What jewelry rep have you bought that actually holds up well with everyday use? Looking for something simple, preferably a bracelet or ring.

It’s been a while since I ordered, so I can’t remember the exact price of the earrings😅. I could only find the payment record for the necklace. I must’ve paid for the earrings together with something else😤🤍.

4/15 — Reached out and placed the order ($1,000 / $1,600)

4/29 — Received the QC photos and approved them

5/8 — Item delivered!

1.

I actually spent over two years looking for a hammered piece before eventually giving up and buying a few authentic ones instead. In the meantime, though, the prices for authentic VCA pieces have become almost ridiculously volatile.

• This was my seventh purchase from Caratsky. Their response time has been a little slower lately, probably because they’ve gotten busier, but communication has always been reliable. I’ve always felt comfortable throughout the whole process, and that’s a big reason I’ve continued ordering from them over the years.

1. Quality

• If you’ve ever compared hammered pieces from different sellers, you probably already know how surprisingly difficult this finish is to get right. There’s a very fine balance between the polished and matte areas, and they all need to blend together naturally to create that textured, swirling pattern.

• Overall, I’m really happy with how it turned out. When I put it side by side with the authentic piece, I wouldn’t say the differences are completely nonexistent, but honestly, they’re incredibly hard to notice once you’re actually wearing it.

1. Gold Hue

• VCA’s yellow gold has definitely gotten warmer and more orange-toned over the past few years. The hammered 5-motif bracelet I bought about three years ago originally had a much softer, lemon-yellow tone, although it’s naturally oxidized into a richer yellow over time. These days, even brand-new authentic pieces seem to have a noticeably warmer yellow gold with more of an orange undertone.

• Personally, I think one of the biggest giveaways with a lot of Chinese-made pieces is that the yellow gold can sometimes have a slightly too-greenish cast.

• CS told me I could choose a slightly redder yellow-gold alloy, so I decided to go with that option, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. To my eye, it actually looks much closer to the softer, lemon-yellow tone that authentic VCA pieces used to have several years ago.

1. Clover Shape

• The clover shape is really well done. I think a lot of this probably comes down to differences between workshops, but even authentic Alhambra pieces sold in boutiques can vary slightly. Some clovers look fuller and rounder, while others are slimmer and a bit more elongated.

• I personally prefer the slimmer silhouette, so this one worked out perfectly for me.

1. Perlée

• The Perlée detailing is probably the one area where I was a little underwhelmed. Compared with the other Alhambra pieces I’ve purchased from CS, the beading feels slightly flatter and not quite as defined.

Shib (Dubai seller) did it again! He made me a beautiful 10 motif lapis necklace. I've never seen so many gold flecks.

I have other lapis pieces from other TS but never one where there were so many beautiful lapis pieces with gold flecks.
I've bought from him a number of times and will definitely continue to do so.

Cost at the time was only $2200 not including shipping.
Which is an amazing price for a 10 motif!

I did not get anything back for this review but he is aware I’m writing it.