Okay. So, I am now updating my for-sure list, in part in preparation for the new year, but also in light of purchases I’ve already made. I also just think it’s interesting to note what has changed. I think this past year has really established that my list of “absolutes” is probably not as absolute as I thought, because I went over my old postings and realized there were some pieces that I really haven’t thought about in a while. Anyways, this is going to be a long entry, because I plan on eventually coming back to reference this in a few months or years.
For this first section, these are the items that I definitely still want to buy, because I noticed I still frequently think about them. Funnily enough, I actually don’t have any yellow gold bracelets, which is predominantly the reason why so many of the remaining items in my longterm list consist of yellow gold pieces. I’m ordering this list based on when I think I should plan my purchases:
1. Pave vintage Alhambra 5-motif bracelet in yellow gold.
This past year, I’ve realized that I really enjoy soft bracelets for their comfort, and I’ve also noticed that I get the most use out of my diamond pieces — simply because they’re so much more carefree. Originally, I had not included this piece in any of my lists, because I thought that the perlee clover bracelet would be a satisfactory substitute. Still, this piece was always in back of my head. But now I feel like I’ll get substantially more wear with a chain bracelet compared to a bangle. Sure, the motifs flip, which is annoying, and I wish the diamonds were on both sides, but this bracelet is always one of the first things I click on when I browse the VCA website. Also, I got to try out a version of this bracelet in white gold, and realized that I actually don’t mind the flipping as much as I originally thought. I’ve decided that I want to make this my next “big” jewelry purchase. In general, I like the vintage Alhambra bracelet design, and the diamond version is definitely the most practical in terms of scratches, maintenance, etc. To me, VCA is a yellow gold type of brand, but I also like this bracelet in rose gold. It’s just that I have plenty of rose gold bracelets already, so the yellow gold will be a more useful addition.
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2. Semi-pave juste en clou bracelet in yellow gold.
Naturally, I think the follow up to a VCA purchase would be buying a different brand. I really like this design because the diamond placement looks more intentional. Meanwhile, I don’t like the “full pave” version because the bottom doesn’t have any diamonds, which I think looks strange. I have a Tiffany atlas bangle that only has diamonds on the top, and the design bothers me somewhat more than it should. The semi-pave design looks better in my opinion. And even though it’s a bangle, I think the juste en clou design is much less susceptible to scratches, since it stays put on the wrist. The price point is also a lot more acceptable to me. I always want at least ~some~ sparkle, so I prefer this version over the plain gold one. I also don’t have any yellow gold bangles right now, so this would be a good addition for those times when I actually want to wear a bangle.
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3. Perlee clover bangle in yellow gold.
Literally, every year, I say that I’m going to buy the clover bangle, but then I buy something else. I’ve come to realize maybe I (subconsciously) don’t actually love this design as much as I thought. Anyways, I think realistically, I’ll be more on the market for the perlee bangle after buying the JUC. I like to spread my money across different brands. But then again, maybe after getting a bangle like the JUC, I’ll decide that I don’t actually need or want the perlee. Who knows. I just feel that I’ll regret not getting it, since the bangle has such a strong design. I think it’s the perfect blend of detail without too much clutter. Again, I like some sparkle, so the plain perlee with the Van Cleef script writing just doesn’t appeal to me. And I think the pave perlee bangle looks boring, because it doesn’t have as many distinct design elements.
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4. Half-pave bee my love bangle in yellow gold.
I love hexagons. They’re one of my favorite shapes (including stars and pentagons). I love the half pave, even though a small part of me wonders how susceptible it is to scratches. But, eh, the full pave loses the hexagonal shapes in my opinion, and becomes more typical of a full-diamond bangle. And the plain gold version doesn’t have any of the sparkle. Gold is, of course, the right color for anything bee-related in my opinion. My main hesitation with Chaumet is the brand itself, and how difficult it would be to try on the pieces, or get a repair, or make returns without a physical store in the US. I’ve had to do repairs and alterations from time to time, usually when I don’t expect it. I have this as my fourth purchase, because the price is much easier to accept compared to the fifth item on my list. However, I can imagine myself potentially buying this item before the JUC in the event I visit France, because they’re both basically the same price. However, I don’t have any travel plans at the moment, so this is where the BML will remain.
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5. Pave and ceramic love bangle in white gold.
I love the black and white contrast. I think the design is so cool. It’s the only love bracelet that speaks to me. I definitely don’t love the price, however. $46k after tax for not even 2 tcw of diamonds? Originally, I had this down as a “maybe” item. But I’ve done some more thinking, and I can definitely see myself buying this in the long-term. I think it’s wearable, it’s not too cumbersome to take on and off, and the design photographs well. In terms of when it’ll actually be purchased? I can’t say. But im envisioning five or more plus years from now, because I already have a lot of platinum (predominantly) and white gold pieces to enjoy.
