VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[snnysmm]

Hi! I'll also share my thoughts as well and add to the other fabulous ideas from the others...
This is what I love about TPF... everyone comes up with great ideas on how to wear their pieces.

My two cents...
First, I do not think wearing a full Alhambra set is too much. On the contrary, I think it looks fabulous chic!
I have a WG MOP set (VA earrings, VA 20 motif, two VA bracelets), and yes... when I wear that set, I pile them all on. I also add a colorful gemstone ring to wear with that set. This is to wear with a casual chunky sweater and jeans.

I love sets, and for me, I need matching earrings for any necklace I wear. It's a must have as I think that pulls together the look. A matching necklace and earrings frames the face beautifully.

One final thought to frame the discussion...
I am a believer of a necklace and matching earring sets, even if it means you end up with one set of earrings for each necklace. I do this for my jewelry pieces, and I think it looks fabulous.

I am not a believer of say, wearing diamond studs with everything. That's like wearing black shoes or a black handbag with everything. Sure, you can make it work; "black goes with everything" is how people justify it (black really does not go with everything, but that's a different topic and I need to stay on topic! Smacking myself now... stay on topic! ).

This is fine jewelry, and I believe a fine jewelry look needs to be deliberate. That's just me, and of course, style is 100% preference

That said... for you...
A necklace, earrings and bracelet would be gorgeous! I love love love this look. The Alhambra line was created as a casual line; you will look so casual chic!

What to get? Here are my thoughts...

For your YG MOP...
As you said, for sure, get the YG MOP. Perfect match! Plus, as you already know, YG MOP just glows, and who doesn't want to light up their face as often as they can! I vote YG MOP earrings for sure!

For your blue agate...
I would get the YG guilloche to pair blue agate. Why? Because blue agate pops, and you want something that can compete with this power. Sure, you could wear MOP, but I don't think it works as an earring and pendant combo. You now have one white four leaf clover on each ear, and one bright blue four leaf clover on the neck. The eye is now confused and going bonkers where to pause to stare. It's not a smooth look to me. Blue agate is bright solid color. YG guilloche is shiny, and that bright shine will be a nice complement to the bright happy blue agate! This is for days when you want to look super happy!

For days when you want to look more serene and elegant, that's where TE comes in.

For your TE...
I would get the YG hammered to pair with your TE. This may sound repetitive to YG guilloche, but not to me. TE is mellow, it's subtle, and it is a more refined look. YG hammered is old world glamour to me and matches TE.

Yes, you could get pave earrings, but it's not my favorite. Why? I'm not a super fan of VA pave earrings as it's just a few sprinkles of tiny diamonds, so you can't really call it sparkly. Plus, the metal dot in the center makes it really not a pave piece. It's more a metal piece with a few diamonds sprinkled. With pave, the beauty of the hammered gold is lost. You may want to try on both to see which you like better.

Personally, I like YG hammered as it stays with the refined elegant theme of TE. You could also wear this YG hammered with your blue agate, and that would look good to. It would tone down the blue agate a bit, so if you don't want to look to shiny and happy, you could just get YG hammered.

Speaking of sparkly and shiny...
These terms do not mean the same thing to me. Diamonds are sparkly, but guilloche is shiny, as in shiny metal. The looks are very different, and shiny diamonds are not always better. When trying the earrings on, don't assume the pave is better because it has a few diamonds. Look at how the piece works together. To me, VA hammered has a soft elegance, similar to TE. Hammered gold compliments, not competes.

If you really like VA pave earrings, I think the perfect match is the VA pave pendant and the Clover bangle.

For your 2022 HP, if I had that piece, I would get WG guilloche. I think that combo is super chic together! The WG guilloche is so shiny and would look fabulous against the cool blue of the porcelain. The shiny WG on guilloche will also play off the shiny beaded edges of the blue porcelain pendant.

I think the Frivole pave earrings are gorgeous, but like others, I do not think it matches the Alhambra four leaf clover motif. I've tried to pair it together, and to me, it doesn't work. For you, if you are going to get the Frivole pave earrings, I would suggest the matching pendant. That is the bomb pair to me! I have the Frivole pave earrings, but I don't wear short pendants so I do not have the matching pendant. This means sadly, I do not have the bomb pair! So sad... I have an ear-to-ear frown now just thinking about how gorgeous that looks, but I don't have it! I might cave one day just to make a set of three, but I still have hope a long WG pave necklace might come out.

I am with you 100% on matching earrings! More so, when buying jewelry (VCA and other brands), I prefer matching sets of three, but always a set of two matching pieces. I think with your love of matchy matchy sets, you will be so glad you are getting earrings that compliment, even if it means buying different earrings to go with different stones.

