Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi Diamondseeker!
Thanks so much for the compliments on the bracelet. Yep.. I'm with you on not stacking 99% of the time but I might stack on this one since as you said it's not a 24/7 bracelet.
Just before I bought it I had read about not getting it wet and it made me question whether to buy it or not. I decided that it was too pretty to pass up and I will probably end up just taking it on and off instead of finding something to cover it.
I actually had looked into what you were talking about.. the all gold version called "Pure" Alhambra just for that reason. VCA discontinued the white gold version and so they only have the yellow one now and it's about 25% more than the MOP one. They also make a rose gold sweet version with small motifs that are all gold. I tried that one too but it kind of got lost on my wrist.
I usually buy my signed pieces at a discount on Ebay but this was definitely one item that had to be purchased from the store. It seems most of the ones for sale on Ebay are fake or they sell close to list price.
The champagne made it extra fun. We were at Selfridges for tea and instead of ordering the champagne at tea we bought the bracelet first and had it there.
We hadn't eaten lunch yet and we all floated out of there! lol.

 

[LLJsmom]

My latest acquisition from VCA - should have been my first...don't know what took me so long to get this timeless piece.



Here with the rest of the family (well, minus the 2018 holiday pendant which has gone in for repair), resting on the Christmas wreath sent by Van Cleef.

@Phoenix how are you enjoying your pave vintage alhambra bracelet? Any news of the SO?

 

[canuk-gal]

Oh yay!! Finally able to add a VCA piece of my own to this thread. We were just on vacation in London and I bought this WG Alhambra bracelet there. I have been hankering for it for a while now. First order of business was to enjoy the bubbly we were offered when we sat down.
The bracelet is too large.. so in the next week or so I will bring it to the VCA store near me to have it made smaller. Takes about 2 weeks for them to do the repair. They actually move each motif closer to each other which is nice. less chain.. more MOP. I was hesitant about wearing it with my LOVE bracelet because of scratching but I think I am going to do it anyway. I also found out that you are not supposed to get the MOP wet so I will have to either buy a waterproof wrist band to cover it or just take it on and off each day. I have terry cloth wrist bands all over my house to wear to keep the LOVE from scratching so hopefully I will be able to find one made of waterproof material too.
Thanks for sharing the smiles! I will post a new pic when it comes back from being shortened.

FABU!!!!!!! Me luvs! Your trip sounds great, enjoy!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Sharon!!! You are the BEST! Knew the new finery was just your thang.

 

[m-2-b]

I've been meaning to add my Vintage Alhambra WG diamond and onyx bracelet to this thread!

 

[m-2-b]

View attachment 696092

 

[m-2-b]

A few more...

 

[DorotheaBrooke]

View attachment 696092

So gorgeous!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Oh my goodness! M2B.. I'm truly drooling!!!! The onyx and diamond combo is STUNNING!! It's so funny.. I stopped by VCA yesterday to bring my new bracelet in to be sized and was admiring the very bracelet that you just posted. It so gorgeous! The contrast between the black and the diamonds.. wow. Perfection.
Crazy thing about VCA that I just realized.. it's truly like an addiction.. As soon as you get one you want another and then another and then another and then another..

 

[MK514]

M2B your bracelet is stunning! I love it!

 

[LLJsmom]

Oh my goodness! M2B.. I'm truly drooling!!!! The onyx and diamond combo is STUNNING!! It's so funny.. I stopped by VCA yesterday to bring my new bracelet in to be sized and was admiring the very bracelet that you just posted. It so gorgeous! The contrast between the black and the diamonds.. wow. Perfection.
Crazy thing about VCA that I just realized.. it's truly like an addiction.. As soon as you get one you want another and then another and then another and then another..

Welcome to the dark side Ruby! The addiction is REAL!!!

 

[LLJsmom]

@m-2-b Your WG pave collection is my dream...sigh... I love it so much. And it looks SOOOOOO boootiful on your lovely fair skin.

 

[m-2-b]

Thanks, everyone! I'm really enjoying wearing my VCA pieces these days!

It really is a slippery slope with VCA--I've still got several pieces on my wish list to go!

 

[LLJsmom]

Welcome blue agate and onyx to the family.

 

[m-2-b]

Love them all @LLJsmom!

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

Welcome blue agate and onyx to the family.

Wow. Where did you get the blue agate? Love that!!! I have the VCA MOP gold necklace (I need to post) and thinking of the bracelet. I actually love the sweet Alhambra but it kills me that the price is almost the same. However- I should just ignore that, as I do love it. I have the Cartier love bangle in RG w the Love ring and 3 diamonds. Need more to stack w my bracelet! Good for you. All are beautiful.

 

[sarahb]

WOW--you really rocking' it now @LLJsmom, what a collection! Beautiful!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Woah nellie LLJsmom!!
2 new bracelets??? Wow wow wow.
They look amazing. Love them all.
Do you stack any with your LOVE bracelet?
If yes.. does it scratch it much?
Thanks for letting me know.

