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Mezff080Diobtetty – :
Gem EDT (1990’s):
Dolce Vita’s filthy rich mother, who lives in a penthouse on Avenue Foch, always wears red or purple, and whose favorite pastime is posing nude for free to young painters in Montmartre.
Кондрат Кулябко – :
Gem is a strange blend of sharp salty chypre and sweet fruity and floral notes. The colour of this concoction is dark red and this a punch-in-the-face kind of fragrance. In small dozes it’s quite likeable but only one spray is too much for me to bare. I like the chyper part in it which reminds me of Rochas Femme, a classic fruity and slightly spicy chypre. It has a prominent oakmoss note which brings a sharp, sweaty and dry edge to this fragrance. The fruity floral part of this fragrance reminds me of Dior poison, a plummy and honeyed tuberose blend that I also like a lot. But combined? And then on top of all there is tonnes of civet. I usually love civet but here it is just a bit too much. I find myself quite intrigued with Gem, but I could never pull it off. This blend, or rather: witch brew, is so strange that I wish that it was possible to declutter the notes and simplify it somehow. The quality of the ingredients in this vintage fragrance is superb and also the dry down is enchanting. But as I started out, it is a bit too much of everything, everywhere, for me.
ViTan1975 – :
I managed to buy wee vintage edt’s of this “gem”. It is indeed a gem and very classic.
You definitely get hit with the civet, carnation, plum and ylang on the opening. Its a powerhouse trapped in a wee bottle like a genie in his lamp. The notes swirl around and envelope you in an exotic, mesmerizing cloud of fragrance.
I cant help liking some of these vintage fragrance as they are so intense and rich. They have the depth many of the modern fragrances just dont have whatsoever.
The aromatics appear after a while and provide another dimension. After some hours you pick up the patch and amber.
Good sillage and is around for MANY hours. Im so glad I bought these little beauties.
yuri71 – :
Vintage Gem by Van Cleef and Arpels is the love child of Vintage Rochas Femme and Kenzo Jungle Elephant. The plum, jasmine, and ylang-ylang are so well-blended with the cardamom and cloves. The first thing I detect when I first apply this luscious juice is a tart plum, cardamom, carnation and ylang-ylang. If you like vintage Poison and the original Panthere Cartier, then you will totally appreciate Gem.
reddoor – :
1.7 vintage edt splash bottle.
Gem has a magic sum of her parts that others cant seem to duplicate. It sorda resembles Femme, but id say more the vintage. Its a spicy clovy melange of fruits and spices and the florals are in the background with a supporting role.
Its masterfully done, not as brash as some of her 80s counterparts, but she is still an 80s child with her long lasting power, full bodied perfume and silage. Silage is noticeable, but you arent going to offend someone in an elevator.
The juice is a faint golden color to the oxidized bright orange with age. Dont let the color deter you. Interesting to note, Gem’s drydown is very close to Lutens Ambre Sultan. So one could speculate a mix of femme + ambre sultan to resemble gem, but its opening will be difficult to duplicate.
If you love vintage, heavier scents like opium , coco, teatro alla scalla, you can rock well ..Gem should work for you. Related scents in this genre include: Jean Desprez Sheherazade, and Roja Dove Diaghilev
Reibipassubre – :
NEW:I finnaly found this gorgeous pearl in a shop in Europe and bought it right away. It was my favourite perfume for many years before I stopped wearing it. It is still as stunning and special as I remembered it, but it takes me right back to that time of my life, which I do not like anymore:( It is still as amazing, strong, feminine and magnificent but I am willing to sell it to someone who wants it and can not find it. I bought the original refill and I also have the original gold case. Please contact me via PM if you want to buy it.
jjv445bedyWelty – :
Caveat: I expect to edit this several times. I just found a 5 mL mini in la Parfumerie in the mall. Blind bought it, then googled it, and realized I probably have a vintage bottle from the late 80s or early 90s. The little plastic tray even crumbled as I pulled the bottle out. I dabbed a tiny bit on my wrists and at my throat. And it nearly knocked me over. I think the top notes may have degraded. I get no Cedar, which is a disappointment. I do get dark fruit, a lot of it! This is a very heavy Oriental on me right now. So far I am ambivalent, but the reviews are absolutely fanatic, so I’m going to assume I’m wearing too much. Will update.
