Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fans

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

So I visited the Cartier store on the Champs Élysées and it is amazing. Their customer service was the best I have encountered from any Cartier. So, because I have been in the fence about the LOVE bracelet I thought it only appropriate to share here before SMTB. It's a 16 rose gold cuff, and it feels so very comfortable. No regrets. And I got it in Paris. It will always be special to me for that reason.

I decided that my heart was most with the LOVE cuff. Even though I loved the VCA necklaces, I would get the most thrill out of wearing the LOVE. And I am so glad I went with the cuff. There are so many things that I do where I don't want to be wearing it, like chores, housework, laundry, cooking. I am way more careful about this than I am with my ering, probably cause the scratches are so obvious. . I would love to get a white gold with one diamond. . But one does look perfectly fabulous to me. I'm am so happy I took the plunge!

Such a gorgeous piece! I enjoyed the same beautiful service in Paris (same location) and I love my Trinity ring!

Wear it in health!

cheers--Sharon

Thank you Sharon. Such a coincidence that you bought your ring at that location too! . Hope I can go back!

 

[azstonie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Looks wonderful on you, LLJs. And what a wonderful location in which to acquire it! Now you are authentically soigne!

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

So I visited the Cartier store on the Champs Élysées and it is amazing. Their customer service was the best I have encountered from any Cartier. So, because I have been in the fence about the LOVE bracelet I thought it only appropriate to share here before SMTB. It's a 16 rose gold cuff, and it feels so very comfortable. No regrets. And I got it in Paris. It will always be special to me for that reason.



I decided that my heart was most with the LOVE cuff. Even though I loved the VCA necklaces, I would get the most thrill out of wearing the LOVE. And I am so glad I went with the cuff. There are so many things that I do where I don't want to be wearing it, like chores, housework, laundry, cooking. I am way more careful about this than I am with my ering, probably cause the scratches are so obvious. . I would love to get a white gold with one diamond. . But one does look perfectly fabulous to me. I'm am so happy I took the plunge!

Oh, I love the LOVE on you!

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

That's such a lovely memento to bring home LLJ!! m2b really turned me on to the idea of the cuff - you get the advantages of the look without the disadvantages of the... irremovability? The YG looks lovely on you And good for you for getting what you think you'll enjoy wearing more!!!

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

That's such a lovely memento to bring home LLJ!! m2b really turned me on to the idea of the cuff - you get the advantages of the look without the disadvantages of the... irremovability? The YG looks lovely on you And good for you for getting what you think you'll enjoy wearing more!!!

You should definitely add the Love cuff to your short list, Yssie! I think it would go great w/ those fabulous 5.4 ctw EW studs coming your way! Please don't keep us in suspense too long!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Love the Love cuff! Defintely a great option for those of us who are OCD about keeping our jewelry in fine condition! I also love both the white gold and rose gold! So pretty!

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

That's such a lovely memento to bring home LLJ!! m2b really turned me on to the idea of the cuff - you get the advantages of the look without the disadvantages of the... irremovability? The YG looks lovely on you And good for you for getting what you think you'll enjoy wearing more!!!

Thanks Yssie. Since I was going to get it, I might as well get it in Paris! . I did go with what Would give me the biggest thrill. Your explanations and background info on these branded pieces helped get over the mental hurdle of "what? It costs This much and there are no diamonds?!" Issue. Lol!

I can't wait to see these 5.4 ctw earrings you are working on. Project!! Yay!!

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

My shortlist is anything but "short" at this point and that really isn't as dismaying as it ought to be!!

My problem is wanting "sets" of things. I have the Trinity bangles (well, the workshop has them, but close enough) and I just bought a Trinity ring, and I think I want earrings as well. I wouldn't actually ever wear them all together, but I have this nagging need to own them

LLJ I actually think branded non-diamond pieces hold their value better than anything else!! We all know how much our beloved non-branded diamonds depreciate on the secondary market - even boutique specialty cuts don't fare well and branded pieces with diamonds are usually so, so extraordinarily expensive up-front that I think the market largely self-selects and those who can afford it often choose to pay the retail premium...

