Pros and Cons of the Van Cleef Bracelet
Purchasing a Van Cleef Alhambra is a big investment, and before you make any big purchase you should definitely consider the pros and cons. The Van Cleef & Arpel (VCA) Alhambra is recognizable, desired, and lusted after. Today, I will be sharing with you the Pros and Cons of the Van Cleef Bracelet, and my thoughts if you should purchase this bracelet based upon your lifestyle.
Pros of the Van Cleef Alhambra Bracelet
There are several pros of the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet which include, it is a formal piece, very elegant and timeless, it can easily elevate your look, has a more mature vibe, the bracelet handmade using high quality material, it retains its value, and if the bracelet or stones gets damaged Van Cleef will replace it.
One of the biggest draws to the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet is the elegant, formal, timeless piece of jewelry. The Van Cleef and Alhambra bracelet is known for its four leaf clover design. Many people gravitate towards this bracelet because of its sophisticated, mature look that can really elevate your outfit.
All Van Cleef Alhambra bracelets are made by hand using the high quality raw material. Van Cleef stands by every jewelry piece that make and if your bracelet should get damaged it can be replaced for a small fee.
The last positive of the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet is it retains its value. Should you ever want to sell your Van Cleef bracelet you will retain at least 85% of the value. The reason that the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet retains its value is because it’s a high quality timeless piece, VCA is constantly raising their prices every year, and certain bracelets are only produced in a limited capacity making them hard to purchase in store.
Cons of the Van Cleef Alhambra Bracelet
The biggest con when purchasing the Van Cleef bracelet is the extra care you have to take when wearing the bracelet when it comes to the stones. The softer the stone the more damage that can be caused. For example, the Mother of Pearl is a 2.5 – 4.0 Hardness on the Mohs scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest, because of the soft nature of this stone it’s prone to chip easily. The Van Cleef stones cannot get wet because they will lose their shine, become matte, and have been known to shrink.
The second con, and this could be categorized as a personal one, is that the bracelet runs big, and resizing can take weeks sometimes over a month. This becomes a problem if you want to purchase the bracelet while on holiday or shopping abroad in Paris.
The final negative to the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet is that they are raising their prices every year. This frustrates many people, especially those who are saving up to purchase a VCA bracelet only to find out that it has increased in price. I always tell people if you are on the fence about purchasing the Van Cleef bracelet you should do it now because you never know when exactly they will increase their price.
Which Van Cleef Alhambra Stone Bracelet Should I purchase?
The Van Cleef bracelet comes in several different beautiful colored stones and in all gold. The stones the bracelet is made of have different harnesses and should be taken into consideration before you purchase a stone bracelet. Based upon the Mohs scale, the hardest stone is a diamond at a 10 while the softest stone is a Talc at a 1. I recommend purchasing a Van Cleef bracelet with stones that have a hardness of at least 7, these stones are more durable and damage-resistant.
| Type of Stone | Hardness (Mohs Scale) |
| Mother of Pearl | 2.5 – 4.0 |
| Malachite | 5.0 – 5.5 |
| Lapis Lazuli | 5.0 – 5.5 |
| Tuquoise | 5.0 – 6.0 |
| Rhodonite | 5.5 – 6.0 |
| Chalcedony | 6.5 – 7.0 |
| Agate | 7 |
| Onyx | 7 |
| Tiger’s Eye | 7 |
| Camelian | 7 |
Should you purchase a Van Cleef Bracelet?
You should purchase the Van Cleef bracelet if you are looking for a quiet luxury bracelet, wanting a more formal, elegant bracelet, that elevates your look, and not as many people have. I would avoid purchasing the Van Cleef bracelet if you aren't the type to be extra careful with your jewelry. If you are looking for an everyday piece that you can be a tad more “rough” with then I recommend the Cartier Love bracelet or Juste un Clou bracelet. Shop Van Cleef Bracelets
Recap on the Pros and Cons of the Van Cleef Bracelet
In short, the biggest pros to purchasing the VCA bracelet include it elevates your look, the bracelet is timeless and elegant, handmade using high quality raw materials, and it retains its value. The biggest cons to purchasing the VCA bracelet include the stones can’t get wet and if they do, they can chip, lose its shine, become matte, and shrink. Because of this you have to take extra care when wearing the bracelet. I'd love to hear int the comments, what are your thoughts on the Van Cleef bracelet?
Sincerely Petite in Paris,
Diane