 

[LLJsmom]

Woah nellie LLJsmom!!
2 new bracelets??? Wow wow wow.
They look amazing. Love them all.
Do you stack any with your LOVE bracelet?
If yes.. does it scratch it much?
Thanks for letting me know.

Thank you @Rubies-R-Me . I don't stack any with my Love cuff. Honestly, I seldom wear my Love cuff. I find VCA more comfortable. And even though I don't wear the cuff much, I don't like scratching it. So wearing the five motif bracelets do scuff up the cuff. I will say that wearing stone bracelets together don't really scuff because I wear them rather tight and they are adjusted to be the same length. They often end up just fitting like they are notched, as if the motifs were offsetting each other. Sorry. Hard to describe. They end up like in the pic with the blue agate and the RG bracelets.

 

[LLJsmom]

WOW--you really rocking' it now @LLJsmom, what a collection! Beautiful!

Thank you @sarahb !

 

[LLJsmom]

Wow. Where did you get the blue agate? Love that!!! I have the VCA MOP gold necklace (I need to post) and thinking of the bracelet. I actually love the sweet Alhambra but it kills me that the price is almost the same. However- I should just ignore that, as I do love it. I have the Cartier love bangle in RG w the Love ring and 3 diamonds. Need more to stack w my bracelet! Good for you. All are beautiful.

Thank you @Emeraldcutlover. My SA tracked one down for me. Just watch out. VCA is a very slippery slope. But I really pleased about the blue agate. It's actually for my Mom because she LOVES blue and I'm way too late to the party for lapis. The agate is a lovely substitute.
This deep blue and gold look is not really me, and I didn't fall in love the second I put it on like I did with my WG pieces. Then I wore it a little, put it away, and came back to it, and I already loved it more. I don't know what it is about VCA. Sometimes the pieces I don't fall in love with immediately, like my WG signature perlee, become my most beloved piece. I've never had a jewelry line where I love it more and more over time. It's a drug.

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

Thank you @Emeraldcutlover. My SA tracked one down for me. Just watch out. VCA is a very slippery slope. But I really pleased about the blue agate. It's actually for my Mom because she LOVES blue and I'm way too late to the party for lapis. The agate is a lovely substitute.
This deep blue and gold look is not really me, and I didn't fall in love the second I put it on like I did with my WG pieces. Then I wore it a little, put it away, and came back to it, and I already loved it more. I don't know what it is about VCA. Sometimes the pieces I don't fall in love with immediately, like my WG signature perlee, become my most beloved piece. I've never had a jewelry line where I love it more and more over time. It's a drug.

That’s so funny bc I DEf feel like that about certain shoes/clothes and also some jewelry. My Cartier love bangle actually annoys me endlessly. I just switched it to my left hand to wear w my watch and hopefully it will be less so. Although, having my rings and watch and bracelet all in one - is so not me. I’m a minimalist at heart. However, I may have to break some rules for those VCA bracelets . Totally adore the agate. I wear a lot of gold w Lapis (bracelets) w plain skinny gold beaded ones on each side (mostly in the summer). Enjoy them bc they are fabulous! Ps. Is there agate a older vintage piece or is it in production now? I have not seen it in their site before. Also- is it comparable pricing to the MOP? Again- love them all!!! You go GF!

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

That’s so funny bc I DEf feel like that about certain shoes/clothes and also some jewelry. My Cartier love bangle actually annoys me endlessly. I just switched it to my left hand to wear w my watch and hopefully it will be less so. Although, having my rings and watch and bracelet all in one - is so not me. I’m a minimalist at heart. However, I may have to break some rules for those VCA bracelets . Totally adore the agate. I wear a lot of gold w Lapis (bracelets) w plain skinny gold beaded ones on each side (mostly in the summer). Enjoy them bc they are fabulous! Ps. Is there agate a older vintage piece or is it in production now? I have not seen it in their site before. Also- is it comparable pricing to the MOP? Again- love them all!!! You go GF!

@LLJsmom ps. I need to check auto correct before sending! *is the agate in production now?

 

[LLJsmom]

That’s so funny bc I DEf feel like that about certain shoes/clothes and also some jewelry. My Cartier love bangle actually annoys me endlessly. I just switched it to my left hand to wear w my watch and hopefully it will be less so. Although, having my rings and watch and bracelet all in one - is so not me. I’m a minimalist at heart. However, I may have to break some rules for those VCA bracelets . Totally adore the agate. I wear a lot of gold w Lapis (bracelets) w plain skinny gold beaded ones on each side (mostly in the summer). Enjoy them bc they are fabulous! Ps. Is there agate a older vintage piece or is it in production now? I have not seen it in their site before. Also- is it comparable pricing to the MOP? Again- love them all!!! You go GF!

The blue agate is in production now. It was released mid-2018, and they don't produce a ton of them. Your best bet would be to go to a VCA boutique and establish a relationship with an SA and tell them you are interested in getting a blue agate bracelet. Throughout the year, the boutiques will get pieces so they will go to the people who have already expressed an interest. It can be tricky because the people who have been purchasing more VCA are the ones who will get priority. Some people get turned off by that, but it's not too bad. Nothing like Hermes.

