My First Piece of Jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels

Full disclosure, every year, I get a bonus from my corporate job. With this extra money, I treat myself to things I have been wanting and of course, I save a portion of the money. This year, I decided that I would pay for a vacation to Turks & Caicos and buy myself a nice piece of jewelry. 

I have always been a jewelry lover; more specifically a fine jewelry lover. I have a pair of 1.31 total carat weight, screw-back diamond studs that I wear basically everyday. I also like fashion jewelry; I have different designer brooches, bracelets, and earrings. But fine jewelry, more specifically gold and diamonds, have my heart. Why you ask? Not only are gold and diamonds beautiful but both appreciate in value over time. Fine jewelry can also be passed down in one’s family. 

Usually, when I am in the market for fine jewelry, I go to the diamond district of New York. This neighborhood is home to many jewelers where you can get fine jewelry for a fraction of the price when compared to a traditional jewelry store. It is basically like cutting out the middle man. 

When I decided to buy a new bracelet, I opted for a Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A) bracelet instead of going to the diamond district. Not only does VC&A have beautiful jewelry but I read that jewelry from this store holds the most value when compared to any other luxury, fine jewelry store. In doing my research, I also read that not only does it keep its value, but the worth increases by 5%, year after year. 

After I read this, it was settled VC&A would be my choice. In my preliminary online search for the right piece, I saw the mother of pearl sweet Alhambra and vintage pieces, both of which are stunning.  I wanted gold and so I opted for the rose gold sweet Alhambra bracelet. 

I took the day off to go into VC&A. I went to the Hudson Yards location in New York City. The staff were all very professional and courteous. While in there, I drank champagne and was able to try on the six motif sweet Alhambra rose gold bracelet along with the mother of pearl vintage five motif. Ultimately, I opted for the one motif rose gold bracelet. I preferred it since I like dainty pieces of jewelry. The store did not have the bracelet I wanted in stock so I had to order it from France. It took approximately 1.5 weeks for my bracelet to arrive. The price of the bracelet was $1,480 but I paid a total of $1, 611 which included taxes.

My Sales Assistant Weiying at VC&A was truly delightful from the beginning of the process to the end. She was professional and did not pressure me to buy anything. When I get a second piece of VC&A jewelry, I will return to the Hudson Yards store and work with Weiying.

All in all, while I usually go to the diamond district for all my pieces of jewelry because I get a heavy discount, this time I opted to get a VC&A. The rose gold sweet Alhambra bracelet I bought from VC&A is stunning and timeless. Not only is the bracelet beautiful, but the VC&A brand is an excellent brand for investment as it holds its value over time and appreciates. A win is a win.