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Moving on, this next section is for pieces that I don’t consider too, too price-exorbitant. I would like to buy these pieces to better complete or complement my wardrobe. I can imagine these purchases happening on a whim, so I don’t include them in my long-term list, since I’m not particularly going out of my way to save up for them:
1. Pave diva’s dream pendant in rose gold.
I actually prefer the version of the diva’s dream pendant that features negative space more, but the full-pave design is more classic and more noticeable because of the size. The proportions look to be more “correct,” like this was the intended size. I’ve realized that my mom’s advice about picking classic designs may actually be accurate. I think the DD pendant would be a great addition, because I currently don’t have any rose gold pendants with that sparkle factor that I’m looking for. I just have rose gold necklaces with diamond accents, such as the VCA rhodonite holiday pendant — which is actually the piece that made me realize I don’t get any wear out of non-precious stones. I was comparing a lot of different brands, and the only other design I like for a rose gold diamond pendant is the pave Alhambra pendant. But that’s just too repetitive in my opinion to the pave Alhambra bracelet I plan to get. I also really like the rose gold Paloma Picasso love pendant, but I already have that collection’s ring in rose gold (and white gold), so that presents the same issue of being too repetitive. I also love the pave version of the serpenti snakehead pendant with rubellite eyes, but, then, that crosses into the territory of big ticket items, and that’s definitely not a casual piece piece I can leave on and forget about.
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2. Pave small frivole pendant in yellow gold.
I also like the pave vintage Alhambra pendant in yellow gold, but, yeah, as stated above, that would just be too repetitive to the pave Alhambra bracelet I plan to get. Personally, I much prefer the frivole pendant with the plain gold petals. I think it has better contrast and the shape is easier to see. However, the gold version doesn’t come in a size small for whatever reason. When looking at all the different frivole sizes, mini is just way too tiny and large is way too big. It’s unfortunate, because the small size looks to be the most correctly proportioned. I don’t love the price however, for the pave frivole. $8,000 for that? In the meantime, I have my pave medium-sized T smile pendant that fits my requirement for a sparkly, easy-to-care-for yellow gold pendant. Overall, this piece isn’t a top priority, but I think it’s likely to happen, since it would fill a hole in my wardrobe. I only have that one yellow gold pendant from Tiffany, so it’d be nice to be able to alternate pendants from time to time or layer them.
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This next section is for pieces I like, and that I want to buy impulsively, but recognize that I should probably abstain from purchasing:
1. Rose Dior pre catelan pendant in yellow gold.
I’m obsessed with the bee design. Chaumet also makes a cute bee pendant, but it only comes in rose gold, which I don’t like for a bee concept. Also the BML pendant features the bee as an etching on a hexagon comb. I think the silhouette of a bee on its own is more striking. The Dior design presents better in my opinion, because it’s more obviously a bee, instead of a hexagon with a bee slapped on it. I really like this pendant and the price of this piece. But it’s from Dior, which isn’t a major jeweler. I feel like the smart thing to do is to use that money towards something on my forever list.
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2. Pave sweet Alhambra 6-motif bracelet in white gold.
The design is cute. But the individual diamonds are much smaller than the vintage size, the total carat weight is noticeably reduced, and the motifs aren’t as visible. Plus, would I really use this bracelet when I have the Victoria alternating bracelet? Sure, it’s white gold instead of yellow, but is that enough of a difference? All signs point to me saying no, especially because I’m not short on any white metal bracelets.
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3. Pave frivole 5-flower bracelet in white gold.
Again, would I actually wear this piece? I already have the alternating Victoria alternating bracelet. In many ways, the Victoria bracelet fulfills my need for a soft bracelet in platinum/white gold with diamonds. On one hand, I can say the frivole isn’t a diamond line bracelet, so it looks more “designed.” I also like the integrated clasp a lot and the 3D appearance of all the petals. But on the other hand, my intuition tells me that any money I could spend on this frivole bracelet would be better used to save up for the pave love bangle instead, as I also don’t have a white-metal diamond bangle yet. Also, if I end up getting the frivole pendant, then I worry that this frivole bracelet might become too repetitive, even though one would be in yellow gold and the other in white gold.
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The pieces I’ve removed from my lists are the lotus ring, the double love ring (which is actually retired), the half-pave serpenti ring, and the mini coco crush ring with diamonds. Basically, I feel done with rings for the time being. I actually have not thought about the lotus ring at all this year, which is surprising considering how much I still love the design. I actually completely forgot about it until I went through my old list. I think the reason I feel okay with no more rings (at least for now) is because this year, I ordered some custom full-circle diamond pinky rings. I have to say that, ever since, I feel unusually satisfied with the number of rings in my collection. It was just so fun to make my own design. None of the major jewelry houses could make a size 2.0 or 2.25 ring, and I grew tired of fruitlessly waiting for them to expand their ring sizes. Diamond pinky rings are literally so comfortable, and the diamonds are extra visible on your hand. Basically, you get 3/4 diamond coverage at all times, since the ring isn’t pressed between two other fingers. And unlike my index finger (which produces a slight sausage effect when I wear a ring) or my thumb (which scratches rings very easily and feels uncomfortable when I’m using a pen) the pinky has proven to be a very functional finger on which to wear rings. When I put on a pinky ring, I don’t even feel it, nor does it feel like it sticks out too much or is interrupting me when I’m using my hands. The big brands have some signet-style rings that I could alter into a smaller size, but I really just wanted a full-circle design because the constant spinning bothers me.
. Hoping to get these within the next year and then will expand 
