Show me your Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry!

[RosieR]

NOT mine.. but mine to show I suppose.
I was in VCA today to get a bracelet made a bit shorter.
As always a lovely experience. I spotted the Perlee Clover band that is soooo on the top of my list to get and I tried all the colors on. Not sure which I like the best. Not sure when and If I will get it but they are so solid and scrumptious. They run a bit large too. The size 47 fit however it's cold here today.. would probably get a 48 because my fingers seem to be growing.

Gosh this is perfect! I love the yellow and rose best

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Gosh this is perfect! I love the yellow and rose best

Yes! So fun!! I was very surprised they had all 3 in stock to see in person.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

+ a billion

Hellooooo Sharon!
Yes.. the rose gold was my third choice. I was really stuck between the yellow and the white. I just wonder if the white is too similar in feel to the Nigeria ring. I have a big Bday coming up in July (Oh geez.. am I really turning 60) so I might just have to bite the full price bullet and buy one directly from the source. You and I really do love acquiring things ever so slightly used but there is barely any secondary market on these rings and if they are second hand they are the same price as new.

 

[canuk-gal]

Hellooooo Sharon!
Yes.. the rose gold was my third choice. I was really stuck between the yellow and the white. I just wonder if the white is too similar in feel to the Nigeria ring. I have a big Bday coming up in July (Oh geez.. am I really turning 60) so I might just have to bite the full price bullet and buy one directly from the source. You and I really do love acquiring things ever so slightly used but there is barely any secondary market on these rings and if they are second hand they are the same price as new.

Early happy BD my friend! This would be a very happy gift!

Thing is, we've both been very fortunate buying wonderful branded jewellery on the secondary market. Although we are careful, we've had great success.

But I don't hesitate to pay full retail when it is something I really want. E.g. every watch I've owned (outside of the 18K WG Omega when I was 17 years old) has been full retail. All sealed with documents (Rolex's, Cartier, Concord, Ebel). Tiffany diamonds and jewellery, and the list goes on.

Notwithstanding you are correct you'll likely not find this ring outside of VCA--as your finger size is small. And for the price difference, I'd just buy new. Peace of mind.

Any gold composition of those rings would suit you! I am jeali!!!!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Early happy BD my friend! This would be a very happy gift!

Thing is, we've both been very fortunate buying wonderful branded jewellery on the secondary market. Although we are careful, we've had great success.

But I don't hesitate to pay full retail when it is something I really want. E.g. every watch I've owned (outside of the 18K WG Omega when I was 17 years old) has been full retail. All sealed with documents (Rolex's, Cartier, Concord, Ebel). Tiffany diamonds and jewellery, and the list goes on.

Notwithstanding you are correct you'll likely not find this ring outside of VCA--as your finger size is small. And for the price difference, I'd just buy new. Peace of mind.

Any gold composition of those rings would suit you! I am jeali!!!!

Aww.. thanks for the early HB wishes. Coming up in July!
And yes! We have had GREAT success at our secondary market jewelry purchases.. agree 100% that it's due to our being careful and lucky.
It's funny you mention watches as those I always buy new and never pre-owned.. I don't know why I have a different standard for time pieces than I do for regular jewelry. Maybe because there are moving parts involved?
I also agree that some pieces need to be bought straight from the retailer and VCA is one of those brands. There is a very limited supply of second hand VCA and on so many pieces the fakes (to me) look so similar to the real I could barely tell them apart. I also feel that the VCA with delicate parts like MOP need to be treated with extra care and I want to make sure I do that right from the start.
We think alike as usual.
I'm not sure whether I will end up buying one of the Perlee Clover bands but I am going to put the idea in my "Birthday Gift Hopper" and see if it gets the call.
A yellow gold watch would be a nice choice too.
I have to say though.. I loved the ring from today and the whole VCA experience!

 

[KristinTech]

NOT mine.. but mine to show I suppose.
I was in VCA today to get a bracelet made a bit shorter.
As always a lovely experience. I spotted the Perlee Clover band that is soooo on the top of my list to get and I tried all the colors on. Not sure which I like the best. Not sure when and If I will get it but they are so solid and scrumptious. They run a bit large too. The size 47 fit however it's cold here today.. would probably get a 48 because my fingers seem to be growing.

The SA that helped me at Wynn Las Vegas last week was wearing this! It looked so substantial and gorgeous. On her other had was the cosmos ring.