I only have a NM near me and they don't get any access to blue agate pieces, so my SA in Vegas usually gets me the limited edition and special orders. If you want me to connect you with my SA, contact me on loupetroop. I'm daftrocker.

The pricing of all the bracelets are within range. The blue agate is on the website. It's $4200, which I think might be a little bit more than MOP. The malachite and chalcedony are even more and the solid gold pieces are a little less. The special orders can be 30%-50% more.

Hope this helps. Can't wait to see what you get.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Thank you @Rubies-R-Me . I don't stack any with my Love cuff. Honestly, I seldom wear my Love cuff. I find VCA more comfortable. And even though I don't wear the cuff much, I don't like scratching it. So wearing the five motif bracelets do scuff up the cuff. I will say that wearing stone bracelets together don't really scuff because I wear them rather tight and they are adjusted to be the same length. They often end up just fitting like they are notched, as if the motifs were offsetting each other. Sorry. Hard to describe. They end up like in the pic with the blue agate and the RG bracelets.

Thanks LLJsmom for the "scratching" opinion. I kinda knew the answer that they most definitely would scratch each other but was hoping that you might have a different experience. Ah well.
I do see just what you say wearing multiple Alhambras.. how the motifs fit in between each other which is great!
I have been wearing my LOVE nonstop for 5 years now and have been super careful to keep it scratch free as possible. I stash wrist sweatbands in the kitchen and around the house to slip on when I'm doing something that can bang up the bracelet.
I'm thinking that I will wear them together and see how it goes.. then after a while bring the LOVE in for a deep polish. I know that you are only supposed to do that 2 or 3 times for the life of the bracelet. Or maybe.. wear the LOVE as a winter bracelet and the VCA as a summer one.
All nice things to ponder..

 

[eh613c]

Oh my @LLJsmom what a collection! I would LOVE to see your VCA family. Did you get the black onyx in YG too? I went to a boutique thinking of getting the onyx but fell in love with the chalcedony. The collection just looks fab on you.

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

The blue agate is in production now. It was released mid-2018, and they don't produce a ton of them. Your best bet would be to go to a VCA boutique and establish a relationship with an SA and tell them you are interested in getting a blue agate bracelet. Throughout the year, the boutiques will get pieces so they will go to the people who have already expressed an interest. It can be tricky because the people who have been purchasing more VCA are the ones who will get priority. Some people get turned off by that, but it's not too bad. Nothing like Hermes.

I only have a NM near me and they don't get any access to blue agate pieces, so my SA in Vegas usually gets me the limited edition and special orders. If you want me to connect you with my SA, contact me on loupetroop. I'm daftrocker.

The pricing of all the bracelets are within range. The blue agate is on the website. It's $4200, which I think might be a little bit more than MOP. The malachite and chalcedony are even more and the solid gold pieces are a little less. The special orders can be 30%-50% more.

Hope this helps. Can't wait to see what you get.

Yes- Thank you so much. I’m not far from Manhattan - and have plans to run to VCA next week and I’ll look there as well but I’ll DEf look you up on LT! I don’t know how I missed the agate on the their site, however, I’m not sure how they have not changed it after all these years. It’s the absolute worst trying to find something quickly. I’ll reach out! Thx again!

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

Welcome blue agate and onyx to the family.

@LLJsmom Hi. Ok - so o though the Agate was turquoise on the site (I did not clearly bother to look bc looked “turquoise” to me). However, yours looks like a cross between royal/dark blue. Is it a turquoise or a darker blue family? Here’s a photo of the VCA Agate on line.

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom Hi. Ok - so o though the Agate was turquoise on the site (I did not clearly bother to look bc looked “turquoise” to me). However, yours looks like a cross between royal/dark blue. Is it a turquoise or a darker blue family? Here’s a photo of the VCA Agate on line.

It’s definitely darker than turquoise. It’s also a translucent stone which you can see when held up to the light. You can kinda even see the striations in the stone. But once worn, you can’t see the translucency.
Also, most stones look darker on my skin since I am more olive toned. I personally like that it can look slightly different on different people.
Different motifs can have different shades. The difference is more pronounced in pictures than it is in real life.

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

It’s definitely darker than turquoise. It’s also a translucent stone which you can see when held up to the light. You can kinda even see the striations in the stone. But once worn, you can’t see the translucency.
Also, most stones look darker on my skin since I am more olive toned. I personally like that it can look slightly different on different people.
Different motifs can have different shades. The difference is more pronounced in pictures than it is in real life.

@LLJsmom wow!! Ok. Now it looks silvery w Turquoise! But in real life you would say it’s more dark blue?? I need to go see it for myself! Love all your pieces! I also have the earrings w diamonds. I need to post them. However- I need one of the bracelets. Lol. I also need to settle down after my ring. A girl can plan... I mean “Dream”.