Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[newtojewels]

I had so much fun looking at so many lovely purchases since I last posted!

Congratulations on getting your SO approved, Yssie! So exciting!

My collection has grown too, so I thought I'd share an update.
Sorry my photo taking skills are so bad.

From left
5-motif bracelets
Carnelian and YG Guilloche
Princess Grace Gold MOP and Pave in YG
SO Pink MOP and Pave (without center bead) in PG
Rock Crystal in YG, plus 20 motif necklace


Comparison of Gold MOP and Pink MOP


From left
2022 Holiday pendant
Princess Grace Gold MOP in YG
Magic MOP in YG plus matching earrings


Sweet Clover bracelet in YG


Small Turquoise RdN earrings



FdP earrings and bracelet in multi colored sapphire


SO Socrate ring and earrings with rubies and diamonds


Noeud ring


My most beloved piece
Butterfly BTF ring in rubies and diamonds

I think I may have missed out a couple of smaller pieces, but putting my purchases all in one post makes me think I may need to take a break. lol.

What an incredible collection! Do you have any photos of the FdP or the Noeud pieces on? I have never seen FdP in real life (though have definitely admired online!) and they're just so special and stunning I hadn't come across the Noeud ring before your post and love it too. And of course the butterfly ring is stunning. Who am I kidding, everything is stunning!

 

[m-2-b]

Glad to see you back, @Boom ! You definitely don't disappoint when you update your VCA pieces! Love them all, especially the pink MOP!

 

[Pomelo]

I had so much fun looking at so many lovely purchases since I last posted!

Congratulations on getting your SO approved, Yssie! So exciting!

My collection has grown too, so I thought I'd share an update.
Sorry my photo taking skills are so bad.

From left
5-motif bracelets
Carnelian and YG Guilloche
Princess Grace Gold MOP and Pave in YG
SO Pink MOP and Pave (without center bead) in PG
Rock Crystal in YG, plus 20 motif necklace


Comparison of Gold MOP and Pink MOP


From left
2022 Holiday pendant
Princess Grace Gold MOP in YG
Magic MOP in YG plus matching earrings


Sweet Clover bracelet in YG


Small Turquoise RdN earrings



FdP earrings and bracelet in multi colored sapphire


SO Socrate ring and earrings with rubies and diamonds


Noeud ring


My most beloved piece
Butterfly BTF ring in rubies and diamonds

I think I may have missed out a couple of smaller pieces, but putting my purchases all in one post makes me think I may need to take a break. lol.

Wow what a collection! The mystery set rubies in your BTF Butterfly ring is magical.

Please can I ask how often you wear your rock crystal pieces, and how well the stone has held up? I’d love to get a rock crystal bracelet one day as I think it’s such an interesting neutral stone!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So many gorgeous additions, @Boom !!!!

 

[Boom]

Here’s a photo when I was trying the FdP bracelet on.



@newtojewelsThe Noeud ring is a recent purchase, give me a day and I will post a photo of it on my hand. I’ve been eyeing it for a while since it was in white, yellow and rose gold and I knew it would match everything. There was always something else that I preferred more though, so it kept getting pushed down the wishlist. The price kept increasing though so I finally bit the bullet.

@m-2-b Pink MOP is sublime but really pretty. I requested an SO on one piece and VCA approved it and suggested I SO another 2 pieces so I could get a matching set. If I missed this chance, they probably weren’t going to approve any more in the future.

@Pomelo I’ve only worn the rock crystal bracelet 2 times and both times I stacked it with the Perlee single row bracelet in RG. It still looks new but I am not the type to be worried too much about scratches. My SA said rock crystal is very fragile and many pieces are broken in the manufacturing process but he has yet to hear of any replacements of damaged motifs from customers.

The ruby butterfly ring on the hand. I was lucky enough to try on an emerald version of this ring and it was just breath taking.

 

[LLJsmom]

@Boom your pieces are incredible and unbelievable. Congratulations!! Every piece is spectacular and your ruby butterfly btf ring made me collapse. I can’t imagine What it would be like to see all these pieces irl in one place. It’s better than the vca store. Wear them in health and happiness

 

[yssie]

@Boom.

I'm trying to explain this post to my husband and I really can't find the words. How does one even begin to describe how rare and special your treasures are? I mean this isn't just a "share", it's an Event in and of itself!! Even though I knew about all these pieces individually - seeing them all together like this, oh my goodness, it's an entirely elevated experience

I'm so glad you've got the whole rock crystal set! I feel like you'll get a lot of use from those pieces. Someone on the other forum mentioned that her new bracelet is much more opaque than her necklace ever was but your pieces look like they match really well. They're such lovely neutrals. L'Ecole did a webinar about rock crystal some months ago, they talked about how the material was considered a window to heaven and reserved for religion, and how important it's been in the evolution of jewellery - it was fascinating. You're making me want rock crystal all over again!