 

[LLJsmom]

NOT mine.. but mine to show I suppose.
I was in VCA today to get a bracelet made a bit shorter.
As always a lovely experience. I spotted the Perlee Clover band that is soooo on the top of my list to get and I tried all the colors on. Not sure which I like the best. Not sure when and If I will get it but they are so solid and scrumptious. They run a bit large too. The size 47 fit however it's cold here today.. would probably get a 48 because my fingers seem to be growing.

The WG is on my list too. Danged long list.

Can't wait to see which you get!

 

[LLJsmom]

Can I be honest? With inventory the way it is - and given how popular Frivole earrings are - I think you could be waiting 6-12 months to be able to try them on in-boutique. Maybe longer. Not because they aren't being made at all, but because they aren't making enough of them (yet!) and as soon as a pair does come in an SA will squirrel it off the floor for a client on his or her waitlist.
Don't want to be a downer but... Purchasing seems to be the only way to get hold of a lot of things right now At least you can always return or exchange though!!

Yup, this is the truth, unfortunately. If you purchase from a boutique, then you can only exchange. But for sure you will find something you will love. I have no doubt. I hope you will like the way they fit on you, when you can try them on in that other color. Please share pics!

 

[LLJsmom]

I might be able to purchase a VCA piece (family member bought something and then returned for credit that they wont use). Has anyone tried on any of these rings?

Perlée pearls of gold ring, 3 rows - VCARP0X800 - Van Cleef & Arpels

Perlée pearls of gold ring, 3 rows, 18K yellow gold.

www.vancleefarpels.com

Perlée sweet clovers ring - VCARP6MM00 - Van Cleef & Arpels

Perlée sweet clovers ring, 18K yellow gold, round diamonds; diamond quality DEF, IF to VVS.

www.vancleefarpels.com

Or I could get this necklace I love, but I just was given the guilloche pendant so I'm afraid this won't get as much wear as a ring.

Vintage Alhambra pendant - VCARO1IF00 - Van Cleef & Arpels

Vintage Alhambra pendant, 18K yellow gold.

www.vancleefarpels.com

I know this is crazy to say, but try not to look at the price of the piece. Go strictly by your heart. This is just to be honest to yourself and figure out what you gravitate toward. Once you know those pieces, then I would go on the forum (both of them) and try to see modeling pics of people wearing them. Then go back and see what might fit your budget. When I started out with VCA I made the mistake of starting with a budget and seeing what fit in it. I was already compromising and getting stuff I thought I could/would wear, but didn't LOVE. I should have started with considering what really appealed to me, and then figuring out why I thought it would work for me, and then sticking with pieces that meet that criteria.

So are there pieces that you really really like? Or pieces that would fill an empty spot in your jewelry collection?

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

The SA that helped me at Wynn Las Vegas last week was wearing this! It looked so substantial and gorgeous. On her other had was the cosmos ring.

The WG is on my list too. Danged long list.

Can't wait to see which you get!

I do love those rings.. they are creeping up to the top of my list. Does anyone watch Real Housewives of the OC? Heather Dubrow wears the ring and I always admire it right through the television. She actually wears a lot of VCA.

 

[lovedogs]

I know this is crazy to say, but try not to look at the price of the piece. Go strictly by your heart. This is just to be honest to yourself and figure out what you gravitate toward. Once you know those pieces, then I would go on the forum (both of them) and try to see modeling pics of people wearing them. Then go back and see what might fit your budget. When I started out with VCA I made the mistake of starting with a budget and seeing what fit in it. I was already compromising and getting stuff I thought I could/would wear, but didn't LOVE. I should have started with considering what really appealed to me, and then figuring out why I thought it would work for me, and then sticking with pieces that meet that criteria.

So are there pieces that you really really like? Or pieces that would fill an empty spot in your jewelry collection?

Thank you, this advice is super helpful.