The cuff looks lovely on you, and m2b's looks equally lovely on her!! Bangles often give me this weird forearm muffin-top - I wear them anyway, but I acknowledge that I don't really have the arms for them

My earrings are done! But I've been a bad PSer and don't have photos yet. I'm hoping to catch some sunlight tonight!

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

My shortlist is anything but "short" at this point and that really isn't as dismaying as it ought to be!!

My problem is wanting "sets" of things. I have the Trinity bangles (well, the workshop has them, but close enough) and I just bought a Trinity ring, and I think I want earrings as well. I wouldn't actually ever wear them all together, but I have this nagging need to own them

LLJ I actually think branded non-diamond pieces hold their value better than anything else!! We all know how much our beloved non-branded diamonds depreciate on the secondary market - even boutique specialty cuts don't fare well and branded pieces with diamonds are usually so, so extraordinarily expensive up-front that I think the market largely self-selects and those who can afford it often choose to pay the retail premium...

The cuff looks lovely on you, and m2b's looks equally lovely on her!! Bangles often give me this weird forearm muffin-top - I wear them anyway, but I acknowledge that I don't really have the arms for them

My earrings are done! But I've been a bad PSer and don't have photos yet. I'm hoping to catch some sunlight tonight!

Which Trinity ring did you purchase? I'm thinking about one for myself (eventually) but am worried about the sizing/scratching issues. Not sure if yellow/rose gold matches my skin coloration, either, and I don't know much about durability of black ceramic for jewelry pieces?

Will be waiting patiently for earshots on your honkers now...

 

[PintoBean]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

m-2-b,

I am on the fence too about a trinity ring... how the metals will look against my skin, the scratching, the difficulty sizing, and the PRICE associated with the brand, so I ordered the thinnest rolling ring from rollingring.com to try out. I like how a rolling ring looks on my finger, but the thinnest one is not substantial enough for me... I am going to live with it for a while and see how I feel in the long run. I have lost 8-10 lbs so far, and am in the process of losing more, so I need to wait and see what my ring size stabilizes at (currently, none of my old rings fit!!! Talk about an incentive to lose weight!)

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Betteridge is having a big sale right now and there's a WG LOVE cuff...

http://www.betteridge.com/cartier-18k-white-gold-love-cuff-bracelet/p/9182/

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Betteridge is having a big sale right now and there's a WG LOVE cuff...

http://www.betteridge.com/cartier-18k-white-gold-love-cuff-bracelet/p/9182/

What a great deal!! $3300. Wow!! Too bad it's way too big for me...

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Which Trinity ring did you purchase? I'm thinking about one for myself (eventually) but am worried about the sizing/scratching issues. Not sure if yellow/rose gold matches my skin coloration, either, and I don't know much about durability of black ceramic for jewelry pieces?

I think Cartier's yellow and rose golds look quite similar - the white gold always stands out the most, to me, in both the bracelet and the ring. I personally love the ultra thin three-band Trinity ring with the very narrow intertwined bands - I think it's a fantastic stacking piece and I adore the idea of using one as a wedding band like some PSers (Niel comes to mind!) do The thicker "classic" style definitely highlights the colours more, though, IMO. I have to say... I finally really understand what they mean by "rolling rings" - these bands really do "roll" on and off, vs. "sliding" like other bands...

Mine is actually a pre-loved seven-band Trinity - I wanted something that I could wear with my bangle without matching completely. It has three YG, two WG, and two RG, and each band is ~1.5mm wide. It's a very different look from the ultra thin three-band style... the overall effect is wider and higher-profile off the finger (though still surprisingly low!), and I think it's a much more of a "standalone" ring. Or maybe stacked with a very thin eternity?

Re. fit - PSers are right, as usual! I normally wear a US 4 but get my rings sized to 4.25 for a slightly looser fit. I was debating between a 47 and 48 and went with the 48, and I'm SO glad I did - it fits just like my other 4.25 bands! Each band individually is way too big, but all together they fit MUCH more tightly than I was expecting... the Cartier website tells you to size *down*, I don't understand that at all!!


