VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[BigAkoya]

Okay, I am glad I asked you! My wrists are about 6", so close to yours. I agree that I want this style bracelet to dangle a little, but the 7.5" is just too big! I can slip it on and off with it clasped. I guess that's an advantage, but on the other hand (haha!), I just think they are too big. The thing that has held me back on removing 2 links is that then the lengths won't be the same between all motifs. Obviously that must not bother you, so I may consider doing that. I just wish they made them a standard 7" and then some of us wouldn't have to size them!

I think I asked my SA specifically about the wg mop Magic pendant first, but from what she said, I had the impression they were out of all wg mop. But I will ask again, because I could get the bracelet for Christmas if they do have those. WG mop truly is a beautiful combination! Thanks!

Oooh oooh oooh! I hope your SA can get you one! We will be twins! In both MOP and bracelet size.
Yes, if it's rolling off your wrist, two links removed will be a perfect fit... still loose but not falling so far down your wrist.
Send it in now before the Christmas rush! All the ladies will be going bonkers sending in their new pieces to resize.

 

[cmadtmifyb0623]

On the bracelet, I just text my SA three weeks ago, and he got me one the same day. Maybe check again? Not sure how recently you asked, but maybe a new shipment came in.

I removed two links. Full size is a bit too big on me. Most people wear it tighter on this forum, so my true size according to the norm on this forum would be to be remove four links. The photo makes the bracelet look tight as it's hanging on my wrist, but there is a lot of space especially when my arms at down. My SA originally said if I want a more fitted look, take out four links. I tried on those tester bracelets, and I prefer a looser look, so I only removed two links. My SA was actually worried I would think it's still too loose, but I told him I love it. The bracelet is still loose and has movement. I do not like tight bracelets. Plus, I can put the bracelet on and off myself very easily.

I think my wrists are 5 3/4" at it's smallest. I'm on the road now and won't fly home until Sunday, but I will measure for you to be exact, but I recall my wrist is 5 3/4." I really love the way it fits. For me, full length at 7.5" was a tad large. especially when my arms were down. The bracelet hung a bit too low for me. Two links off is perfect for me.
As FYI, my SA said full length is 7.5" and two links removed is 7." My SA also said most people do size down. If you feel it's a bit loose now, I am sure you will love it with two links removed. It will fit better, especially if you wear two together

As FYI, it did not take long to service. The bracelet only took 1.5 weeks to shorten. VCA seems to be picking up the pace on their servicing. My Lotus earrings took 8 weeks to adjust when I first purchased them. They were still not right. I wanted the clips loosened an additional 1mm, so I sent it back. The second time, it only took two weeks to adjust. Wow!

Maybe check with your SA again on the WG MOP bracelet, and tell her you want to buy one. I'm not sure how long ago you asked her, but I text my on Sep 28, and he got one that same day.

I am sure your SA can find the WG MOP... maybe stock just came back since you asked.
The bracelet will go great with your other bracelets to mix and match. Or, if you like the two exact bracelet look, get two WG MOPs.
I really love WG MOP; can't get enough of it. I think you will love it too.

Hello BigAkoya,

Do you know how many links would need to be removed if I want the bracelet to measure 6.75”? Or since 4 links removed seems to be a popular choice, what does the bracelet measure at that length would you know?

 

[mgoch]

I adore both of those sweet bracelets. My sister has the sweet butterfly, never removes it and it looks spectacular still after years. I wore my RG sweet heart alone, never took it off, for years, then added a couple of other similar size heart bracelets for a while (including a chopard one that is ) until I finally got the RG love bracelet I always wanted a few months ago. I wear them together often but do think that the sweet heart bracelet is a little bit too petite with my love bracelet and usually just prefer to wear my love alone, or with a more substantial bracelet, like my lucky motif one.

View attachment 5228727

Thank you so much for your reply! I see what you’re saying but I think they look cool together!!! Love!!

 

[BigAkoya]

Hello BigAkoya,

Do you know how many links would need to be removed if I want the bracelet to measure 6.75”? Or since 4 links removed seems to be a popular choice, what does the bracelet measure at that length would you know?

Hi! Yes, here is what my SA told me:

Full length - 7.5”
2 links out - 7”
4 links out - 6.5”
6 links out - 6”
8 links out - 5 3/4”

4 links out is snug for me. A big downside to me it is hard to put on by yourself, and I take off all my bling before I go to bed. If you want 6.75”, for me, I would take two links out. All preference of course, and it depends on the size of your wrist and if you want to stack side by side with little movement.
A typical bracelet is 7”
I would choose your best length for your tightness preference.

