VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[BigAkoya]

Well, thanks for this lesson! I have been pronouncing Frivole wrong all this time.

It's the L and E! I need to keep reminding myself French does not do long vowels like English.

Another good one you can laugh at me for...
When I was younger, I thought Versailles was pronounced Ver-sal-eees.
It's those Ls and Es again; the French language does not do such hard pronunciations.
I am sure you already know Versailles is pronounced Vr-sai.

Only when I went to Versailles did I realize I was pronouncing it all wrong!

 

[AnaBeavTheOG]

Every time I mispronounce something, I think of this scene from Showgirls.

 

[Notorious Pink]

It's funny you mention this. I have a hard time with Frivole. I know it's Fre-voul.
However, in my mind, and even when I read the word today, my mind always says Free-vo-lee.
I must like my long vowels.

Oh I have been murdering the pronunciation of “Noeud” forever.
Is it Nude? Is it No-oood?
I finally asked my SA. It’s No-wad.
Which is perfect and I’ll never forget it, as I responded, “So people have No Wad of Funds left after they pay for it!”
I’ll see myself out…

 

[AnaBeavTheOG]

Oh I have been murdering the pronunciation of “Noeud” forever.
Is it Nude? Is it No-oood?
I finally asked my SA. It’s No-wad.
Which is perfect and I’ll never forget it, as I responded, “So people have No Wad of Funds left after they pay for it!”
I’ll see myself out…

Ba-dum-chi!

 

[CATEYES]

Oh I have been murdering the pronunciation of “Noeud” forever.
Is it Nude? Is it No-oood?
I finally asked my SA. It’s No-wad.
Which is perfect and I’ll never forget it, as I responded, “So people have No Wad of Funds left after they pay for it!”
I’ll see myself out…

 

[lynne_ross]

Oh I have been murdering the pronunciation of “Noeud” forever.
Is it Nude? Is it No-oood?
I finally asked my SA. It’s No-wad.
Which is perfect and I’ll never forget it, as I responded, “So people have No Wad of Funds left after they pay for it!”
I’ll see myself out…

My SAs both pronounce it like neu…I don’t know how to type it out but one syllable and no d. I grew up speaking French but I suck at languages so I avoid saying any words. I still can not say hi in mandarin or Cantonese properly after 2 years of trying.

 

[BigAkoya]

My SAs both pronounce it like neu…I don’t know how to type it out but one syllable and no d. I grew up speaking French but I suck at languages so I avoid saying any words. I still can not say hi in mandarin or Cantonese properly after 2 years of trying.

I got curious and just googled how to pronounce Noeud. I think your SA is correct. There is no D, and it is only one syllable.
It's more like Neuuuu that just fades.

 

[880]

1) if it's too good to be true, it probably is, so DON'T; 2) Buy from a "seemingly" reputable dealer; 3) make sure there's a return option; 4) do not buy from an overseas seller; 5) ONLY buy with a credit card--NEVER do a wire transfer or pay in cash for jewelry, even if it's at a discount; 6) run it by a jeweler when it arrives and if you feel queasy then return [e.g., the "go with your gut test,"]; 6) if two sellers have the same item and one comes with documents and the other not, buy it from the former even if it's more expensive; and finally, 7) if it's a piece you really want and the cost is more than you can comfortably lose, have it authenticated. It's well worth the peace of mind, it will enable you to resell with confidence, and if it comes back as counterfeit, it will provide the necessary substantiation to give you recourse.

I love this! It should be tattooed on for anyone who wants to buy outside boutique conditions thank you!

I confirmed this with VCA in London who said there is not a global database. This means for service in the US, the boutique may ask you for proof if you walk in to a new store or if your SA left and you now have a new SA. I personally do not want to deal with the paperwork to prove authenticity. For me, it is much easier when I tell a brand (VCA or other luxury jewelry brand) to "look me up."

someone told me that Asia isn’t in the US system, but you can bring your stuff in to register it.

 

[missie1]

I am beginning to like shopping in Vegas more. I am a very focused shopper, so I just go in and out to the brands I like. I am not a browser walking up and down the streets of NYC to check out stores. Wynn has all the brands in one location. No drama like NYC.

Plus, I think the SAs in Vegas understand non-local "tourist" purchases. My guess is tourists/non-locals are the majority of their sales.
All the SAs were super helpful and bent over backwards to get the merchandise asap. The VCA SA said he could order all three pink sapphire pieces right now and ship them to me. It was the same with Buccellati, the SA said he could have pieces sent to me the next day for fit. The SA told me they get a lot of clients who are from out of town that are wives of husbands who tell them to shop while they do big-time gambling.

Said another way, I don't sense the SAs need to cater and offer pieces for their local clients as these boutiques get so much walk-in tourist traffic.