Were you thinking about the two white/black ceramic or the single pave? I tried the one with one pave band on in NYC a few years ago and LOVED the look, an edgier take on a romantic classic, but the black and white didn't suit my skin - I need warmer colours. Canuk-gal has one and it looks fabulous on her!!

Durability is a fantastic question - I'd love to hear more opinions. I have ceramic knives that chip if you breathe on them wrong, but I've got to assume there are a thousand different types of ceramics, etc.!


[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-have-a-favorite-gold-designer.29197/page-47']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-have-a-favorite-gold-designer.29197/page-47[/URL]



Some quick pics of mine... my camera kicked it again so I'm back on my old one The last photo is on a grey card and probably shows the colours the best:












Edit: LLJ I realised I typed "YG" in my reply to your post about your cuff My reading comprehension isn't actually quite that bad, I promise! I read "rose"

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Yssie, omygoodness, that skinny seven band trinity is...is...just so beautiful and graceful and lovely. It does look so, so, good on you!! You have the most exquisite taste.

Literally, this ring is making me drool. Wow. I need some water...

Btw, I knew you knew.

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I agree--your 7 band Trinity looks perfect on you, Yssie! I'm not sure if I can pull off RG/YG for myself.

I was specifically thinking about the small Trinity w/ the pave/WG/black ceramic bands (thanks, LLJ/Yssie, for the handshots on it on the other thread). It would be for a RHR or an alternate stand alone WB for me. I will have to ask the sales associate about the durability of the black ceramic, too, the next time I visit Cartier. It may be one of those instances where I try it on and find out that it does not work for me at all!

PintoBean--Thanks for your input,also, on your rolling rings!

 

[canuk-gal]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I agree--your 7 band Trinity looks perfect on you, Yssie! I'm not sure if I can pull off RG/YG for myself.

I was specifically thinking about the small Trinity w/ the pave/WG/black ceramic bands (thanks, LLJ/Yssie, for the handshots on it on the other thread). It would be for a RHR or an alternate stand alone WB for me. I will have to ask the sales associate about the durability of the black ceramic, too, the next time I visit Cartier. It may be one of those instances where I try it on and find out that it does not work for me at all!

PintoBean--Thanks for your input,also, on your rolling rings!

M2B:

I am about as hard on my ceramic rolling ring as any piece of jewellery I own. I adore it and I think about getting the one with diamonds as one of the trinity. I have never had one issue with pitting or denting or cracking (god forbid!)--they spin, perhaps that helps as one spot doesn't get hit, repeatedly in the exact same spot. I think bangles right take more of a beating.

Good luck with your decision! And thank you Yssie for posting those (albeit bad pictures) of my rings!

cheers--Sharon

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I agree--your 7 band Trinity looks perfect on you, Yssie! I'm not sure if I can pull off RG/YG for myself.

I was specifically thinking about the small Trinity w/ the pave/WG/black ceramic bands (thanks, LLJ/Yssie, for the handshots on it on the other thread). It would be for a RHR or an alternate stand alone WB for me. I will have to ask the sales associate about the durability of the black ceramic, too, the next time I visit Cartier. It may be one of those instances where I try it on and find out that it does not work for me at all!

PintoBean--Thanks for your input,also, on your rolling rings!

M2B:

I am about as hard on my ceramic rolling ring as any piece of jewellery I own. I adore it and I think about getting the one with diamonds as one of the trinity. I have never had one issue with pitting or denting or cracking (god forbid!)--they spin, perhaps that helps as one spot doesn't get hit, repeatedly in the exact same spot. I think bangles right take more of a beating.

Good luck with your decision! And thank you Yssie for posting those (albeit bad pictures) of my rings!

cheers--Sharon

Hi Sharon--I was hoping you would see this post! That is good to know about your personal experience w/ the black ceramic since you've had yours for a while. I feel much better about it now. Thanks a bunch!

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Did you all see the Cartier amulettes that Eva Longoria is wearing on the cover of Instyle this month?? They look so gorgeous. I love that malachite ring on her. And the bracelets do look beautiful and dainty yet so modern too. I never really gave this collection a second glance because it didn't have much "hanger appeal", IYKWIM. But once worn, it is just gorgeous.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Here are the close ups.



