Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[allycat0303]

Yssie,

I have been thinking about this VCA all night. Not sure why. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Have you considered having VCA make this piece for you? The premium is not so bad for a custom piece and could be worth looking into if this one falls through the cracks.

Just a thought….

 

[yssie]

Yssie,

I have been thinking about this VCA all night. Not sure why. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Have you considered having VCA make this piece for you? The premium is not so bad for a custom piece and could be worth looking into if this one falls through the cracks.

Just a thought….

Hahaha I think about VCA at night fairly frequently too, it’s not just you… If that makes anything better?

OMG yes I asked!! If they agreed I TOTALLY would and d*mn the premium. I’m paying a premium buying preowned anyway! I’d have been fine with a regular plain letterwood piece - the alternating RG and the planks from the house are lovely but not required. I also would’ve paid the premium for alternating pave if that could have got it through. But they won’t. I mean - they would for the right customer I’m sure, but I’m not whatever level of VIP is required to get that request approved!! There isn’t enough material and they need to stockpile for repairs etc. About the same as asking for a turquoise or lapis SO I think. But if this thing is not authentic I will be shamelessly pestering my SA again anyway…

 

[icy_jade]

Hahaha I think about VCA at night fairly frequently too, it’s not just you… If that makes anything better?

OMG yes I asked!! If they agreed I TOTALLY would and d*mn the premium. I’m paying a premium buying preowned anyway! I’d have been fine with a regular plain letterwood piece - the alternating RG and the planks from the house are lovely but not required. I also would’ve paid the premium for alternating pave if that could have got it through. But they won’t. I mean - they would for the right customer I’m sure, but I’m not whatever level of VIP is required to get that request approved!! There isn’t enough material and they need to stockpile for repairs etc. About the same as asking for a turquoise or lapis SO I think. But if this thing is not authentic I will be shamelessly pestering my SA again anyway…

I found preloved plain letterwood (both 20 and 10 motifs and the holiday LE too). Are you interested? Can PM me on the other bag forum.

 

[yssie]

I found preloved plain letterwood (both 20 and 10 motifs and the holiday LE too). Are you interested? Can PM me on the other bag forum.

Yes! Sent you a note on the other forum!

 

[eh613c]

How do you feel about the GMOP now that you've got it? I think it's beautiful on you

Thank you @yssie I’m really liking the necklace. I can adjust the length based on my top neckline. I’ve been wearing it long in the past week and I have to remind myself I have to be careful when carrying boxes and other items.

 

[Missie1]

I was confident my next update in this thread would be my Cosmos earrings, but everything's slow over the holiday and they're still with Servicing for adjustment...

A few months ago I asked my darling SA to see if any Alhambra letterwood bracelets, tens, or twenties could be found; she told me she'd be happy to keep an eye out but that it'd be a needle in the haystack sort of quest, the material is just so rare now!! So I've been passively half-watching the preloved market, and a few days ago I ran into what looked like a promising 2012 LE alternating RG/letterwood ten motif. And, well, wood from the Place Vendome workshop, I mean, how could I possibly not...

It arrived yesterday. I'm not going to let myself get attached until it's been verified authentic (CoA and markings look generally fine but it's been shortened in a really bizarre way, I'll be taking it in to my boutique to have it returned to original length). But a friend sent me flowers and I couldn't resist snapping a few quickies It's beautiful. I'll say this much - if this piece turns out to not be authentic I'm going to go on an absolute bender to find a #real one

OMG my heart just stopped. It’s so beautiful I absolutely love love this. Please let it be the real deal. I want the 5 motif bracelet if it ever comes up for resale.

 

[yssie]

OMG my heart just stopped. It’s so beautiful I absolutely love love this. Please let it be the real deal. I want the 5 motif bracelet if it ever comes up for resale.

I think you and I have similar colouring so I know the wood would be wonderfully flattering on you!!
I'll be taking this one into the NYC flagship Thursday!

 

[Missie1]

I think you and I have similar colouring so I know the wood would be wonderfully flattering on you!!
I'll be taking this one into the NYC flagship Thursday!

Yes We do. I can’t wait till Thursday. I’m so excited for you. Im sending positive prayers up.

 

[yssie]

Update!! I just dropped my letter wood necklace off with my SA and general appearance, serial, and LE number checked out!! It’s of course not impossible that the workshop finds something wrong still - but so far so good!

Tried on a few goodies whilst there

These cost about a quarter of a house -


And these maybe a third?