I know you like having "practical" sets. Not matchy, necessarily, but pieces that work together on ears and wrist and neck and hand. Your Socrate SOs, you can wear those earrings with your butterfly ring!! I didn't put those together until just now. What a perfect pairing though. That ring, those mystery set rubies... If I saw you on the street I would do peculiar and deviant things for a better look

Is there any word on your pink MOP necklace? Kinda crazy how much that middle metal bead changes the feel of the piece, that one small change is a transformation from "vintage-y" to "totally modern". Those are great neutrals too. They'll look fantastic with pearls. If my pink MOP piece is approved I plan to pair it with my pinked akoya studs... The necklace would be stunning with your akoya strand, OMG

YOUR TURQUOISE RDN PAIR. Holy h*ll they're glorious. They look so blue. Such a perfect shade of turquoise Do you find them heavy on the ears? You must wear those with some salmon coloured coral this summer!! So happy you came home with those. I figured you probably would but that niggle of doubt was paining me They're fit for royalty and you needed them in your royal collection.

Boom can I tempt you into some south sea pearls? A bracelet that you could stack with any of your Alhambra pieces, or your Perlee bangles, or your Folie set...

I feel like there are a thousand other things I need ot say about your collection. But words still escape me. I'll be back once I retrieve them. I follow so many influencers on IG who have VCA collections and honestly, none of them hold a candle to yours. They could make a coffee table book out of your pieces. Thank you so much for sharing your bling with us, it's a privilege to see photos of these creations

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I've never received an envelope from my DH for any occasion. I did today. He said "go and buy some of those Van Cleefs your friends are always talking about".. Van Cleefs (he doesn't even know the name....best laugh I've had in ages).

Merry Christmas--Sharon

 

[empliau]

HI:

I've never received an envelope from my DH for any occasion. I did today. He said "go and buy some of those Van Cleefs your friends are always talking about".. Van Cleefs (he doesn't even know the name....best laugh I've had in ages).

Merry Christmas--Sharon

Merry Christmas, Sharon! I like your husband's style!

 

[yssie]

Ohh so what Van Cleefs are you thinking of!?

 

[empliau]

Lee? Showing my age...

 

[m-2-b]

Merry Christmas to all here on PS!

 

[junebug17]

HI:

I've never received an envelope from my DH for any occasion. I did today. He said "go and buy some of those Van Cleefs your friends are always talking about".. Van Cleefs (he doesn't even know the name....best laugh I've had in ages).

Merry Christmas--Sharon

Aww so sweet of your hubby! Any ideas on what you'll get? Merry Christmas Sharon!

 

[Pomelo]

Merry Christmas to all here on PS!

Now THIS is some serious Van Cleefs!

 

[yssie]

Finally made it to the VCA exhibit at the NYC natural history museum - been wanting to go for months. Small but #SoWorthIt... It was magical to see so many pieces from the coffee table books IRL

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Oooo! So fun! Will the VCA exhibit be there much longer?

 

[yssie]

Their VCA, my VCA







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With Princess Grace's malachite Alhambra!!





The malachite has faded. A lot. It doesn't look verdant like in the books, or like the pieces you see in the boutique. I wonder if they knew back then how delicate this stone was.








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This piece is in... I think pretty much every book they've published. And it's incredible IRL. Those emeralds are the deepest and clearest and most vibrant green, and the mystery setting is flawless, no gaps at all... Even the underside, which I'd never seen pics of

 

[yssie]

Oooo! So fun! Will the VCA exhibit be there much longer?

Until March I believe!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Swoon!!!! Love the malachite watch!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Until March I believe!

Thanks for letting me know. I will plan to go next month.
P.S. Grace would be jealous of your bracelet.. fabu!!

 

[yssie]

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Another coffee table book staple:





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This was my favourite piece. I tend to prefer flora over fauna but this was just the perfect blend of realism and whimsy. Everything about it is so painstakingly designed, even the way the marquise emerald feathers overlap - can you imagine wearing this out somewhere?





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And the stone in this ring - my phone doesn't begin to do it justice. A rich forest green. My phone is trying to give it a blue cast that it didn't have at all IRL - it looked like velvet encased in gold. I dream of getting an emerald like this one day. Maybe about a twentieth of the size though



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[yssie]

Thanks for letting me know. I will plan to go next month.
P.S. Grace would be jealous of your bracelet.. fabu!!

