sized down? Thanks

Frivole BTF runs large to me. I had to size down for my Frivole BTF. The reason is the Frivole BTF is an open ring, meaning, there is an opening at the top. It is not a closed circle like a typically ring. This means you will have a bit more space for your fingers and for me, I needed to size down.

For comparison, the Lotus ring, while it has a swing out mechanism, the ring itself is a closed circle. There is no opening at the top. For the Lotus ring, I purchased my true size.

Speaking of size, I am an American size 6.5, which translates to a French size 53. For Frivole, I purchased a 52, and for Lotus, I purchased a 53.

By the way, the size 52 Frivole was a bit loose on me, and some ladies would probably have purchased the 51. I decided to go with the looser fit as I prefer my rings on the loose side (hate the tight ring sausage finger look). I would get the size that fits the biggest finger you plan to wear it on. These rings are not resizeable, at least VCA will not resize.

Can you order both rings and try them on? Frivole is tricky in sizing to me. I purchased the size 52. When I took it home, it was a bit loose, so I second guessed myself. I then called my SA to send me the size 51, tried both at home and kept my original size. It felt great though to have that peace of mind. My fingers vary a lot, so I was really glad I tried on both sizes. The slight snug fit I thought I could live with turned a super tight after I had a big salty meal! I sent the smaller one back!

Congrats to you! I love love love the Frivole pave BTF. It is m favorite of all VCA rings. I am sure you will love it too!

 

[Jinsun]

Frivole BTF runs large to me. I had to size down for my Frivole BTF. The reason is the Frivole BTF is an open ring, meaning, there is an opening at the top. It is not a closed circle like a typically ring. This means you will have a bit more space for your fingers and for me, I needed to size down.

For comparison, the Lotus ring, while it has a swing out mechanism, the ring itself is a closed circle. There is no opening at the top. For the Lotus ring, I purchased my true size.

Speaking of size, I am an American size 6.5, which translates to a French size 53. For Frivole, I purchased a 52, and for Lotus, I purchased a 53.

By the way, the size 52 Frivole was a bit loose on me, and some ladies would probably have purchased the 51. I decided to go with the looser fit as I prefer my rings on the loose side (hate the tight ring sausage finger look). I would get the size that fits the biggest finger you plan to wear it on. These rings are not resizeable, at least VCA will not resize.

Can you order both rings and try them on? Frivole is tricky in sizing to me. I purchased the size 52. When I took it home, it was a bit loose, so I second guessed myself. I then called my SA to send me the size 51, tried both at home and kept my original size. It felt great though to have that peace of mind. My fingers vary a lot, so I was really glad I tried on both sizes. The slight snug fit I thought I could live with turned a super tight after I had a big salty meal! I sent the smaller one back!

Congrats to you! I love love love the Frivole pave BTF. It is m favorite of all VCA rings. I am sure you will love it too!

Thank you for replying. I wish I could try it on but no boutique near me. I did get a chance to try it on once on vacay but it was a way smaller size .

I went up a whole ring size on all my fingers recently. I am starting to notice my fingers swelling due to age.

I am aware of the open gap on the btf rings but the frivole ring seems to have less of it. So I was hoping it was tts so I wouldn’t stress about whwould correctly fit. It’s been awhile so I can’t quite remember what it looked like from the underside of the flower. I will dbl check on the website.

I will have to order it as my SA only has a 52 in stock. I hope it doesn’t take too long. It’s been on my wishlist for quite some time and I think I hesitated due to the fact that I have short stubby fingers .

I wish I could order the pave, but it will be the YG version.

 

[innerpeace85]

OMG! This is EXACTLY my dilemma. I like sets too, and I like sets of 3 (20 motif, VA earrings, 5 motif bracelet). I am also trying to buy a dark stone set as my next set.

My look is casual elegant feminine. I do not want to look edgey (e.g. rocker chic, harsh). I want to look bold, but feminine. And I hate to say this, but people often talk of look "edgey" like it's a cool thing to look edgey. For me, it's a big no.... edgey = harsh to me. It is elegant feminine for me all the way now. I already went through the harsh edgey phase. For jewelry, I'm all about pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies. No big gold chains or spikey edged pieces for me.