Jewelry in the past was worn as sets (e.g. parures). VCA is definitely not too much worn as sets, and you can see that is how VCA advertises in their ads. Wearing sets is spot on and on trend!

The idea of "mix & match" in fashion and jewelry came about with the "wear what you want" attittude.
I agree with that attitude, and for me... it's "wear sets!" That's what I love, and that's what I do.

I am sure you know about VCA earrings, and for VA, you can adjust them four ways. If you need them adjusted, you may want to get one pair adjusted first to make sure they fit to your liking. Have your SA write down the exact adjustments in your profile. This will save you going back and forth if you are a picky earring fit person as I am (I had to send my Lotus earrings in three times as they adjusted one area but then messed up the other by making assumptions... so much drama).

Sorry for this long post, but I wanted to share my thoughts for another point of view. I hope some of this was helpful.
You can't go wrong with anything as "wear what you want" really reigns true. If you love the look, then it's your chic look!

Good luck to you!

Thank you for your detailed thoughts and explanation. It was very helpful and you have given me much to think about. As an aside, I would love to know why you don’t think black goes with everything. Would that be too off-topic?

I definitely want a pave Frivole in WG. That is a non-negotiable. I can see myself wearing a monochrome outfit (I love monochrome) and wearing just blingy earrings as jewelry and that’s where the pave Frivole would come in! But I want to complete my Alhambra collection before moving on. I’m so close!

Which brings us to Alhambra… choices, choices, choices! If I am getting a WMOP earrings, I also am torn between vintage and Magic. I also love hammered gold, but I think in vintage. I am going to text my SA now to see if I can try any of them on (if the boutique ever gets them in stock, of course…)

I have a weird thing with guilloché. For some reason, I don’t love it in YG. But when I saw WG versions of guilloché (2020 HP, SOs…), oh man, I love it so much! It is so chic. I love, love, LOVE it and can’t wait to see it in earrings. Btw, I also want the Mikimoto studs with a diamond (or just a stud) ever since you posted in another thread and hope they are not too redundant.

I did not know you can adjust earrings four different ways. What are the different ways? I’ve only heard that the posts aren’t soldered and you can request to have them soldered.

 

[BigAkoya]

Thank you for your detailed thoughts and explanation. It was very helpful and you have given me much to think about. As an aside, I would love to know why you don’t think black goes with everything. Would that be too off-topic?

I definitely want a pave Frivole in WG. That is a non-negotiable. I can see myself wearing a monochrome outfit (I love monochrome) and wearing just blingy earrings as jewelry and that’s where the pave Frivole would come in! But I want to complete my Alhambra collection before moving on. I’m so close!

Which brings us to Alhambra… choices, choices, choices! If I am getting a WMOP earrings, I also am torn between vintage and Magic. I also love hammered gold, but I think in vintage. I am going to text my SA now to see if I can try any of them on (if the boutique ever gets them in stock, of course…)

I have a weird thing with guilloché. For some reason, I don’t love it in YG. But when I saw WG versions of guilloché (2020 HP, SOs…), oh man, I love it so much! It is so chic. I love, love, LOVE it and can’t wait to see it in earrings. Btw, I also want the Mikimoto studs with a diamond (or just a stud) ever since you posted in another thread and hope they are not too redundant.

I did not know you can adjust earrings four different ways. What are the different ways? I’ve only heard that the posts aren’t soldered and you can request to have them soldered.

I'm glad it was helpful, and I am so glad to hear you love Frivole WG pave. It is my favorite collection of all time!

Aside from stripes, I love solid colors, and I once just wore black on black all the time. It's a very harsh look, but it worked for me at the time. For solids and monochrome, that's where the bling comes in and why guilloche pops more than hammered.

YG guilloche can be tough. For me, I am personally not a fan because I don't like anything "shiny" YG. The look can be a bit 80s, but some people love that look. I think that might be what's bothering you with YG guilloche. Looking at it another way though, with your blue agate, the YG is almost like the rays of the sun against the blue ocean of your blue agate. That's how I see how YG blue agate should be.. happy, bright, sunny! Plan B... you can always get YG hammered or pave and call it a day and move to on Frivole!

WG guilloche is more crispy and modern to me. Definitely not 80s, more like 20s Art Deco to me and looks great with color (think Art Deco platinum, oynx, coral, turquoise.... ).

On Vintage vs Magic, if you plan to wear it with your VA pendant, I think VA is better. With Magic earrings, you pendant will have shrinkage, and you might think it now looks small, taking away the beauty of your pendant.