I have not been to one at Crystal. Which one of the three VCA shops do you like?

I love VCA at the Crystal the best. They are so accommodating and I find they have the most inventory. I also like the Crystal shops the best for all other high end shopping. During the week no lines just walk right in.

 

[missie1]

OH MY GOSH . . . I could tell you stories! And what worries me, are the near-perfect copies circulating in the jewelrysphere and no one's the wiser.

Indeed, there are some dealers I've done business with that won't buy from me---even though they know how careful I am---unless I provide full documentation--repair receipts from the boutique won't suffice--they're that leary. It's not that they don't trust me. Full documentation eliminates the issue of authenticity and makes it easier for them to sell.

Because all those green envelopes and receipts look the same, I've taken to organizing everything. The COA's and receipts are all in one place and everything is labeled. Also, I've taken to photocopying the receipt and putting a copy separate from the documentation in the original box (all the boxes are labeled too).

If I need the receipt--such as for a repair--I can find it. Usually the store can look it up, but sometimes not, so it's nice to have it organized. Admittedly, if I was really organized (I recommend this) I would download the receipt and maintain a copy on the computer independent of the hard-copy. Just a thought because--and I know this may sound strange--without paperwork, that high value item that you treasure, may be regarded as indistinguishable in value from some shlock sold on eBay if you go to resell. How do they know it's authentic? Because you say it is?????

Think of a so-called Andy Warhol . . . The one thing standing between authenticity and a lack thereof is paperwork. Without proper certification, e.g., the Andy Warhol Foundation, it's of insignificant value.

So insightful…thank you for sharing your insight on how to navigate purchasing preowned items that aren’t readily accessible from boutique. This advice is priceless.

 

[EpiFanatic]

A New Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Triumphs Through the Challenges of the Traditional

Don't let the simple things fool you.

www.townandcountrymag.com

Just thought I would share. Ran across an article about the new high jewelry line. I haven’t seen it and it’s not relevant to me. $$$. But interesting that there are some ribbon themed pieces.

 

[BigAkoya]

So insightful…thank you for sharing your insight on how to navigate purchasing preowned items that aren’t readily accessible from boutique. This advice is priceless.

Priceless and scary! I recently attempted at bidding at an auction. I did not win, and I doubt I will bid again.
The piece was Cartier, so it was a name brand, not a no-name creation. However, I can honestly say I still do not have 100% confidence the piece was not altered.
Too scary for me as I am a total newbie to used pieces.

 

[floridamama]

Hi everyone! Just came back from 2 weeks in Europe. Visited Palace Vendome location and it was beautiful and they had pretty good stock I have to say. I came back with a small token - large frivole mirror gold earrings ❤
I was curious what everyone uses as a travel case for jewelry? I need a better option to store and travel with my jewelry that can also easily fit in the hotel safe .
Thanks!

 

[missie1]

Hi everyone! Just came back from 2 weeks in Europe. Visited Palace Vendome location and it was beautiful and they had pretty good stock I have to say. I came back with a small token - large frivole mirror gold earrings ❤
I was curious what everyone uses as a travel case for jewelry? I need a better option to store and travel with my jewelry that can also easily fit in the hotel safe .
Thanks!

So I use lv nano travel case. It’s perfect size as I carry in my duffle. If we leave bags at hotel I take it out and put in my purse. It fits 1 VCA watch roll and few pouches. I’m able to fit several bracelets and 1 watch in a single roll. I place necklaces in pouches. I don’t change earrings when I’m out of town.

 

[BigAkoya]

Hi everyone! Just came back from 2 weeks in Europe. Visited Palace Vendome location and it was beautiful and they had pretty good stock I have to say. I came back with a small token - large frivole mirror gold earrings ❤
I was curious what everyone uses as a travel case for jewelry? I need a better option to store and travel with my jewelry that can also easily fit in the hotel safe .
Thanks!

Wolf all the way for me! There was a lot of discussion on this earlier in this thread about Wolf, especially for jewelry storage cases as they have LusterLoc for protection.

For travel size, I like the Maria Cube as it is one big hole. I've tried cases with jewelry compartments, and they are worthless. The compartment sizes never fit, and the ring holders are a joke unless you wear tiny rings.

Here is my favorite, the Maria Cube: Maria Zip Jewelry Cube | WOLF (wolf1834.com)
For VCA pieces, I use the VCA pouches and just lay them flat. They stack perfectly and there is tons of room.

Here is a larger version, and again, the secret is to have a big "hole" to store your pouched pieces.
Maria Medium Zip Case | WOLF (wolf1834.com)

It also fits in the hotel safe if you decide to use the safe. Hope this helps.