Oh you must go! It's a small exhibit but the pieces are worth it!! Hard to describe the feeling of seeing the photos you've looked at for years come to life in front of you

Only thing that would have made it better is if it had been a boutique exhibit that let you try everything on

 

[yssie]

I've seen variants of these on 1st dibs!



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And this... My other half really liked this one. For me the design is... Take it or leave it. But the emeralds they used - this might be the most accurate emerald photo my phone managed. Glassy and lush. Dying over those emeralds!!



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A few other random pieces - probably Very Very Famous but they didn't speak to me, I'm the choosiest of beggars

 

[yssie]

Couple casual oldies I don't think I've shared here - 2024 resolution is to (cough, actually wear) *enjoy* my VCA day-to-day









Yes. That's right. There's glitter. And it sparkles.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Couple casual oldies I don't think I've shared here - 2024 resolution is to (cough, actually wear) *enjoy* my VCA day-to-day









Yes. That's right. There's glitter. And it sparkles.

Loved the museum pics but that Frivole on you is GORGEOUS!!!!!

 

[canuk-gal]

Loved the museum pics but that Frivole on you is GORGEOUS!!!!!

+ a billion

 

[HockeyMama]

Does anyone know how the online boutique gets stocked?

I tried on some sweet earrings this summer in Paris, but even they had none for sale (they were on reserve) and I live nowhere near a boutique. After months of online stalking I finally snagged a pair of sweet Alhambra white gold pave earrings! They don't arrive until Wednesday due to the weekend and the holiday.

Are these going to be earrings that someone returned? I shall certainly inspect closely for damage, but want to have realistic expectations.

I also wondered what earring backings are recommended by y'all for these? I've read they are hard to use and not comfortable but would love your expert opinions. I know for the vintage (maybe my next purchase) to be sure to customize the post thickness and position, but wasn't sure about these?

I'm so excited to be finally joining your club!

 

[LLJsmom]

Does anyone know how the online boutique gets stocked?

I tried on some sweet earrings this summer in Paris, but even they had none for sale (they were on reserve) and I live nowhere near a boutique. After months of online stalking I finally snagged a pair of sweet Alhambra white gold pave earrings! They don't arrive until Wednesday due to the weekend and the holiday.

Are these going to be earrings that someone returned? I shall certainly inspect closely for damage, but want to have realistic expectations.

I also wondered what earring backings are recommended by y'all for these? I've read they are hard to use and not comfortable but would love your expert opinions. I know for the vintage (maybe my next purchase) to be sure to customize the post thickness and position, but wasn't sure about these?

I'm so excited to be finally joining your club!

Congratulations! The sweet pave studs are my most worn pair of earrings. I suggest a pair of backs from Amazon.
DELECOE 2 Pairs 18K White Gold Locking Earring Backs Replacements for Diamond Studs, Hypoallergenic 925 Silver Earring Backs for Studs Secure Push Earring Backs(Comfort,No-Fading) https://a.co/d/6Sc1YTr

These seem decent. They are bigger than vca and have the larger grip section on each side. The cost is nominal so if you don’t like these try another brand. I got mine long ago when VCA used to provide larger la pousse backs but they don’t make those anymore.

I think you can customize the posts. If I ever get another pair of studs I will ask for another notch closer to the earring. I have very thin lobes.

 

[HockeyMama]

Congratulations! The sweet pave studs are my most worn pair of earrings. I suggest a pair of backs from Amazon.
DELECOE 2 Pairs 18K White Gold Locking Earring Backs Replacements for Diamond Studs, Hypoallergenic 925 Silver Earring Backs for Studs Secure Push Earring Backs(Comfort,No-Fading) https://a.co/d/6Sc1YTr

These seem decent. They are bigger than vca and have the larger grip section on each side. The cost is nominal so if you don’t like these try another brand. I got mine long ago when VCA used to provide larger la pousse backs but they don’t make those anymore.

I think you can customize the posts. If I ever get another pair of studs I will ask for another notch closer to the earring. I have very thin lobes.

Thank you for the recommendation! My lobes are the opposite of thin so I’m a tad concerned these will be lost on me, but they seemed to work in Paris so I’m crossing my fingers I didn’t just have fairy dust in my vision. The vintage size haven’t popped up in my stalking, and I know they would require adjustments that would be difficult long distance. It seems these were meant to be mine!

 

[yssie]

@LLJsmom is our resident expert on the Sweets!

Honestly even if they’re returns - the pave Alhambra is hardy and hides wear well! Never a bad idea to inspect a new purchase though. After Pomelo’s experience I’m inspecting closely too.