VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[BigAkoya]

Oooh that entire look with the Frivole earrings, clover bangle, clover ring on a chain and Frivole pave BTF ring will be so cool! Since I have the long chain from my magic pendant and the clover ring, I can totally recreate that look! Okay, Deal

Thank you! When do you try it out, think about the size of the ring and how it would look if I got a man's size ring. I want to create a look that has presence, a big "boyfriend ring" look. I do not want a look that says I just hung my own ring on a chain as that look does not excite me.

I want the look to be deliberate.
My husband's wedding band is a size US 11 / FR 65. The Clover ring only comes as large as size FR 60 for standard options, so if I like the look, I will have to do a custom order.

Thank you for doing this! There is no rush at all.

 

[jenaps]

Thank you! When do you try it out, think about the size of the ring and how it would look if I got a man's size ring. I want to create a look that has presence, a big "boyfriend ring" look. I do not want a look that says I just hung my own ring on a chain as that look does not excite me.

I want the look to be deliberate.
My husband's wedding band is a size US 11 / FR 65. The Clover ring only comes as large as size FR 60 for standard options, so if I like the look, I will have to do a custom order.

Thank you for doing this! There is no rush at all.

Ohhh that sounds interesting!! That gave me a visual thought - It’d be like with current necklace but bigger?




Or what abt trying to special order the perlee colors in WG? Then you could transfer the other colored stones in depending on your outfit!

 

[BigAkoya]

Ohhh that sounds interesting!! That gave me a visual thought - It’d be like with current necklace but bigger?

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Or what abt trying to special order the perlee colors in WG? Then you could transfer the other colored stones in depending on your outfit!

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Yes! But since the ring is so big and is threaded through the chain (no bale), the ring will sit at an angle unlike the little pendant which sit perpendicular to the chain.

I want the "boyfriend ring" look as in the first photo. I do not want the dainty ring look as in the second photo.
Of course, since it would be the Clover ring, my ring won't be all harsh metal like the photos (at least I hope not).

The reason why I want it big and looking deliberate is wearing a lady's size ring on a chain to me comes off as:
1) I'm wearing my mother's/grandma's antique ring OR
2) I'm wearing my ex-wedding band on a chain because I love the ring so much but it doesn't belong on my finger anymore OR
3) This is my cute little promise ring (the second photo below I pulled online is sold as a "promise ring necklace" which is so not me).

Those are not vibes I want to give off. I want it to be a jewelry fashion statement vibe.
That's why I want a man's size ring so there is no question. Think of it as a jumbo pendant. I hope it will look good.

 

[BigAkoya]

@jenaps
Forgot to answer your question on Perlee Couleurs. Yes, I have thought about that!
I decided it looks great in YG, but it will not look good in WG. There is not enough color or diamonds to offset the white metal.

There is a pendant I love love love from Temple St. Clair (TSC) called Tolomeo (@etoupebirkin has one!). I have loved that pendant for years, and they would not make it in WG for me or even do a mockup. I contacted them again recently (new year, try again). This time, they said yes! I was so excited, they sent me a mockup, and it looked dead, flat, too much white metal.

I also asked Briony Raymond to do a locket in WG. The photos were the same, dead, flat, too much metal, at least for me.
Hence, I think Perlee Couleurs will be the same. That's just me of course, and I know it's all preference.

I do like the Perlee Couleurs long pendant. I think if they made the bale and inside ring using diamonds, it would look great in WG. It would be the large ring of Perlee beads framing the outside (like the Clover bangle), a ring of color, and then a ring of diamonds where the diamonds flow continuously into the bale. I think that would be so pretty. My opinion of course, for what it's worth.

 

[DS2006]

Does anyone know if the trace chain is the same as Vintage Alhambra one motif necklace chain? I want to wear them together to achieve double wrap necklace look, like magic pendant ...

I'll take a shot at answering this question, and someone can correct me if I am wrong. I believe the trace chain is the style of chain VCA uses on various Alhambra pieces. There are different sizes of links on these chains depending on whether the item is Sweet, Vintage, or Magic. So you'd just need to ask a sales associate if you can order a vintage size trace chain at whatever length you need.

 

[lynne_ross]

Yes! But since the ring is so big and is threaded through the chain (no bale), the ring will sit at an angle unlike the little pendant which sit perpendicular to the chain.

I want the "boyfriend ring" look as in the first photo. I do not want the dainty ring look as in the second photo.
Of course, since it would be the Clover ring, my ring won't be all harsh metal like the photos (at least I hope not).

The reason why I want it big and looking deliberate is wearing a lady's size ring on a chain to me comes off as:
1) I'm wearing my mother's/grandma's antique ring OR
2) I'm wearing my ex-wedding band on a chain because I love the ring so much but it doesn't belong on my finger anymore OR
3) This is my cute little promise ring (the second photo below I pulled online is sold as a "promise ring necklace" which is so not me).

