Luxury purchases are supposed to buy peace of mind. They’re generally not supposed to leave you poking at a gemstone and wondering if it’s about to pop out.
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That’s the dilemma one woman found herself in after noticing the Mother-of-Pearl piece in her Van Cleef bracelet seemed to be shifting inside its setting. Her TikTok quickly ignited a debate.
Now viewers are down a rabbit hole of jewelry care, material durability, and exactly what $6,000 is supposed to get you these days.
What Happened To This Van Cleef Bracelet?
Everyone has a particular spending habit. In Eloise’s (@eloise.curates) case, she proudly states in her TikTok bio that she’s “buying things for the plot.” Lo and behold, the plot is here and it’s thickening.
Her clip may only be a quarter of a minute long, but 489,000 viewers are already hooked in. Her text overlay reads: “Pov: you never take your mother of pearl vca bracelet off and the saxophones are getting louder.”
The last bit is a reference to a current TikTok trend where the sounds of saxophones are used to signal a bad event that’s happening or about to occur. In Eloise’s case, her Mother of Pearl stone might just dip out any time soon.
In the video, she’s tapping on one side of it with her finger, and the other side raises up. She keeps tapping and shows how the stone easily comes out of what should be its confines. She captions the TikTok: “I knew this day would come.”
How Much Does A Van Cleef Bracelet Cost?
Luxury items are no joke. Eloise’s bracelet seems to be the Vintage Van Cleef & Arpels four-leaf clover bracelet. On their website, the bracelet is listed at $5,350 USD. What makes it this price, you may ask? First of all, it contains five Mother of Pearl gems inlaid into 18K gold.
Its product description also notes that “each stone is unique; its color and features may vary from one creation to another.” A customer can choose between this style or a white gold version. The latter, however, is listed at $5,650 USD.
Does Mother Of Pearl Shrink With Daily Use?
One thing to note is that Eloise purposely mentioned that she never removes the bracelet. This means that she showers and washes her hands with it on. Why is this important? Because reportedly, the Mother of Pearl gemstones shrink when wet.
It’s such a popular topic that even the Van Cleef & Arpels’ website has a page dedicated to daily care. On it, they suggest that “it is important not to expose your creation to water (fresh, chlorinated or salt) or to high temperatures (such as prolonged sun exposure).”
Additionally, they also warn customers against the jewelry possibly coming into contact with fragrances and soaps, as “these could affect its color and form.”
In 2021, Purse Bop wrote a list of tips and suggestions for people owning Van Cleef jewelry. In it, they specifically advise against showering or swimming with the bracelet on. Many of the different gemstones have a durability score on a scale, and the Mother of Pearl bracelet ranks as particularly the “softest” stone.
The article notes that it can be easily scratched when in contact with other stones or can shrink when in contact with water. Bottom line, one should only wear the jewelry after skin and fragrances are dry.
@eloise.curates I knew this day would eventually come ? #vancleef #vancleefbracelet #vancleefmotherofpearl #vintagealhambra #5motif ♬ original sound – LoverboyMarcus96
Viewers Share Their Input
Some viewers are being honest, while others offer advice and condolences. The top comment has over 3,800 likes and claims, “You’re paying for brand not quality.”
While another says, “5,000$ plus for that.” Eloise replies with, “Don’t remind me.”
One viewer is quite active in the problem-solving department. “Go to vancleef to replace it they charge 180$ per Alhambra charm,” the viewer shares.
Eloise replies mostly in confusion, stating that other viewers had given her a different price, but the viewer states that Van Cleef themselves quoted them that price back in December 2025.
Another viewer suggests, “If you want one you can shower with, get the gold, diamond, onyx, carnelian or agate!!” Eloise responds, “I’m definitely going to get one of these for my next one!”
Lastly, one viewer claims, “I hateeeeed how I need to baby my VCAs so I just buy more Cartier.” Eloise agrees, saying, “Honestly same, all my other jewellery is Cartier.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Eloise via Instagram direct message and to Van Cleef & Arpels via press email.