For the four-way earrings adjustment, especially with VA earrings, you can do the following:
- Adjust the post higher or lower. There are two holes in the back of the earring, so if you want the earring to sit higher on your ear, you put them in the lower hole. The lower hole seems to be the default position.
- Adjust the clip tension tighter or looser. To me, the default VCA tension is tight. I don't have thick earlobes, but I like to wear my earrings looser so my ear piercing has space to breathe between the posts. The earrings are not going to fall off as they are lever backs/French clips.
- Swap out to a thinner post. The standard VCA post is the thicker one. I have small ear piercings, so I ask t switch it out to the thinner posts. Otherwise, my ears hurt and my ear piercing bleeds a bit (grose!)
- Swap out the post to a longer post. This is needed for people who have thick earlobes and need the tension loosen. If you loosen the tension a lot, a longer post may be needed.

You can also solder them, but I don't. I don't solder in case I want to change my posts again in the future.
With a solder, it's stuck in there, and requires a much bigger repair. I have not heard of VCA "unsoldering" earrings, biut I am sure they can. They can can do anything.

Good luck on earring shopping!

 

[lynne_ross]

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions! Your picture of YG Alhambra collection was on the back of my mind when I was looking at my own collection to see what was missing. Your collection is so well-curated!

I do love the idea of a vintage pave because it is so carefree and can see myself wearing it to hiking, with kids etc.! I am open to other brands also. Are there any other brands you liked or do you go to a jeweler?

Luckily I have time to try on different styles. It’s a matter of boutiques having stock to try them on I guess!

Thanks again. I love the idea of pave or hammered gold.

Thanks! Note my collection was not carefully curated. I just buy whatever I love then fill in any gaps as needed. The sweet pave earrings were my gap filler. I only wear them with one of my necklaces.
For other earrings to go with Alhambra, I mostly look at no name or custom made. There are so many great options out there. You can go very basic with earrings (like small hoops Huggies diamond studs) and let the Alhambra necklace be the star.

 

[south-of-france]

Rgarding the blue agate, does it keep its color over the years or does it darken/get duller (independently, not just due to not caring for it or scratches for example)? My SA said something to that effect but is it even possible? And if so, how to avoid?

 

[jenayb]

Rgarding the blue agate, does it keep its color over the years or does it darken/get duller (independently, not just due to not caring for it or scratches for example)? My SA said something to that effect but is it even possible? And if so, how to avoid?

I’ve had mine for a handful of years now and definitely do not baby it. I have seen zero deviation from / deterioration to the original stone colour and brightness.

 

[Notorious Pink]

Ah @doloresmia

I once had an experience with airport security at Washington National Airport, pre-9-11.

I am traveling with my two really RAMBUNCTIOUS children (think Itchy and Scratchy from The Simpsons). They were probably around 7 to 9 years old. DH is already in Boston. We are traveling to meet him for a weekend of fun, bonding, and the "Prom" with his law firm partners. Because there's a Prom, I have formal wear, significant jewelry, and a pair of really fabulous shoes.

So, in my hurry to get said wild beasts (AKA my children) out the door and to the airport, I neglect to take my wallet that has my driver's license. So here we are at National Airport and my only photo ID is my Costco card. Luckily, I do not look dangerous. The security agent goes through my things, takes out my jewelry pouch, and lifts up an EXTREMELY expensive bejeweled necklace, and says, "Oh we really should ROB HER!!!". They also notice my fabulous shoes. The femaie gate agent agreed, I was going to do nothing bad because I wanted to wear those shoes. They let me through. Meanwhile, my kids are literally rolling on the floor laughing. I was completely red faced.

Who said parenthood isn't an adventure.

I may have mentioned this before, but I never put jewelry in a carry-on; I insist on wearing it though security. Since I’m wearing a Love, they know I’m not going to be able to take everything off, so I request to go through the special scanner and also request what I call my “Free TSA Massage”. I make jokes about it with whichever female TSA employee they call over to give me the pat-down and I tell her that my husband is getting jealous. It never fails to lighten the mood!

 

[snnysmm]

I'm glad it was helpful, and I am so glad to hear you love Frivole WG pave. It is my favorite collection of all time!

Aside from stripes, I love solid colors, and I once just wore black on black all the time. It's a very harsh look, but it worked for me at the time. For solids and monochrome, that's where the bling comes in and why guilloche pops more than hammered.

YG guilloche can be tough. For me, I am personally not a fan because I don't like anything "shiny" YG. The look can be a bit 80s, but some people love that look. I think that might be what's bothering you with YG guilloche. Looking at it another way though, with your blue agate, the YG is almost like the rays of the sun against the blue ocean of your blue agate. That's how I see how YG blue agate should be.. happy, bright, sunny! Plan B... you can always get YG hammered or pave and call it a day and move to on Frivole!