Hope this helps.

 

[DS2006]

Do you know how many links would need to be removed if I want the bracelet to measure 6.75”? Or since 4 links removed seems to be a popular choice, what does the bracelet measure at that length would you know?

There seems to be more than one set of measurements around. My SA told me recently that 4 links out is 6.75". There is also a thread where people show bracelets that have been shortened and give the measurements.

Length of VA bracelet with links removed

Has anyone had one link (double-link) removed between the 5 motifs, so a total of 4 removed? I wouldn't mind my motifs being closer, but I don't want the bracelet too short, either. I normally wear standard 7" bracelets, but the VA is more like 7.5" I'd love to know what the total length is...

forum.purseblog.com

 

[prettychic]

Thanks, I am going to ask my SA to now add back links. My question is I had 8 links removed and my wrist is measuring just like Big Akoya at 5 3/4 ", the bracelet fits just so with little if any wiggle room and hard to put on. The question I have is if I have it changed to only removing 4 links, the distance between the motifs will be unequal so do you think I should add the four links adjacent to the clasp (closure), because that way the motif themselves will still be equivalent and have the same closer distances than the original bracelet with no links removed. Big Akoya I can't thank you enough for helping all of us here with your pearls of wisdom and practical advice/opinions.

 

[DS2006]

Thanks, I am going to ask my SA to now add back links. My question is I had 8 links removed and my wrist is measuring just like Big Akoya at 5 3/4 ", the bracelet fits just so with little if any wiggle room and hard to put on. The question I have is if I have it changed to only removing 4 links, the distance between the motifs will be unequal so do you think I should add the four links adjacent to the clasp (closure), because that way the motif themselves will still be equivalent and have the same closer distances than the original bracelet with no links removed. Big Akoya I can't thank you enough for helping all of us here with your pearls of wisdom and practical advice/opinions.

When you say you had 8 links removed, are you saying 8 double links? Because that would be a tight fit on a 5 3/4" wrist. If you have a link added back between each motif, that will equal 4 links removed, and the distance between motifs will be exactly the same. There are four chain segments between the 5 motifs.

 

[hers4eva]

Sweet Alhambra ring - VCARO85800 - Van Cleef & Arpels

Sweet Alhambra ring, rhodium plated 18K white gold, round diamonds; diamond quality DEF, IF to VVS.

www.vancleefarpels.com

Does anyone own this sweet alhambra ring?
I am guessing it is way more beautiful in person than these pictures?

Any pictures and/or feedback on this ring would be so helpful.

I thought it would be the perfect pinkie ring?

Thanks so much

edit: does anyone have this in earrings, necklace or bracelet if you don’t have this ring?

 

[BigAkoya]

Thanks, I am going to ask my SA to now add back links. My question is I had 8 links removed and my wrist is measuring just like Big Akoya at 5 3/4 ", the bracelet fits just so with little if any wiggle room and hard to put on. The question I have is if I have it changed to only removing 4 links, the distance between the motifs will be unequal so do you think I should add the four links adjacent to the clasp (closure), because that way the motif themselves will still be equivalent and have the same closer distances than the original bracelet with no links removed. Big Akoya I can't thank you enough for helping all of us here with your pearls of wisdom and practical advice/opinions.

Hi, if your wrist is 5 3/4" like mine, 8 links out is super tight to me. Plus, for me, there would be no way I could put it on by myself which would reduce the enjoyment of my bracelets. On adding some links back, VCA does not give you a choice where you want them. They have their guidelines, so you cannot have all links added near the the clasp.

Plus, if you add all the links near the clasp, you will now have a weight distribution problem.
Links are light and motifs are heavy. The motifs will be heavy, so they will naturally rotate to the underside of your wrist. This means you have the potential of all those extra links and clasp flipped to the top because they are lighter than all those motifs. It is similar to wearing a Sweet bracelet with just one motif. Because of the weight distribution, the sweet motif moves to the underside of the wrist (unless you wear it super tight). You can't assume your arm will stay still as what you see in the mod shots. Mod shots are not real life. In real life, we move, and weight distribution matters a lot. It's similar to when you see people wear these really dainty chains with a tiny pendant. The pendant does not have enough weight, so the necklace ends up just "laying" on the neck as there is no weight to help it "hang" on the neck. Then you see the person fidget with that pendant constantly and keep pulling it down to make it look pretty. The Tiffany DBTY necklace is a perfect example when worn in real life (again, not seen in a mod shot where the person already pulled it down for the photo). I'm not saying this always happens, as everyone is built differently, but it is a common issue.