I just love this ring. I can't even think rationally right now. I can so see myself wearing it as a rhr. OMG

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I love the Trinity collection, but I would have doubts about that Amulette collection being as enduring in style. I really favor Alhambra over those.

I would have to agree with m2b that I don't know whether I can wear rose gold or not. I really do think it is beautiful, though. I prefer the traditional 3 colors of gold for the symbolic meaning they have. Yssie, yours is really beautiful!

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Thank you LLJ, m2b, DS!! I love it I'm not letting myself worry about scratching, and am using it as an everyday "don't want to wear diamonds today" ring So far so good! It's very comfortable - I completely forget I'm wearing it, which is exactly what I was hoping for


m2b - the WG/ceramic/pave is STUNNING in-person!! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think when you try it on! We have very different colouring and I think yours is much better suited to the high-contrast look... I do think if you go that route you'll have to resign yourself to scratching from day one, though - I imagine short of never wearing it the pave band scratching the heck out of the WG band is pretty much inevitable


Sharon - the bangle with pave & black ceramic is GORGEOUS!!! I think the SA I was playing dressup with said the "white" non-pave band on the bangle is platinum, not WG - something about labelling and sales in different countries..? It's good to know that the ceramic band can handle some abuse - does it scratch? Do you know if it can be polished like metal (I don't believe so)?


LLJ - OMG thank you!!! I waffled over getting this ring vs. the ultra-thin three-band Trinity for a week... After wearing it for a few days I think I made the right choice though. It's not stackable - or, at least, not on my fingers! - but I really like it as a standalone!!

The Amulette collection... I think I gotta agree with DS, I just don't think it has the staying power of other lines Then again, I feel the same way about VCA's Sweets and I fell in love with them anyway and I'm already squirreling away for the pave Sweet bracelet that is supposedly due later this year, so... grains of salt and all that


DS - I'm confident rose gold would look lovely on you! RG is so... wearable, and seems to suit so many skin tones... the three-pave Trinity resolves that problem by burying the RG metal under pink melee

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I've also been looking at the VCA lotus/frivole pendants/ear clips which are quite popular on TPF. Any opinions out there on these particular styles?

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

m-2-b,

I am on the fence too about a trinity ring... how the metals will look against my skin, the scratching, the difficulty sizing, and the PRICE associated with the brand, so I ordered the thinnest rolling ring from rollingring.com to try out. I like how a rolling ring looks on my finger, but the thinnest one is not substantial enough for me... I am going to live with it for a while and see how I feel in the long run. I have lost 8-10 lbs so far, and am in the process of losing more, so I need to wait and see what my ring size stabilizes at (currently, none of my old rings fit!!! Talk about an incentive to lose weight!)

Since Cartier's workshop flat out refuses to size rolling rings and bangles I think your plan to wait until your ring size stabilises is a very good one!! I'm of two minds re. buying Trinities pre-loved. There are definitely deals to be had, but the number of fakes is appalling - a few weeks ago I spent a couple of hours on eBay and found 61 Trinity rings, all from three sellers in Japan

I'll be interested to hear if the thin style grows on you

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I've also been looking at the VCA lotus/frivole pendants/ear clips which are quite popular on TPF. Any opinions out there on these particular styles?

YESSSSS...

LOVE LOVE LOVE the pave Frivole ear clips and the Lotus BTF ring!!! The Lotus ring is heartbreakingly lovely - I couldn't put it down for two hours. The Lotus earrings are very, very formal IMO, and whilst I think they would be stunning paired with the ring I can't envision actually wearing them IRL! Totally above my lifestyle, and quite heavy in the ears.

The Frivole ear clips, OTOH, were comfortable and seemed much more "wearable" - despite also being covered in pave they have the same three-dimensional look that I love (they don't sit flat on the ears), but for me the size and style is just cute/whimsical enough to pull them out of "red carpet only" territory.

I don't wear necklaces so haven't given much thought to pendants, but since you already have the Vintage pave pendant (and neither the Lotus pendant nor the Frivole pendant are really 'stackable' with it) I'm thinking maybe you'd get more use out of ear clips or rings..?