The plain Frivole… I really do love the BTF style. The plain motifs scratch like mad though, I would not do the plain ring. Pave it is!!

 

[RosieR]

Update!! I just dropped this off with my SA and general appearance, serial, and LE number checked out!! It’s of course not impossible that the workshop finds something wrong still - but so far so good!

Tried on a few goodies whilst there

These cost about a quarter of a house -


And these maybe a third?


The plain Frivole… I really do love the BTF style. The plain motifs scratch like mad though, I would not do the plain ring. Pave it is!!

Wow! That’s excellent news about the bracelet yssie! What an incredible find, I think the letterwood looks great with the pavé

With reference to the frivole bracelet, does it scratch easily? It does look amazing in the photo

 

[yssie]

With reference to the frivole bracelet, does it scratch easily? It does look amazing in the photo

It does scratch! Mine is more scratched up than my photo shows honestly. And a ring gets so much more abuse than a bracelet - this ring must be an absolute scuff magnet! The floor model was visibly scratched and that’s just from people trying it on

My SA was totally unconcerned with the weird shortening. She explained that in recent years VCA has standardized how work like lengthening and shortening should be done, and also now ensures those standards are followed much more rigorously than in the past. In the past… Like when this LE was released (2012)… Boutiques that didn’t have a workshop nearby would send simple jobs like sizing to local benches that were authorized to work on VCA pieces… And occasionally those local operations would do some strange things! And then the customer would complain and the NYC flagship would have to fix the piece and do brand damage control. I didn’t ask for any specifics but I definitely got the impression that she’s had some personal experience with that!
So I feel much better - if she’s not worried I sure as heck am not going to

 

[Phoenix]

It does scratch! Mine is more scratched up than my photo shows honestly. And a ring gets so much more abuse than a bracelet - this ring must be an absolute scuff magnet! The floor model was visibly scratched and that’s just from people trying it on

My SA was totally unconcerned with the weird shortening. She explained that in recent years VCA has standardized how work like lengthening and shortening should be done, and also now ensures those standards are followed much more rigorously than in the past. In the past… Like when this LE was released (2012)… Boutiques that didn’t have a workshop nearby would send simple jobs like sizing to local benches that were authorized to work on VCA pieces… And occasionally those local operations would do some strange things! And then the customer would complain and the NYC flagship would have to fix the piece and do brand damage control. I didn’t ask for any specifics but I definitely got the impression that she’s had some personal experience with that!
So I feel much better - if she’s not worried I sure as heck am not going to

Fabulous news!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

 

[allycat0303]

This is so exciting!!!!! Can’t wait to hear more!

 

[Paisley2628]

I was looking for a stacking band and decided on the Perlee pearls of gold. It is perfect for what I wanted!
I purchased a pre-loved Victor Canera three stone- and I think it works well with it.

 

[lissyflo]

I clearly have a severe case of brain rot and wonder if someone with a brain that actually functions can help?!

I skimmed a thread either yesterday or today where someone commented on their VCA white gold bracelet (pavé sweet?) and added that they were surprised and disappointed by how quickly the yellower metal was showing through the plating. I can’t for the life of me remember who posted and can’t find which thread I saw the comment in, but I’d be really interested to hear anyone’s experience on this with VCA, especially wrt the perlee signature bracelet (which is a HG piece for me). Thanks in advance for any opinions!

 

[Kim N]

I clearly have a severe case of brain rot and wonder if someone with a brain that actually functions can help?!

I skimmed a thread either yesterday or today where someone commented on their VCA white gold bracelet (pavé sweet?) and added that they were surprised and disappointed by how quickly the yellower metal was showing through the plating. I can’t for the life of me remember who posted and can’t find which thread I saw the comment in, but I’d be really interested to hear anyone’s experience on this with VCA, especially wrt the perlee signature bracelet (with is a HG piece for me). Thanks in advance for any opinions!

I just saw that post recently too--here it is:

Show me your tennis bracelets!

Oh my goodness! What are the specs on that gorgeousness?? Your stack is breathtaking!! Thanks Dandi! It’s 8.7 carats and 6 inches long.

www.pricescope.com

 

[Tartansparkles]

I was looking for a stacking band and decided on the Perlee pearls of gold. It is perfect for what I wanted!
I purchased a pre-loved Victor Canera three stone- and I think it works well with it.

