VCA ~ Van Cleef Arpels Discussion thread!

[cvalier26]

These are the pieces that I'm instinctively drawn to :
- Sweet turquoise/wg clover earrings (i find it to be such a happy color combination and good for a more casual fresh summery look)
- Sweet carnelian clover necklace (for a more feminine delicate warm look)
- Sweet turquoise butterfly necklace (less sure of this one, and it will be either this or the turquoise clover earrings - for now anyway)
- Vintage onyx/yg clover necklace, but this is for later on!

What do you think ? Which would you choose between the turquoise pendant and earrings? Initially I was also considering the sweet onyx/yg earrings but thought it would be best to wait for the pendant.

 

[texasgirliegirl]

How sturdy are VCA pieces ? Have you ever broken a piece, like snapped into two, or damaged one? Do they scratch easily? I suppose this depends on the stone. How prone to scratches or damage are turquoise, onyx and carnelian? Do they tolerate water? Are they easy to maintain?

Sturdy , yes.
I would not recommend wearing any fine jewelry in the water.
Onyx is the hardest stone. You won't easily find turquoise right now.

 

[cvalier26]

Sturdy , yes.
I would not recommend wearing any fine jewelry in the water.
Onyx is the hardest stone. You won't easily find turquoise right now.

Thank you. Most of the turquoise sweets are available for order on the Europe website (I think the US one too), the other pieces aren't (not that I could afford them anyway )

Edit : Regarding the turquoise shortage, is this something that has been going on for a long time ? I have read the previous posts saying that it might take two years to be available again :-/. So if i want a turquoise sweet would it be best to put it first on my purchase list and just get it now (since it seems to be still available) and get the carnelian later? What I mean is are they not making any more turquoise altogether or are they still making them just in the sweet size?

 

[PennyD2911]

Thanks PennyD for your input. I went to speak to my VCA SA today and asked him about the lenght of my bracelet. We also had another SA look at it for me. They both think it fits well, and although it hangs a bit, it is a good fit. They also told me not to shorten it any further as then it will be too tight and will be difficult to wear. I now feel very happy with the length of my bracelet.


To anyone considering the frivole earrings: I tried on the frivole earrings today. I tried large in YG, small in WG, and the diamond small. OMG they are all absolutely stunning!!!! I walked away confused on the size and type that I want. Simply gorgeous! To all who have the frivole earrings, enjoy them as they are such a treasure

I'm making the Frivole one of my 2015 purchases. 😃
TGG and Hoping are such huge fans of the Frivole they have made me want to join the club. 😃
Now I see I need to add kimber to the list. 😃
You all are really making me want these earrings!


Sent from my iPad using PurseForum

 

[cvalier26]

What do you think of the second line of the picture ? The first line is the diamond pieces I have (don't be fooled by the website pics, they're really tiny ), the second line is what I'm considering getting in the foreseeable future.
It's a lot of necklaces but they are by quite far my favorite jewelry item, so I might as well get what I'll wear.
I love the butterfly (it was my first vca love) but I'm not sure about it!

 

[lara0112]

Lara0112, have you seen any of the Perlee Color rings in real time? I haven't, so I would love your impressions! I'm considering the gold with the onyx too. I like Pomellato as well, but I agree that these might just edge those out for me!

no, unfortunately not. We have a boutique here but I think it is higher priced than Europe (where I am originally from) so I will just buy online and have it shipped home when I have the cash.....

I have narrowed it down to Onyx or Malachite. The black is cool but the green is incredibly beautiful. There is a 300 Euro price difference between them... but then these are forever pieces so..

 

[texasgirliegirl]

What do you think of the second line of the picture ? The first line is the diamond pieces I have (don't be fooled by the website pics, they're really tiny ), the second line is what I'm considering getting in the foreseeable future.
It's a lot of necklaces but they are by quite far my favorite jewelry item, so I might as well get what I'll wear.
I love the butterfly (it was my first vca love) but I'm not sure about it!

You really seem to love the turquoise butterfly. If it's available now why not just get it? Are you planning to layer it? Just know that these sweets are really tiny. An alternative to buying the two sweets necklaces - a full size carnelian pendant. It will be set in yg.
I can see how you would be drawn to the sweets because they are very cute.

 

[hopingoneday]

What do you think of the second line of the picture ? The first line is the diamond pieces I have (don't be fooled by the website pics, they're really tiny ), the second line is what I'm considering getting in the foreseeable future.
It's a lot of necklaces but they are by quite far my favorite jewelry item, so I might as well get what I'll wear.
I love the butterfly (it was my first vca love) but I'm not sure about it!

If you really love the butterfly and always have I would get it. I have a couple of pairs of earrings in the sweet size and although they are small, as TGG says, I wear them often. I'm not sure, though, that I would recommend getting more than one necklace in sweet size. It is very cute and you will be able to wear it for a long time but in my experience, my VCA tastes have changed as I've gotten older and I am more interested in pieces that make more of a statement now than I was in my 20's. You may find that you are interested in, say, a fleurette or frivole pendant necklace by the time you are a little older, and I think one sweet pendant will suffice. Just one girl's opinion!
Of the necklaces in the sweet line, I do love the butterfly. It is whimsical, delicate and lovely.