I also just remembered that this ring exists (sorry for the non VCA). It's been on my mental wishlist for a while, so I might stick to the credit VCA $ and save any "extra" money towards this.

https://www.cartier.com/en-us/jewelry/rings/clash-de-cartier-ring-small-model-CRB4229800.html

 

[ac117]

@LLJsmom @yssie A few days late but I was able to try on the rose gold pave frivole earrings!!! I thought they looked great on and could only see the bottom of the clips at certain angles which didn’t bother me. They were, of course, stunning!!! I really want this purchase to be in white gold and was already tossed up between the plain mirror finish (which they didn’t have for me to try on) or the pave, which I’m just not sure will be too dressy? They had the white gold pave frivole ring so I held that up to my ear to get an idea. All of my VCA is currently yellow gold but I don’t think I’d do yellow gold in these. A lot of my other jewelry is platinum/white gold as well so I have plenty to wear them with.

 

[ac117]

Here’s the yellow gold plain btf ring being held up to my ear to get an idea of the plain ones….


And a perspective shot of the pave….

 

[ac117]

And a few other things for fun….

 

[RosieR]

Here’s the yellow gold plain btf ring being held up to my ear to get an idea of the plain ones….


And a perspective shot of the pave….

The frivole earrings really suit your ears! No matter what you get it will look good. It just depends on what your jewellery collection needs.
P.S love the blue agate 5 motif

 

[ac117]

The frivole earrings really suit your ears! No matter what you get it will look good. It just depends on what your jewellery collection needs.
P.S love the blue agate 5 motif

Thank you!!! I was relieved and so happy the frivole sat well. The blue agate is mine, I love it to pieces!

 

[DorotheaBrooke]

@LLJsmom @yssie A few days late but I was able to try on the rose gold pave frivole earrings!!! I thought they looked great on and could only see the bottom of the clips at certain angles which didn’t bother me. They were, of course, stunning!!! I really want this purchase to be in white gold and was already tossed up between the plain mirror finish (which they didn’t have for me to try on) or the pave, which I’m just not sure will be too dressy? They had the white gold pave frivole ring so I held that up to my ear to get an idea. All of my VCA is currently yellow gold but I don’t think I’d do yellow gold in these. A lot of my other jewelry is platinum/white gold as well so I have plenty to wear them with.

Wow, yes, the white gold pave looks amazing on you!!!

 

[lovedogs]

@ac117 I loooove the pave frivole and the plain gold frivole earrings on you. Both are lovely.

Edit. I prefer the pave version between the two, but both look great

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@ac117 I also love the pave Frivole on you! I like the small pave best in white gold, and the large polished yellow gold are on my wishlist. I'd maybe like to have the small wg polished, too, but the small has more impact in the pave, I think. I've been told there are few of the polished gold Frivole earrings in the US, so paying a deposit may get you a pair sooner.

 

[ac117]

@ac117 I also love the pave Frivole on you! I like the small pave best in white gold, and the large polished yellow gold are on my wishlist. I'd maybe like to have the small wg polished, too, but the small has more impact in the pave, I think. I've been told there are few of the polished gold Frivole earrings in the US, so paying a deposit may get you a pair sooner.

Thank you @diamondseeker2006! My SA was able to hold these for me from one day to the next so I could try them on at least once to make sure they looked good on my ears/are what I want. Once I make a decision, my SA will definitely find me a pair. I really would prefer not to duplicate - I know the polished white gold will get a lot of wear as I’m typically casual but trying to figure out whether I’ll get enough use out of the beautiful pave ones to justify them. Some people make it look effortless to throw on VCA pave with literally anything and I need to make sure I’m comfortable with doing so as well. Last thing I would want is for them to languish in the jewelry box….they are too stunning for that!

Funny you mention the impact, I didn’t have the polished earrings directly next to the pave earrings but they are supposed to be the same size and I would swear the pave version looks larger when I was comparing it to the flower in the btf ring. The large polished yellow gold are lovely but too large for me at this point!

 

[yssie]

Oh. Okay this is easy. EASY. You need *these*. That one clip absolutely glows on you - it’s luminescent. I know that one’s in yellow but would of course be just as glowy and luminescent in white!! Doesn’t look overly formal… They work great with your outfit. If this is the sort of thing you wear reasonably regularly IMO you’d have tons of opportunity to wear them.

I would love the polished WG on you too. But overall I’m #TeamPaveWG here. The pave looks too fab on you to turn down.

 

[yssie]

Funny you mention the impact, I didn’t have the polished earrings directly next to the pave earrings but they are supposed to be the same size and I would swear the pave version looks larger when I was comparing it to the flower in the btf ring. The large polished yellow gold are lovely but too large for me at this point!