Your Perlee is beautiful and stacks very well; a yellow gold version is on my list for stacking. Would you mind sharing the approx sizes of the beads? The VCA website lists the ring in small and medium and I haven't seen one in person and the website doesn't include sizes (as fas as I can see) so it's hard to get an idea of scale (PS the town of Paisley (Scotland) is 30mins from me and comes to mind every time I see your name!).

 

[Paisley2628]

Your Perlee is beautiful and stacks very well; a yellow gold version is on my list for stacking. Would you mind sharing the approx sizes of the beads? The VCA website lists the ring in small and medium and I haven't seen one in person and the website doesn't include sizes (as fas as I can see) so it's hard to get an idea of scale (PS the town of Paisley (Scotland) is 30mins from me and comes to mind every time I see your name!).

Hi @Tartansparkles

Before I ordered the Perlee, my SA told me it is 2.1mm in width. For me, I wouldn't want it any wider for stacking. I'm sure the yellow gold will look stunning!

Paisley, Scotland! I'd love to visit!!!

 

[Tartansparkles]

@Paisley2628 thanks!

 

[yssie]

PSA REGARDING FAKES

Hey VCA PSers!!

A few friends and I thought it might be a good idea to post a quick reminder about fakes here.

A friend had a question about a post that she’d seen here on PS about a VCA piece. I read the post and noticed something that didn’t seem quite right, so I looked through the poster's history to find out more. And unfortunately I'm confident that at least one of her Vintage Alhambra pieces - a piece that she has presented here on PS as authentic VCA - is a reproduction.

I’m not going to say what it was or who posted it. I don’t know if the owner knows that it’s not genuine. I give this background only to point out that none of us are immune to fakes - there are fakes right here on PS!!

There are whole cult industries devoted to reproducing branded pieces. Alhambra, Frivole, and Perlee are probably the most commonly reproduced, I'm guessing in that order. And these unscrupulous thieves are reproducing serial numbers, makers' stamps, paperwork, packaging - all of it!!

We risk buying these fakes every single time we buy anywhere other than in a boutique or from an authorized retailer.

So some takehomes:
1. If the price seems too good to be true - it probably is!!
2. And even if it’s not, even if it seems like a reasonable secondary market price, it’s worth having serviced (the type of servicing that you pay for) to validate.
3. And lastly, if you don’t know the provenance of your piece and you haven’t had it serviced to establish authenticity, please consider adding that disclaimer when posting it here on PS. Sometimes buying preowned is the only way to get hold of a piece, and sometimes servicing isn’t feasible, but that’s something easy that we can all do to avoid inadvertently diluting the integrity of PS' representation of a brand that we love.

Happy sparkling folks!!

 

[LLJsmom]

PSA REGARDING FAKES

Hey VCA PSers!!

A few friends and I thought it might be a good idea to post a quick reminder about fakes here.

A friend had a question about a post that she’d seen here on PS about a VCA piece. I read the post and noticed something that didn’t seem quite right, so I looked through the poster's history to find out more. And unfortunately I'm confident that at least one of her Vintage Alhambra pieces - a piece that she has presented here on PS as authentic VCA - is a reproduction.

I’m not going to say what it was or who posted it. I don’t know if the owner knows that it’s not genuine. I give this background only to point out that none of us are immune to fakes - there are fakes right here on PS!!

There are whole cult industries devoted to reproducing branded pieces. Alhambra, Frivole, and Perlee are probably the most commonly reproduced, I'm guessing in that order. And these unscrupulous thieves are reproducing serial numbers, makers' stamps, paperwork, packaging - all of it!!

We risk buying these fakes every single time we buy anywhere other than in a boutique or from an authorized retailer.

So some takehomes:
1. If the price seems too good to be true - it probably is!!
2. And even if it’s not, even if it seems like a reasonable secondary market price, it’s worth having serviced (the type of servicing that you pay for) to validate.
3. And lastly, if you don’t know the provenance of your piece and you haven’t had it serviced to establish authenticity, please consider adding that disclaimer when posting it here on PS. Sometimes buying preowned is the only way to get hold of a piece, and sometimes servicing isn’t feasible, but that’s something easy that we can all do to avoid inadvertently diluting the integrity of PS' representation of a brand that we love.

Happy sparkling folks!!

