VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!
- Thread starter Swanky
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The sweet isn’t adjustable in terms of height, but the vintage can be
I held off on soldering my earrings even though there is a chance that I could lose a post because I have 2 daughters who love my jewelry and may need to adjust them in the future not for resale reasons-so that could be a consideration too for all of the mom’s out thereHi @A bottle of Red !
@Hiker4life is correct that even if the post is soldered, you can easily adjust the tension. The tension adjustment is adjusted through the hinge which is the part that opens and closes.
What you cannot do once the post is soldered is:
- Move the post up or down between the two holes
- Change the post thickness
- Lengthen the post (The post can still be shortened as the jeweler can just file down the soldered post to shorten).
If the post is soldered and you want to change the post thickness or lengthen the post using the same hole...
The jeweler will need to first remove the current post. This means the jeweler needs to clip off the current post, drill a hole again, and put in a new post (e.g. thinner or longer). Since the jeweler is creating a new hole, you can decide if you want the post soldered again or if you want the jeweler to put it back to the original threaded screw post design.
If the post is soldered and you want to move the post to the other hole, it's as bit more steps...
The jeweler will need to clip off the current post. For the new post in the new hole, you can decide if you want to solder the new post or use a threaded screw post. If you want to use the the threaded screw post which is the original design, the jeweler can simply screw it in as the integrity of the threads in other hole is intact for the post to be screwed in.
However... note that the original hole where the soldered post used to be is now closed. The jeweler will most likely just buff it to smooth/polish the surface. This means though your earring back will now have only one hole vs. the original standard of two holes. Hence, it will look a bit off aesthetically, so think if that will bug you (yes, it would bug me as I am all about keeping things pure.
).
Also...
If you ever want to resell, some buyers may think it's not an authentic earring even though there is paperwork. Or, they may think the earring has been altered too much and may just pass. In this case, you could ask the jeweler to re-create the original hole for aesthetics (it's just a an easy drill to get a screw hole). If you decided to solder your new post again, this would be for aesthetics only as the buyer cannot actually move the posts given it's soldered. So... you have to ask why even do it if the hole is not functional. However, if you decided to use the original threaded screw post, then yes, the buyer could move the posts to the other hole.
But..
If you are even thinking resell, why even solder the post to begin with? A soldered post will for sure turn some buyers away because their ears may not work with the height, post thickness, or length of the current soldered post.
I am probably way over detailing, but I do want to share my thoughts...
To solder or not...
It's 100% what a person feels comfortable with. The decision to solder is more than just the "safety" aspect.
One should also consider the aesthetic and resell aspects, especially if you are the type of person who resells your pieces.
For me...I buy jewelry for my own enjoyment so I never think about resell. However, a top priority of mine is to have the piece stay true to the original design. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a purist. Hence, I do not like to do extra ajustments to alter the design. My posts are not soldered.
Again though, it's 100% preference based on your priorities as to why you want to solder or not.
Just my two cents. Hope this helps.
ETA: I want to add... if you live in NYC or can visit there and need your earring tension adjusted often, it would be worth it to go to VCA NYC to get them "measured" using the micrometer tool I mentioned in an earlier post. This way, when you buy new earrings, your SA can write down the exact tension spacing (in mms) needed for adjustment so there's no back and forth. The tool may now be in other cities, so check with your local SA first before taking the hike to NYC (I don't live near a VCA).
Great point! Plus, our bodies change as we age and we might need adjustments in the future. I think my ears got fatter even though I am the same weight. I just adjusted some other earrings too.
My SA told me standard earring adjustments are always free for that reason as people’s body change and VCA wants our earrings to be comfy (so we will buy more earrings!).
Your daughters are going to fight for you gorgeous goodies! Lucky daughters!
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Jenayb,Ladies….
Does anyone have any familiarity with these pieces? Connectable bracelet and necklace from the late 70s.
Considering purchasing but these are definitely new to me. My girlfriend believes they are a custom one off, and she knows her stuff so I’m definitely thinking she’s right, but hoping to tap into my sisters’ knowledge here!
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I can definitely see you rocking this. I assume it’s a significant investment, but worth every penny. Absolutely love.
Today, I went to the shop in Manhattan. Completely different experience. No line out the door on a weekend afternoon, but busy.
The SA listened to me (I’m now looking for RdN, not Alhambra) and, not having it, looked in the system to see if it was available at another store. She found one and promised to check into it and get back to me. She didn’t try to hard-sell me something else.
Regarding the snowflake earrings, she had a platinum version that was spoken for. She brought it out for me to look, then brought out a yellow gold snowflake pendant so I could have a sense of what the earring would look like in yellow gold.
I learned why the shop I went to earlier couldn’t be more helpful. They aren’t owned and operated by VCA. They are an (authorized retailer?). So, they don’t have access to view VCA USA inventory. That said, they’re sales strategy, what they sell and how they sell it, seems to work for the market they serve; folks are lined up out the door. Kudos to both shops.
But it's so different and special! Absolutely stunning! May I ask how much you paid these from Dearluxe? Are you still happy with the purchase? Thank youPlease don't answer this question!! I paid premium and got the earrings. I am not sure I want to know
Has anyone been able to order the mirror finish small yg Frivole earrings recently? I spoke to an SA last week and she told me that orders cannot be placed for them, and she has not seen them in 2-3 yrs now. She put me on a waitlist to be notified when orders are going to be accepted…
I use warm water and dawn. To me it washes off easier than jewelry cleaner.
Do you also use a tiny jewlery brush or a soft toothbrush or just buffing cloth they gave you?
thanks so much.