 

[hopingoneday]

I'm making the Frivole one of my 2015 purchases. 😃
TGG and Hoping are such huge fans of the Frivole they have made me want to join the club. 😃
Now I see I need to add kimber to the list. 😃
You all are really making me want these earrings!


Sent from my iPad using PurseForum

sorry to enable, Penny, but I've gotten bit by the bug badly too. As you know I already have the small YG and the pave. Now I'm debating getting the WG next year...

 

[Coconuts40]

sorry to enable, Penny, but I've gotten bit by the bug badly too. As you know I already have the small YG and the pave. Now I'm debating getting the WG next year...

That's exactly what I plan on purchasing next! A pair of YG (not sure which size yet) and the pave.

After trying on both the YG and WG, I am starting to think long-term, and wondering which gold will show more scratches, or wear with time? To those who have the frivoles, do you find they still look good with each wear, and any regret with the gold you chose? Thanks

 

[hopingoneday]

That's exactly what I plan on purchasing next! A pair of YG (not sure which size yet) and the pave.



After trying on both the YG and WG, I am starting to think long-term, and wondering which gold will show more scratches, or wear with time? To those who have the frivoles, do you find they still look good with each wear, and any regret with the gold you chose? Thanks

I have definitely seen some vintage gold frivoles, both YG and WG, that were badly scratched. I guess if you travel a lot and throw them in a bag together there is the strong possibility that they will get scratched. However, my SA told me that VCA would be glad to buff them out if that should ever happen to me. So far (1 year of regular wear) mine have held up fine-no scratches!

 

[cvalier26]

Thank you again for your answers .
I do agree that two sweet necklaces seems a bit much, especially when I could get a single larger one for the price. If turquoise was still available there would be no hesitation, I would get the vintage one in yellow gold!

The thing is, I used to plan ahead much more and think that I would wait until I was in say my thirties to start VCA and invest straight away in the larger statement pieces, but then these past few years have been challenging with a long illness for me and a really heartbreaking loss of a loved one, and that's made me reconsider my quite obsessive "planning ahead" habits and want to live more for today. Does that make sense?
In jewelry world, it translates into getting what I love now even if I may not love it in ten years, because I don't know what will happen in ten years time. I just need to find a right balance though, which is basically why I joined this forum . Sorry for the long story .

So to get back to VCA , what do you think about the sweet earrings? Do you also think they look better in the vintage sizes? I've found a couple of really cute pictures of them on the threads

 

[HeidiDavis]

Thank you again for your answers .
I do agree that two sweet necklaces seems a bit much, especially when I could get a single larger one for the price. If turquoise was still available there would be no hesitation, I would get the vintage one in yellow gold!

The thing is, I used to plan ahead much more and think that I would wait until I was in say my thirties to start VCA and invest straight away in the larger statement pieces, but then these past few years have been challenging with a long illness for me and a really heartbreaking loss of a loved one, and that's made me reconsider my quite obsessive "planning ahead" habits and want to live more for today. Does that make sense?
In jewelry world, it translates into getting what I love now even if I may not love it in ten years, because I don't know what will happen in ten years time. I just need to find a right balance though, which is basically why I joined this forum . Sorry for the long story .

So to get back to VCA , what do you think about the sweet earrings? Do you also think they look better in the vintage sizes? I've found a couple of really cute pictures of them on the threads

I get what you're saying, cvalier26. Some things have happened in my life that have made me "live in the moment" more and try to not be such a planner (which is my nature). I personally do like the sweets, especially the Alhambra. I tried one and my only complaint was that I would definitely want it longer (the sweet pendants are just under 16" in length). But VCA will do this for you (up to 2 inches) at no charge. I am contemplating the sweet Alhambra bracelet and I am OLD compared to you (in my early 40;s, lol). I am also considering the sweet Alhambra earrings. I really need to see these in person and compare them to the vintage earrings before I decide though.

 

[texasgirliegirl]

That's exactly what I plan on purchasing next! A pair of YG (not sure which size yet) and the pave.

After trying on both the YG and WG, I am starting to think long-term, and wondering which gold will show more scratches, or wear with time? To those who have the frivoles, do you find they still look good with each wear, and any regret with the gold you chose? Thanks

No regrets with either. Mine aren't scratched and I wear them sll the time. They will show fingerprints so keep a polishing cloth handy.
If you have the pave I don't think you need the wg.

 

[MyDogTink]

Question for you lovely experienced VCA ladies. I have one piece- the magic pendant white mop WG. As Penny knows, I love this size but now I think I'm ready to go for a vintage pendant. I plan on layering it. I'm very serious about the tiger's eye which comes in the clover and butterfly. I feel like I don't see many people selecting the butterfly style. I know the clover is classic VCA but can anyone shed some light one why the butterfly doesn't seem overly popular? Thanks.