WG guilloche is more crispy and modern to me. Definitely not 80s, more like 20s Art Deco to me and looks great with color (think Art Deco platinum, oynx, coral, turquoise.... ).

On Vintage vs Magic, if you plan to wear it with your VA pendant, I think VA is better. With Magic earrings, you pendant will have shrinkage, and you might think it now looks small, taking away the beauty of your pendant.

For the four-way earrings adjustment, especially with VA earrings, you can do the following:
- Adjust the post higher or lower. There are two holes in the back of the earring, so if you want the earring to sit higher on your ear, you put them in the lower hole. The lower hole seems to be the default position.
- Adjust the clip tension tighter or looser. To me, the default VCA tension is tight. I don't have thick earlobes, but I like to wear my earrings looser so my ear piercing has space to breathe between the posts. The earrings are not going to fall off as they are lever backs/French clips.
- Swap out to a thinner post. The standard VCA post is the thicker one. I have small ear piercings, so I ask t switch it out to the thinner posts. Otherwise, my ears hurt and my ear piercing bleeds a bit (grose!)
- Swap out the post to a longer post. This is needed for people who have thick earlobes and need the tension loosen. If you loosen the tension a lot, a longer post may be needed.

You can also solder them, but I don't. I don't solder in case I want to change my posts again in the future.
With a solder, it's stuck in there, and requires a much bigger repair. I have not heard of VCA "unsoldering" earrings, biut I am sure they can. They can can do anything.

Good luck on earring shopping!

Thank you for all of this information. I screenshot the four ways earrings can be altered for future reference. I like the idea of not soldering them so I can hand down my earrings to my daughter (who knows if she will want to pierce her ears? Maybe she won’t and will want to wear them as clip ons…). I guess I run the risk of the posts coming loose? But that’s for later. Gotta decide on the earrings first!

I can’t wait to decide on my first pair and report back!

 

[snnysmm]

Thanks! Note my collection was not carefully curated. I just buy whatever I love then fill in any gaps as needed. The sweet pave earrings were my gap filler. I only wear them with one of my necklaces.
For other earrings to go with Alhambra, I mostly look at no name or custom made. There are so many great options out there. You can go very basic with earrings (like small hoops Huggies diamond studs) and let the Alhambra necklace be the star.

Thank you!

I like the idea of a pave Alhambra because I think that will fill in the gap. And I want the WMOP just because I think it’s classic Alhambra, but maybe once I get the pave pairs, I won’t need the WMOP pairs. That might save me a few thousand that I can allocate to other pieces (maybe Frivole!).

As an aside, I think it’s so amazing they can set diamonds in such a perfect setting in sweets. I think that’s what makes them so special.

 

[littleclouds]

If I were looking for Carnelian I'd get that because I'm drawn to slightly brighter shades. Having no comparison to another piece I don't consider that one too dark (if that's what you are asking), but then I'm relatively new to VCA and have only seen one other Carnelian piece in person (a relatively dark pair of earrings)

Thank you for the input! I have decided to get it and will be collecting my bracelet this weekend. So excited!

 

[xorubyred]

Has the rose gold two butterfly pendant with MOP ever been released with yellow/white gold (and MOP) in the past?

 

[Buddysmom]

I am on the hunt for a YG 10 or 20 motif Turquoise. The prices seem to be all over the place....ranging from high to just insane...lol. Any recommendations on where to focus my search would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Pickypear]

deleted

 

[glamourbag]

Has the rose gold two butterfly pendant with MOP ever been released with yellow/white gold (and MOP) in the past?

Not from what I recall.

 

[oranGetRee]

Would like to seek our ladies views here.

I have the pink sapphire Frivole necklace. Would it be too much of matchy matchy if I have the Frivole single flower pave ring as well?

Besides this ring, what else would be a complement to the necklace that is not from the Alhambra series? My budget is less than Usd $14k as I cannot justify paying so much extra for missing the 13 Oct price increase craze (Asia).

Many thanks!

 

[texasgirliegirl]

Slight update. I wanted to order by today but was still playing dress up with my bracelets and it was too late to order so I get one more day to decide lol.

I'm pretty sure I don't like the look of the two different 5 motif bracelets put together as a necklace. I tried using a dainty gold chain bracelet as the back part of the necklace (I would want to get a chain that matches though so it won't look as obvious). I'm not sure how I feel about it. My husband said he doesn't see the point of having the motifs in the back so he likes this option the best. Any thoughts?
View attachment 5627010View attachment 5627011View attachment 5627012

Please just purchase the 10 motif.
This looks like a cheap replica and you don’t want to devalue your presentation.