When I first opened my pave Cosmos earrings I thought my SA might have sent me the medium size instead of small. I’d had the small MOP Cosmos for a while and felt like I “knew” the size pretty well, and the pave just looked so much bigger. I totally get what you saw. Same exact reaction!

My WG Cosmos are my only white metal VCA too. That’s fine, I wanted white metal and I’ve got non-VCA jewellery to wear them with. Same as you. No regrets going white metal for those even though the rest of my VCA is YG and RG.

Did your SA say anything about price changes? My SA said nothing’s been officially announced but in general if it’s going to happen there’s a decent chance it’ll happen mid to late April. I want the Frivole BTF and I went ahead and put a deposit down for that, didn’t want to risk running into a potential price hike. Doing that demolished my other plan - which was to get a ring from Mikimoto - but… Mikimoto already raised prices this year, so assuming that’s a once a year sort of thing - well I’m already scr*wed

 

[CMN]

Another vote for the WG pave.

 

[MiniMinerva]

I know the polished white gold will get a lot of wear as I’m typically casual but trying to figure out whether I’ll get enough use out of the beautiful pave ones to justify them. Some people make it look effortless to throw on VCA pave with literally anything and I need to make sure I’m comfortable with doing so as well. Last thing I would want is for them to languish in the jewelry box….they are too stunning for that!

This sounds a lot like my own thought process. I love the pave WG small Frivole earclips and will eventually add them to my collection — they are stunning. However, for my current peers and lifestyle, I had a hunch that the polished WG small Frivole earclips would get a LOT more wear, and looking back I definitely made the right decision for me. I’ve found they can be dressed up or down, as the mirror-shine flash from the angled high-polish petals is glamorous in a subtle way. Personally, I‘m not yet at a place in life where I can confidently style VCA pave on the regular (especially in WG), as much as I admire it on others…but when I get there, I will add the pave version in a heartbeat. To me, the polished and pave are not duplicates, as they throw light rather differently (hence the different perceived sizes noted by you and @yssie above), and the cost-per-wear for the polished Frivole made them an easily worthwhile addition.

In any case, they are all truly beautiful on you!

 

[ac117]

Oh. Okay this is easy. EASY. You need *these*. That one clip absolutely glows on you - it’s luminescent. I know that one’s in yellow but would of course be just as glowy and luminescent in white!! Doesn’t look overly formal… They work great with your outfit. If this is the sort of thing you wear reasonably regularly IMO you’d have tons of opportunity to wear them.

I would love the polished WG on you too. But overall I’m #TeamPaveWG here. The pave looks too fab on you to turn down.

Full disclosure, I’m a lot more tan than I usually am around this time because I was away for a few weeks. I see that glow and wonder if the wg will be even “glowier” and too much so? Saving grace is the longer darker hair that I could pull forward…and back and forth I go lol

When I first opened my pave Cosmos earrings I thought my SA might have sent me the medium size instead of small. I’d had the small MOP Cosmos for a while and felt like I “knew” the size pretty well, and the pave just looked so much bigger. I totally get what you saw. Same exact reaction!

My WG Cosmos are my only white metal VCA too. That’s fine, I wanted white metal and I’ve got non-VCA jewellery to wear them with. Same as you. No regrets going white metal for those even though the rest of my VCA is YG and RG.

Did your SA say anything about price changes? My SA said nothing’s been officially announced but in general if it’s going to happen there’s a decent chance it’ll happen mid to late April. I want the Frivole BTF and I went ahead and put a deposit down for that, didn’t want to risk running into a potential price hike. Doing that demolished my other plan - which was to get a ring from Mikimoto - but… Mikimoto already raised prices this year, so assuming that’s a once a year sort of thing - well I’m already scr*wed

Now I totally get it too in terms of the size! Optical illusion for sure!

Same on the price increase, nothing official just probably coming soon. This is why I’m giving this as much thought because I’d prefer to lock in the price before that happens.
CONGRATS on the yg pave frivole btf!!! Stunning and will go amazing with your already TO DIE FOR collection!!