I am totally guilty of this! In my early days of buying VCA, I had purchased my WG pave pendant pre-loved off Ann's. I wore it for a few years and then decided to have it replated and fixed because the clasp was sticking a little, so I took it to VCA. They said they could not service it because they could not find it in their system. It could have pre-dated their system or been sold outside of their system, from NM boutiques. I did not want to spend $1800 to authenticate it with VCA so I sent it back to Ann's telling them the what VCA told me. They spent some time with the piece and decided that they were not comfortable with the authenticity of the piece, and gave me a full refund. I will say that this says a lot about Ann's honoring their authenticity guarantee, and I am grateful they did. I am also sad that I was likely duped. When I purchased it it came with the box and the COA. But who knows. When I posted the pendant, I thought it was authentic, but now I certainly would not claim that. I would still buy pre-loved (and have) if I knew the buyer or if I felt really comfortable with the piece, but I do tend to want to buy directly from the boutique. And sorry everyone, if that old pendant was misleading. Be super careful.

 

[LLJsmom]

I clearly have a severe case of brain rot and wonder if someone with a brain that actually functions can help?!

I skimmed a thread either yesterday or today where someone commented on their VCA white gold bracelet (pavé sweet?) and added that they were surprised and disappointed by how quickly the yellower metal was showing through the plating. I can’t for the life of me remember who posted and can’t find which thread I saw the comment in, but I’d be really interested to hear anyone’s experience on this with VCA, especially wrt the perlee signature bracelet (which is a HG piece for me). Thanks in advance for any opinions!

I have the perlee signature, and no issues at all with the WG, tarnishing or rubbing off or anything. BUT....big BUT... I do NOT wear in shower, or workout, or wash dishes and do anything where I can bang it against metal and dent or ding it. I take care of that bangle because I don't want scratches on it. I do wear it while working at my desk or going out and doing non-potentially damaging stuff. And the WG 5 motif that my mom wears 24/7 goes through stuff, like dish washing and chores around the house. Still very white, but I do need to clean it for her. I am quite anal about my jewelry being clean.

 

[yssie]

MY COSMOS EARRINGS ARE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

But I can’t pick them up for two weeks I’m crying to the world here

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

OOOOO!!! So exciting!!! It's only 350 hours.. Longest 350 hours ever!

 

[aac2013]

@Tartansparkles I have the small pearls of gold ring. I generally wear it as my wedding band. Like you, I had trouble figuring out the sizes based on what was on the website. So I asked my SA to send me the sizes. She said the small is 2.1 mm and the medium is 2.8 mm. I have attached the side by side pic she sent me when I was trying to decide which one would be best for me.

 

[Tartansparkles]

@Tartansparkles I have the small pearls of gold ring. I generally wear it as my wedding band. Like you, I had trouble figuring out the sizes based on what was on the website. So I asked my SA to send me the sizes. She said the small is 2.1 mm and the medium is 2.8 mm. I have attached the side by side pic she sent me when I was trying to decide which one would be best for me.

Thank you so much for the picture - that's very helpful. There are no VCA stores near me, however I may be traveling to both Dubai and Taiwan in the spring. The trips are for work, but is it bad that I've already googled the locations of boutiques in both Dubai and Taiwan!

 

[aac2013]

Thank you so much for the picture - that's very helpful. There are no VCA stores near me, however I may be traveling to both Dubai and Taiwan in the spring. The trips are for work, but is it bad that I've already googled the locations of boutiques in both Dubai and Taiwan!

Lol, my company is headquartered in Boston. I usually go by the Boston VCA when there just to browse. Make sure to call ahead so that they can get your ring size before you get there. Seems inventory is low for the past year and is still low. As a side note, I love the small size. It is super comfortable.

 

[icy_jade]

Just sharing:

<$19k with code:

Diamond 5 Motifs Vintage Alhambra Bracelet

<ul><li>From the Alhambra Collection</li><li>18K White Gold with Quatrefoil Motif</li><li>Rhodium-Plated Finish</li><li>Featuring 2.42 Carats of Round Brilliant Diamonds</li></ul>

www.therealreal.com

 

[Jsand]

Just sharing:

<$19k with code:

Diamond 5 Motifs Vintage Alhambra Bracelet

<ul><li>From the Alhambra Collection</li><li>18K White Gold with Quatrefoil Motif</li><li>Rhodium-Plated Finish</li><li>Featuring 2.42 Carats of Round Brilliant Diamonds</li></ul>

www.therealreal.com

Is this real? The clasp looks different

 

[icy_jade]

Is this real? The clasp looks different

Oh you are right! I didn’t look closely and assumed it was already authenticated. Does look dodgy.