Mazswero – :
Authentic, natural, fresh jasmine- like blooms still on the branch- with a warm, spicy animalic presence that makes this perfume a bit feral. A love for me.
Boomex61 – :
Gem has been gifted to me many years ago, from moving out neighbour, as I was always telling her I knew she is in the building or out – by trail she leaves behind, she was already beautiful young woman and I was not even a teenager back then
Now I got it again, overhelmed by flashbacks and potency of this mysterious juice. It starts very rich and almost salty-like from cypress and coriander, somewhat makes me think of Caron Sacre in way that you cant expect how beautiful its turning out later on)
Then it changes into hypnotic soft civet, prune-qualities of the plum and deep rosewood, keeping all the way dense dab of rich lipstick. There is celebrative feel in it, sort of appropriate sense of pride that you are who you are. Very passionate scent.
5 out of 5.
badis – :
After a long search I’ve found it in a small perfume shop in Amsterdam, full of vintage and almost forgotten treasures. What a delight, it is everything I imagined it would be and more!
Mammyharisma – :
Intriguing, captivating, striking, complex… Very original fragrance. Once I smelled it in the 1980’s years. Since then, I was never able to forget it. I was young when I first met it, so I preferred to buy something lighter. Well, I regret I didn´t buy Gem those days… I never saw this scent again around here in Brazil. It is expensive and hard to find.
andrkor – :
What are the characteristics of a gem? Warm, true and uplifting to say the least.
Add to this definition High End Luxury and we’re talking Van Cleef & Arpels Gem.
I must confess I sold this baby some years back, because I thought I did not need it. I regarded Gem as plain good.
I do make some poor decisions at times. The same happened with L’Heure Bleu and Must (both of which have returned in my wardrobe, I am very pleased to say).
Do not take too much notice of the categorization Chypre Fruity.
Ok, there is plum in here, major plum. But this is as woody as it gets.
Warm, sensual and mysterious, so the term “Woody Chypre” might be justifiably applied IMO.
Today a 30 ml vintage bottle arrived after a very long search.
Vintage perfume rules.
This is not plain Good. This is plain Excellent.
AntonioLancer – :
Luxury and refinement!!!!
igaryok62 – :
a heavier classic a bit like feme rochas because of the plum and nectarines and peaches ..its smokey deep full mysterious ambery musky woodsy oriental patchouli based it was way too heavy in my teens ..but i appreciate it now as a respected floral chypre sweet..the use of cardamom carnation and cloves make it very intense ..there is jasmine woods and vetiver ..sandalwood vanilla and many many things that just smell so intense together to me its a little bit cramped as if trying to hard or wearing to many accessories ..its a bit cloying..but its still a respected perfume..
i have the pour out edp 100 ml vintage bottle it smells old but still good
perfume ratting 4.3 out 5
bottle ratting 5 out 5
my personal liking ratting 4 out 5
dimonis_best – :
Thanx Allinug for a sampel. A wonderful scent but sadly this one turns maleish on my skin. My skin is weird – many parfumes turn real maleish on my. I’m not sure witch one of the notes who makes it turn maleish, maybe the Cypress and Civet together. On paper this one is gorgeous.