 

[ac117]

This sounds a lot like my own thought process. I love the pave WG small Frivole earclips and will eventually add them to my collection — they are stunning. However, for my current peers and lifestyle, I had a hunch that the polished WG small Frivole earclips would get a LOT more wear, and looking back I definitely made the right decision for me. I’ve found they can be dressed up or down, as the mirror-shine flash from the angled high-polish petals is glamorous in a subtle way. Personally, I‘m not yet at a place in life where I can confidently style VCA pave on the regular (especially in WG), as much as I admire it on others…but when I get there, I will add the pave version in a heartbeat. To me, the polished and pave are not duplicates, as they throw light rather differently (hence the different perceived sizes noted by you and @yssie above), and the cost-per-wear for the polished Frivole made them an easily worthwhile addition.

In any case, they are all truly beautiful on you!

I really, REALLY appreciate your post as someone who clearly has been in this same position and chose the polished frivole. First….have I seen yours and if not would you mind sharing? I thought I only saw 2 of the polished wg in this thread but I could be mistaken! I know you are right and it would make sense to add the plain ones….but a few things run through my mind….I’m celebrating a big event in a few months and the pave earrings would make it extra special. I’m also just not sure if I would bite the bullet to add them later on the more expensive they get to be honest. I already think it’s kind of crazy lol so I feel like it’s now or never. But the polished ones ARE also flashy in their own way because of the mirrored finish and YES to styling the pave part….I’m with you….I’m happy you made the right decision for you and I hope to get there eventually!! I could talk in circles about this all night long….

 

[MiniMinerva]

I really, REALLY appreciate your post as someone who clearly has been in this same position and chose the polished frivole. First….have I seen yours and if not would you mind sharing? I thought I only saw 2 of the polished wg in this thread but I could be mistaken! I know you are right and it would make sense to add the plain ones….but a few things run through my mind….I’m celebrating a big event in a few months and the pave earrings would make it extra special. I’m also just not sure if I would bite the bullet to add them later on the more expensive they get to be honest. I already think it’s kind of crazy lol so I feel like it’s now or never. But the polished ones ARE also flashy in their own way because of the mirrored finish and YES to styling the pave part….I’m with you….I’m happy you made the right decision for you and I hope to get there eventually!! I could talk in circles about this all night long….

Aww, I’m glad if my perspective helped at all! I posted some pics long ago here:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-cleef-and-arpels-jewelry.214306/post-4934346

I do think the polished are super-versatile and wearable, BUT…if I were you with a big event to celebrate, I would TOTALLY go for the gorgeous pave to commemorate the occasion if you love them! You might find you can work them in to your day-to-day style once they are in your repertoire, and if not, you can always add the polished Frivole later if you find there is still a niche to fill. I adore the polished Frivole like I do a cherished and reliable friend, but the pave do make my heart skip a beat, like a new lover

 

[ac117]

Aww, I’m glad if my perspective helped at all! I posted some pics long ago here:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-cleef-and-arpels-jewelry.214306/post-4934346

I do think the polished are super-versatile and wearable, BUT…if I were you with a big event to celebrate, I would TOTALLY go for the gorgeous pave to commemorate the occasion if you love them! You might find you can work them in to your day-to-day style once they are in your repertoire, and if not, you can always add the polished Frivole later if you find there is still a niche to fill. I adore the polished Frivole like I do a cherished and reliable friend, but the pave do make my heart skip a beat, like a new lover

Ah there they are!! So pretty! Do you have any ear mod shots?

Love the analogy and thank you again for all the encouragement!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here's a picture I saved of the wg polished small pair. I do love it. I tried on the yg ones and found them just a little small. But if the purpose is everyday casual earrings, these fit the bill. I still may end up with them. People who love Frivole do have more than one pair for different purposes. One person on another forum has basically all of them, and she said once she got the small pave pairs, she only wears her large polished yg and her small pave wg. But everyone has different lifestyles. Mine is so casual that I cannot pull off pave earrings for daily wear. (I think this person is petite. These earrings look smaller on me!)

 

[aac2013]

Ok, I need some help from fellow VCAers. I had been planning to buy the wg perlee clover bangle this month (or at least order it). My SA contacted me today about a special butterfly pin. Her VVIP had it on hold during the pandemic but had to release it today. I had told my SA how much I loved these butterfly pins and she told me they are almost impossible to get. They are a collaboration with a Japanese master artist. I think there were 20 made of this particular pin. I feel it is beautiful and love the rarity but I know that I will get so much more wear out of the bangle. Cost is similar. What would you do? There is a line behind me waiting to buy so I have to decide by Monday.