Those are not vibes I want to give off. I want it to be a jewelry fashion statement vibe.
That's why I want a man's size ring so there is no question. Think of it as a jumbo pendant. I hope it will look good.

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I actually don’t think you are out to lunch and this may look really cool and bold. I will await pics.
Otherwise you could get the ring and wear it on the opposite hand as your frivole. It Would be matching.

 

[DS2006]

Thank you! When do you try it out, think about the size of the ring and how it would look if I got a man's size ring. I want to create a look that has presence, a big "boyfriend ring" look. I do not want a look that says I just hung my own ring on a chain as that look does not excite me.

I want the look to be deliberate.
My husband's wedding band is a size US 11 / FR 65. The Clover ring only comes as large as size FR 60 for standard options, so if I like the look, I will have to do a custom order.

Thank you for doing this! There is no rush at all.

I think the long wg Magic pave pendant would be very complimentary to your clover bracelet!

 

[BigAkoya]

I think the long wg Magic pave pendant would be very complimentary to your clover bracelet!

Yes, I thought about this too! I have been looking as you can tell.
My little WG Clover bracelet has been bugging me to find him a buddy!

I love long necklaces, I love big pendants, and I love bling, so this Magic pave pendant checks off a lot. However, I just can't do it as whenever I see this pendant, all I see is one big giant logo. I am anti "logo jewelry." A stone in Magic is different because it has a design, and the stone is part of the design. However, to me, the Magic diamond pendant says "look at me, I'm wearing a huge blingy VCA diamond logo" which really is the whole point of this pendant in my opinion. I know many love Magic diamond everything, and they look great in it. It's a fabulous piece, but I'm not quite there yet. That's just me.

I could be convinced though. If my ideas don't work out, I may just cave to make a Clover diamond set. I agree with you, this piece works really great with the Clover bangle even though it's not from the Clover collection. I don't see any other pieces in the Clover collection that catches my eye, and I have looked at every piece online, numerous times. That's how I came up with the Clover ring on a pendant as an idea. Clover pieces are quite limited actually.

For the reasons stated above, I have always dismissed the Magic pave pendant, hence I have never tried it on when my SA asked. However, given that I love rings, I did try on the Magic Pave BTF ring. I was seriously considering getting that ring and had my SA bring in two sizes. It's such a blingy ring which I love. When I tried it on, it looked great! It was super blingy (love!), but yikes, it screamed logo with those two huge pave clovers, so I passed. For those who love the blingy logo look, the Magic BTF ring is it! If I ever get into the diamond logo piece look, I will get that BTF ring for sure But... I'm not there yet!

Perhaps when I get to the boutique and see the Magic pave pendant on me, I will see it differently.
I agree with you; this piece is a great match for the WG Clover. Thank you for bringing this up.

 

[Fabfashion]

Check out the VCA in action thread. I posted mine with the Magic size last week.


I second this. I got mine in a giant pack off Amazon. My SA did not have anything of the sort that would actually fit. This is the only way I am able to wear the earrings with omega backs. In fact, I am on my second pair of MTO Magic wg/onyx earrings because I got antsy when they came in and had to wear them. Lost one of them that very day taking my mask on and off at the airport.

The VCA action thread is super addictive.

 

[Fabfashion]

Yes! They now have these large folders and colored print outs of jewelry that they can send with a box of chocolate in lieu of the actual thing

Happy early Anniversary!

 

[Fabfashion]

I’m here in Waikiki and went to visit the VCA boutique earlier today. Met with a lovely SA that I‘ve been chatting with for the past couple of weeks prior to arriving here. The boutique only has a few Alhambra pieces (onyx and gold pendant), quite a few Perlees and high jewelry. I saw a Sweet Alhambra bracelet, the motifs are teeny—so cute. I think I can do earrings of that size. The regular Vintage Alhambra motif is not as big in person as I thought it would be. Funny how I‘ve visualized them as being bigger after seeing them online.

So here’s the thing…they don’t have anything that I was interested in. I knew it was a long shot. I was hoping for a hammered YG or RG 5 motif vintage Alhambra bracelet to start or at least a pendant. Well, the lovely SA showed me a 5 motif gray MOP in YG that someone has special order but now changed her mind once it came in. The SA offered it to me. She said gray MOP can only be custom ordered. Is that the case? She’s holding it for me. I’m not so sure as the lighting in the boutique was rather awful. I couldn’t really tell the color of the piece and appreciate the beauty of the bracelet. Why does a jewelry store have such lousy lighting is beyond me. I took a few pics. I think my iPhone seemed to better capture the color of the gray than what I could see with my own eyes. What do you think? Is gray MOP something really special and why is it so much more expensive that the regular MOP or a plain gold VA bracelet? It’s retail for over $5.3K. Is there a premium when one special orders something from VCA?

DH just got me an anniversary present yesterday so I’m trying to be responsible. Hehe.