I would have VCA add them back using their standards. VCA has a certain way of adding and removing links based on what they see is aesthetically pleasing along with weight balance. They are the experts, and I would allow them to decide.

I am glad this was helpful. I took some mod shots of how loose my bracelet is with two links removed. Sorry for the bad photos, as I am really horrible at photos. This is also in a hotel and lighting is bad too, but you can get an idea of the looseness, which is the purpose here, even if the photo is not perfect. You can see how loose my bracelet with two links out; it is not tight at all and I really love this look. When viewed from the top, it lays nicely, and motifs do not look like they are strangling my wrist and creating dents in my skin (not a good look to me).

For me, I choose a looser look because I like the swing. Equally important though is the fact I can put it on and take it off by myself. I know I will not wear my bracelet as often if I need to have someone help me.

I hope this gives you a better view to help you decide. As I said though, fit is 100% preference.
If you decide to adjust, do it now! They seem to be super fast servicing pieces. I think come November when people start shopping for Christmas, they will get backed up again with adjustments.

 

[cmadtmifyb0623]

Hi! Yes, here is what my SA told me:

Full length - 7.5”
2 links out - 7”
4 links out - 6.5”
6 links out - 6”
8 links out - 5 3/4”

4 links out is snug for me. A big downside to me it is hard to put on by yourself, and I take off all my bling before I go to bed. If you want 6.75”, for me, I would take two links out. All preference of course, and it depends on the size of your wrist and if you want to stack side by side with little movement.
A typical bracelet is 7”
I would choose your best length for your tightness preference.

Hope this helps.

Omg you are the best! So I took photos of my tennis bracelet that I had sized to 6.75”. As you can see it touches my palm which I know bugs a lot of people but it really doesn’t bother me actually. My loves on my other wrist also touch the top of my palm but not as much as my tennis bracelet does. My wrist measures 6” and my loves on my left wrist are 17s which is considered a loose fit. As you can see I have a lot of room with my tennis bracelet and unfortunately I cannot even wear it with my loves because it slides right over it and the scratches are not worth it so I wear it on my right wrist. I’m thinking 4 links would probably be my preferred fit as I don’t think it would be considered snug because I absolutely do not want that either, loose is my preference but even 7” is too much for me. My next question is, my fiancé wants to get a matching malachite 5 motif with me and his wrist is much, much bigger than mine. I believe he got his tennis bracelet sized to 8-8.5” if I remember correctly. Could VCA use my extra links and apply them to his bracelet?

There seems to be more than one set of measurements around. My SA told me recently that 4 links out is 6.75". There is also a thread where people show bracelets that have been shortened and give the measurements.

Length of VA bracelet with links removed

Has anyone had one link (double-link) removed between the 5 motifs, so a total of 4 removed? I wouldn't mind my motifs being closer, but I don't want the bracelet too short, either. I normally wear standard 7" bracelets, but the VA is more like 7.5" I'd love to know what the total length is...

forum.purseblog.com

Thank you so much! I tried searching for a thread like this but apparently my wording was off lol. You guys are so helpful, thank you!! My loves are 17s which is a loose fit and my tennis bracelet measures 6.75” so I’m thinking 4 links removed will still be considered a loose fit which I do want.

 

[BigAkoya]

Omg you are the best! So I took photos of my tennis bracelet that I had sized to 6.75”. As you can see it touches my palm which I know bugs a lot of people but it really doesn’t bother me actually. My loves on my other wrist also touch the top of my palm but not as much as my tennis bracelet does. My wrist measures 6” and my loves on my left wrist are 17s which is considered a loose fit. As you can see I have a lot of room with my tennis bracelet and unfortunately I cannot even wear it with my loves because it slides right over it and the scratches are not worth it so I wear it on my right wrist. I’m thinking 4 links would probably be my preferred fit as I don’t think it would be considered snug because I absolutely do not want that either, loose is my preference but even 7” is too much for me. My next question is, my fiancé wants to get a matching malachite 5 motif with me and his wrist is much, much bigger than mine. I believe he got his tennis bracelet sized to 8-8.5” if I remember correctly. Could VCA use my extra links and apply them to his bracelet?

View attachment 5229266
View attachment 5229267
View attachment 5229269

Thank you so much! I tried searching for a thread like this but apparently my wording was off lol. You guys are so helpful, thank you!! My loves are 17s which is a loose fit and my tennis bracelet measures 6.75” so I’m thinking 4 links removed will still be considered a loose fit which I do want.

Yes, looking at your photo, four links out would probably be your preferred size.