Add to that, I'm no spring chicken, but I am not old. However, I think oynx sometimes look aging. I tried on the 5 motif oynx bracelet and have also seen mod shots online. A few times, I thought... hmm... that makes the hand look harsh and old. The piece I love the most is the 20 motif, but not so much the oynx earrings nor the bracelet.

I love the oynx stone for how bold it is, but I don't seem to love the look and vibe. When I have tried on other pieces, in 10 seconds, I will say to my SA "okay, love it, I'll take it". I can't seem to say that with oynx. My new plan for a 3 piece set (from ideas from other TPFers in another thread) is the oynx pave alternating bracelet, VA pave earrings, and the 20 motif oynx. It's not a perfect matchy matchy set to me, but it's a compromise.

Yes, I just looked at GMOP three weeks ago as my plan B! The difference I see in GMOP vs oynx...
Oynx is dark and bold which I love. But to me, it is also harsh, an angry stone. GMOP is a dark stone, but it has a softer elegance, more refined. It is definitely not as bold, but it is still striking, think Tahitian Black Pearls.

So, that's my dilemma and why I have not ordered my oynx set.
What do you think of GMOP? I would love to hear your thoughts!

I prefer simple looks(Tshirts/button downs/denim) with feminine pieces in jewelry. The maximum edgey I can go is Cartier JUC and leather jacket I don't think edgey equates to harsh but it just doesn't suit me personally.

I don't find onyx aging but I don't know if I will like onyx in the long run. Like you my least favorite onyx piece on me is onyx earrings. It just doesn't look right!

I absolutely love stones with character(iridescence/striations) like WMOP, TE and Malachite and I am very drawn to GMOP. I have tan skintone and I feel if the GMOP stones have a lot of iridescence, the darkness of the stone is lost against my skin and it ends up looking like oil slick. I am thinking about getting either 10+5 motif SO or Magic pendant+ alternating pave bracelet combination. I have asked my SA to find a deeper stone for me in magic pendant for me with just flashes of pink/green. I don't have VCA store in my store and it is going to take sometime to find the right stone and style for me.

One of my favorite stones VCA does is Tiger's Eye. However it blends in with my skintone and doesn't look good. If it worked on me, I would have gotten it in all pieces VCA has to offer.

What pieces are you considering in GMOP? Will you be placing SO order soon for GMOP pieces?

 

[BigAkoya]

I prefer simple looks(Tshirts/button downs/denim) with feminine pieces in jewelry. The maximum edgey I can go is Cartier JUC and leather jacket I don't think edgey equates to harsh but it just doesn't suit me personally.

I don't find onyx aging but I don't know if I will like onyx in the long run. Like you my least favorite onyx piece on me is onyx earrings. It just doesn't look right!

I absolutely love stones with character(iridescence/striations) like WMOP, TE and Malachite and I am very drawn to GMOP. I have tan skintone and I feel if the GMOP stones have a lot of iridescence, the darkness of the stone is lost against my skin and it ends up looking like oil slick. I am thinking about getting either 10+5 motif SO or Magic pendant+ alternating pave bracelet combination. I have asked my SA to find a deeper stone for me in magic pendant for me with just flashes of pink/green. I don't have VCA store in my store and it is going to take sometime to find the right stone and style for me.

One of my favorite stones VCA does is Tiger's Eye. However it blends in with my skintone and doesn't look good. If it worked on me, I would have gotten it in all pieces VCA has to offer.

What pieces are you considering in GMOP? Will you be placing SO order soon for GMOP pieces?

I agree with all your points and I'm very similar to you.
For my set, it would be WG20 motif, VA earrings and 5 motif bracelets. It would be a SO, and my SA already gave me the prices. I have not ordered it yet though for all the reasons stated previously.

If I went with GMOP, it would be WG, and the same 3 pieces, so it would be a SO as well. A new thought for me is to get the GMOP 20 motif, but get the VA pave earrings and a GMOP pave alternating bracelet.

As for GMOP, I agree with you on the color. I saw WG with GMOP as part of the 16 motif necklace. The GMOP motifs were very light and did not pop. I worry it will look too close to my white MOP set, and there's no point in that.

Have you tried Tiger's Eye in WG? The WG frames the stones and makes it pop more to me. Here is an example so you can see. I like the contrast personally and have not really liked Tiger's Eye with YG, kind of all blends in to me.