 

[jenaps]

Yes! But since the ring is so big and is threaded through the chain (no bale), the ring will sit at an angle unlike the little pendant which sit perpendicular to the chain.

I want the "boyfriend ring" look as in the first photo. I do not want the dainty ring look as in the second photo.
Of course, since it would be the Clover ring, my ring won't be all harsh metal like the photos (at least I hope not).

The reason why I want it big and looking deliberate is wearing a lady's size ring on a chain to me comes off as:
1) I'm wearing my mother's/grandma's antique ring OR
2) I'm wearing my ex-wedding band on a chain because I love the ring so much but it doesn't belong on my finger anymore OR
3) This is my cute little promise ring (the second photo below I pulled online is sold as a "promise ring necklace" which is so not me).

Those are not vibes I want to give off. I want it to be a jewelry fashion statement vibe.
That's why I want a man's size ring so there is no question. Think of it as a jumbo pendant. I hope it will look good.

View attachment 5352471

View attachment 5352474

Oh yes that looks very cool! Excited to see what you decide!

I want to see how it looks!

 

[jenaps]

@jenaps
Forgot to answer your question on Perlee Couleurs. Yes, I have thought about that!
I decided it looks great in YG, but it will not look good in WG. There is not enough color or diamonds to offset the white metal.

There is a pendant I love love love from Temple St. Clair (TSC) called Tolomeo (@etoupebirkin has one!). I have loved that pendant for years, and they would not make it in WG for me or even do a mockup. I contacted them again recently (new year, try again). This time, they said yes! I was so excited, they sent me a mockup, and it looked dead, flat, too much white metal.

I also asked Briony Raymond to do a locket in WG. The photos were the same, dead, flat, too much metal, at least for me.
Hence, I think Perlee Couleurs will be the same. That's just me of course, and I know it's all preference.

I do like the Perlee Couleurs long pendant. I think if they made the bale and inside ring using diamonds, it would look great in WG. It would be the large ring of Perlee beads framing the outside (like the Clover bangle), a ring of color, and then a ring of diamonds where the diamonds flow continuously into the bale. I think that would be so pretty. My opinion of course, for what it's worth.

It is amazing how different items look in YG vs WG! I’d agree that if they added some diamonds that would add to the perlee couleurs!

i remember you speaking abt wanting TSC in WG. Too bad it didn’t look great. Maybe it was the gemstones they used? I feel like with the rainbow Cartier bangle the gemstones are different between the rose gold and the white gold versions and both look great! But prob wouldn’t look the same if the gemstones were reversed.

anyhow I’m excited to see @eternallove4bag try this out! She takes the best pics!!

 

[cmadtmifyb0623]

I’m here in Waikiki and went to visit the VCA boutique earlier today. Met with a lovely SA that I‘ve been chatting with for the past couple of weeks prior to arriving here. The boutique only has a few Alhambra pieces (onyx and gold pendant), quite a few Perlees and high jewelry. I saw a Sweet Alhambra bracelet, the motifs are teeny—so cute. I think I can do earrings of that size. The regular Vintage Alhambra motif is not as big in person as I thought it would be. Funny how I‘ve visualized them as being bigger after seeing them online.

So here’s the thing…they don’t have anything that I was interested in. I knew it was a long shot. I was hoping for a hammered YG or RG 5 motif vintage Alhambra bracelet to start or at least a pendant. Well, the lovely SA showed me a 5 motif gray MOP in YG that someone has special order but now changed her mind once it came in. The SA offered it to me. She said gray MOP can only be custom ordered. Is that the case? She’s holding it for me. I’m not so sure as the lighting in the boutique was rather awful. I couldn’t really tell the color of the piece and appreciate the beauty of the bracelet. Why does a jewelry store have such lousy lighting is beyond me. I took a few pics. I think my iPhone seemed to better capture the color of the gray than what I could see with my own eyes. What do you think? Is gray MOP something really special and why is it so much more expensive that the regular MOP or a plain gold VA bracelet? It’s retail for over $5.3K. Is there a premium when one special orders something from VCA?

DH just got me an anniversary present yesterday so I’m trying to be responsible. Hehe.

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Yes GMOP has to be special ordered with YG and you do have to pay a premium when do you a SO. Personally, I really only like GMOP with RG. Something about the GMOP iridescence just looks so much prettier with RG. YG almost looks out of place next to GMOP. Of course, it’s totally personal preference and if you love it go for it but I think if you’re asking about it here you may also not be 100% in love with it either. I know it’s fun to buy things on vacation but don’t settle on something you aren’t completely in love with.

 

[eternallove4bag]

No pressures ladies @BigAkoya @jenaps

I actually decided to wear this out yesterday to a family lunch and @BigAkoya (thank u for the brilliant idea!!) I actually loved it! I was a little afraid that the ring would keep turning and annoy me but because the ring is heavy, it actually stayed in place for the most part. I do think though if I was less endowed (there I said it), it would have looked so much better! Darn!
Here are some pics