On your fiance, I think that's so romantic to get matching bracelet themes. I do not think VCA will allow re-using of links from other pieces to add on. They will probably ask it to be separate transactions, but who knows these day

Back to his and hers matching jewelry , I saw a guy wearing the Perlee signature bangle, and it looked great on him. As a future thought... you and him could get matching Perlee signature bangles and engrave the inside... perhaps for a special occasion.

Good luck to you, but most of all... congratulations to you on your engagement! How wonderful.

 

[cmadtmifyb0623]

Yes, looking at your photo, four links out would probably be your preferred size.

On your fiance, I think that's so romantic to get matching bracelet themes. I do not think VCA will allow re-using of links from other pieces to add on. They will probably ask it to be separate transactions, but who knows these day

Back to his and hers matching jewelry , I saw a guy wearing the Perlee signature bangle, and it looked great on him. As a future thought... you and him could get matching Perlee signature bangles and engrave the inside... perhaps for a special occasion.

Good luck to you, but most of all... congratulations to you on your engagement! How wonderful.

Aw thank you so much, you’re so kind!! ❤️ He has Cartier pieces but he LOVES VCA but we have not seen any men wear the 5 motif Alhambra! Story time, two weeks ago we were in our local NM Chanel and one of the guy SAs working there completely stopped me in my tracks, I even abruptly cut off my SA, when I saw his wrist!! I asked him if I could take a picture and he said absolutely!! I was obsessing over it for approximately 5 mins lol!! This is just such a cool stack for a guy if anyone has ever wondered how it looks on men!! Now that I think about it, his wrist is bigger too so I should have asked him if he added extra links and how.

 

[pearl421]

Hi all, first time poster here and a bit nervous! I’m curious if anyone has any insights into how long orders are taking to be filled in general. I put down a deposit for a pair of vintage Alhambra white gold diamond earrings back in august with my SA at the NY flagship and he said last week still no news from Paris. Apparently all workshops were shut down for the month of September? Im ready to wait for like a year and half for these earrings but slightly hopeful they’ll arrive sooner (like by Christmas maybe?? Wishful thinking?)

 

[DS2006]

Aw thank you so much, you’re so kind!! ❤ He has Cartier pieces but he LOVES VCA but we have not seen any men wear the 5 motif Alhambra! Story time, two weeks ago we were in our local NM Chanel and one of the guy SAs working there completely stopped me in my tracks, I even abruptly cut off my SA, when I saw his wrist!! I asked him if I could take a picture and he said absolutely!! I was obsessing over it for approximately 5 mins lol!! This is just such a cool stack for a guy if anyone has ever wondered how it looks on men!! Now that I think about it, his wrist is bigger too so I should have asked him if he added extra links and how.

View attachment 5229288

Just wanted to mention that malachite is one of the most delicate stones and cannot get wet, etc. It wouldn't be the best stone in a bracelet for anyone that is active and works out, cooks, etc. wearing jewelry. If I were to get malachite in a bracelet, I would put it on when I am ready to go out to dinner and take it off when I get back home. It's just not a daily wear piece. The solid hammered gold is the best, and next best would be onyx and tiger eye (which that SA has on). From what I can see, he doesn't have links added between motifs. We are seeing some male celebrities wearing Alhambra now (there's a thread with celebrity photos in the top section of this page, so check out the last 2-3 pages and you'll see some men!). It's great other than they are making the supply even less for the rest of us!

 

[DS2006]

Hi all, first time poster here and a bit nervous! I’m curious if anyone has any insights into how long orders are taking to be filled in general. I put down a deposit for a pair of vintage Alhambra white gold diamond earrings back in august with my SA at the NY flagship and he said last week still no news from Paris. Apparently all workshops were shut down for the month of September? Im ready to wait for like a year and half for these earrings but slightly hopeful they’ll arrive sooner (like by Christmas maybe?? Wishful thinking?)

Welcome! You'll find this a very friendly and helpful group, so please don't ever be nervous about asking a question!

I will say that it will vary depending on the item, and there is no way to foresee when something ordered might come in. Some requests have been met in a week or two, and others have waited for months. I am replying because I had also asked about a couple of white gold items at the NY flagship recently, and my SA told me it would likely be next year before they have more pieces come in. I think they have no idea until a shipment actually arrives. It's certainly possible the earrings could come in by Christmas, but there's no telling how many deposits have been paid on that particular item. If there are no work interruptions again (other than normal holidays), then we can hope that sometime in 2022 we might see stock return to normal levels! We will look forward to seeing your new earrings!