 

[canuk-gal]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

[

Sharon - the bangle with pave & black ceramic is GORGEOUS!!! I think the SA I was playing dressup with said the "white" non-pave band on the bangle is platinum, not WG - something about labelling and sales in different countries..? It's good to know that the ceramic band can handle some abuse - does it scratch? Do you know if it can be polished like metal (I don't believe so)?

Yssie:

The ceramic in my ring is pristine! Not a mark and therefore in no need of polishing.

I lol when I read your other post about your knives breaking--I cut rice krispie squares with my ceramic knife the other day and it broke in the squares! As I couldn't find the piece, I had to throw the whole dam PAN of squares out!

Maybe Cartier should make knives....

cheers--Sharon

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

[

Sharon - the bangle with pave & black ceramic is GORGEOUS!!! I think the SA I was playing dressup with said the "white" non-pave band on the bangle is platinum, not WG - something about labelling and sales in different countries..? It's good to know that the ceramic band can handle some abuse - does it scratch? Do you know if it can be polished like metal (I don't believe so)?

Yssie:

The ceramic in my ring is pristine! Not a mark.

I lol when I read your other post about your knives breaking--I cut rice krispie squares with my ceramic knife the other day and it broke in the squares! As I couldn't find the piece, I had to throw the whole dam PAN of squares out!

Maybe Cartier should make knives....

cheers--Sharon

Oh no!! Tossing the pan was probably for the best, though - I'm imagining biting into rice krispies and chewing on shards of ceramic

Can you imagine the pricetag on Cartier knives? Knowing what Tiffany houseware costs... ::GULP::

 

[m-2-b]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I've also been looking at the VCA lotus/frivole pendants/ear clips which are quite popular on TPF. Any opinions out there on these particular styles?

YESSSSS...

LOVE LOVE LOVE the pave Frivole ear clips and the Lotus BTF ring!!! The Lotus ring is heartbreakingly lovely - I couldn't put it down for two hours. The Lotus earrings are very, very formal IMO, and whilst I think they would be stunning paired with the ring I can't envision actually wearing them IRL! Totally above my lifestyle, and quite heavy in the ears.

The Frivole ear clips, OTOH, were comfortable and seemed much more "wearable" - despite also being covered in pave they have the same three-dimensional look that I love (they don't sit flat on the ears), but for me the size and style is just cute/whimsical enough to pull them out of "red carpet only" territory.

I don't wear necklaces so haven't given much thought to pendants, but since you already have the Vintage pave pendant (and neither the Lotus pendant nor the Frivole pendant are really 'stackable' with it) I'm thinking maybe you'd get more use out of ear clips or rings..?

Thank you for your thoughts on the matter, Yssie. I agree that the Lotus collection is probably more formal than my lifestyle allows. I do love the whimsicality of the Frivole line so I'm leaning towards the non-pave WG small Frivole earclips which may be more wearable (and affordable) for day to day use. But then there's this LV Capucines purse that I've been eyeing for a while, too...

 

[yssie]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

I think both the WG and pave Frivole earclips only come in the small size? IMO the size is perfect

VCA vs. purse... see, this is an easy one for me, so I'm no help there

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

The frivole earclips are just lovely. If they are small I think you could wear those daily. But I don't know how small they are. I bet there are pics somewhere. They are super happy jewelry.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Let's talk branded pieces...Yssie, DS, and all other fan

Was at Cartier again today...

Yssie, The SA that helped me had a seven ring and it looked fabulous on her too. I didn't know it was discontinued. But I finally figured out why the 7 looks so lovely to me. There is a lot of movement to the look and therefore looks very organic. I reminds me of interweaving vines, something that the Arwen in Lord of the Rings would wear. Anyway, I digress.

I totally know what you mean when you say the amulette is not iconic the way VCA is, or the trinity design is. But I had to try it on, and I LOVE it. I feel really at ease and comfortable with it on. I can wear it daily. Ok. I know my next piece!! Yay!! (We'll see how long this lasts...).

I like the onyx more but the MOP seems more flattering.