Tack Allinug för provet. En underbar doft som tråkigt blir manlig på min hud. Jag har stora problem med att många parfymer blir manliga – någon doftnot som slår igenom och förändrar hela pyramiden på mig, kanske är det blandningen av Cypress och Civet som slår över på mig. På papper så är den helt underbar.
kkkpppwwweee – :
What can I say The reformulation of this perfume hasn’t done this any justice at all .. The old version was a real vintage , something that like no other perfume i have worn drove men crazy and had an amazing sillage yet a sexy attractive one. The new version however, has an amazing sillage but of a suffocating heavy earthy , inscence like scent , i simply hate it …
kosteymk – :
Ummm… I just received this in the mail and I can NOT believe that this is an eau de toilette. It is WAY TOO STRONG! I only spritzed on my arm once and WOW! such an overpowering scent of which I am not sure I like it. Something in it smells weird… I cannot describe it, it’s just weird/stinky. I just tried to wash it off of my arm with lots of soap, but it does not allow for me to remove it, lol. it’s stil there, although I did get rid of the stinky note… so, maybe I should spray this on BEFORE I take a shower huh?
I only bought it because I really enjoy every other creation of Van Cleef & Arpels. And after reading the rave reviews about this Gem online I figured I had to have it in my collection. I found it online (I’m in Holland) and so I ordered. But I am not sure if I am happy I did. But since it can’t be found in the stores I had no choice but to blind buy this.
Well, if there is anyone in Holland/Belgium who is interested in this, let me know!
I am willing to sell/swap.
EDIT: No more swapping needed, I contacted the store and I can send it back! Whew…. bye bye Gem!
vivyitedlex – :
I really really loved everything about this perfume when it was released. I used to wear this a lot in the nineties. Unfortunately it was discontinued a longtime ago. It is one of the perfumes which I find smell most of oakmoss and that might be to do with its discontinuation. They might not have been able to create something close to it with replacement molecules. Peach and plum acquired in this scent a nouance different from its character in most perfumes: They were clear, shiny and light, rather than heavy, earthy and opaque. This perfume was very sweet but the airy sharpness of the somehow metalic scent of carnation gave it a really well achieved balance. I used to find it very very pleasant, one of my favourite scents. I had two bottles but because my mother also liked it so much I gave her those two bottles at the time. Well, I do not regret it, a mother is a mother. Unfortunately I do not know of any other scent which could be worn as a replacement, of none close to it. A very special scent. The name, the box, even the colour of the perfume were very beautiful. And the splash bottle, a truly beautiful gem. They should try to bring it back.
Brodskuy – :
For once, i’m lucky to live in Belgium. This is still available in Belgium, in a 90ml EDT but I only know one store that still sells it, but I finally have this true and unique gem.
Jonnsy 85 – :
@gemlover
If you don’t like “Femme” – have you tried “Coco”?
I think there is nothing that really can replace Gem, just try to find a scent which makes you feel good, comfortable…or however you want to feel with it 😉
I changed completely and I am now on Mitsouko and Jicky…
sarjuna – :
SO, ok we can’t buy GEM, but has anyone found the
nearest substitute, I hated FEMME!
iqs522Diobtetty – :
Can anybody tell me why Van Cleef & Arpels stopped producing this? I am searching and searching but I cannot find anything that could replace it…I used it for years.
cristalino7 – :
Gem is my all-time favorite fragrance and very difficult to find in the USA 🙁 I search for this anytime I am in Europe. Absolutely adore Gem.
ilena – :
Gem c’est mon parfum préféré!
Il est somptueux, sensuel, voluptueux…
Les notes de tête sont pétillantes et audacieuses:
notes fruitées délicates (aura légère de pêche et de prune veloutée par la vanille gourmande) associées à l’accord vibrant de l’armoise d’Egypte, de l’essence de cyprès et de la myrte de Tunisie.
Le coeur du parfum est une rencontre magique entre les fleurs et les épices.
Fleurs opulentes, capiteuses (jasmin, tubéreuse des Indes) et fleurs vibrantes sous-jacentes (ylang-ylang, rose orientale, iris, jacinthe des Indes)
Ces fleurs composent un bouquet aux accords exceptionnels.
Ces accords vibrants de fleurs se conjuguent avec beaucoup de complicité à des traces tenues d’épices solaires et colorées (girofle, cardamome, coriandre, sauge…)
Les notes de fond :
animales(ambre,civette) + douceur et sensualité grâce au patchouli et à l’infusion de vanille qui donnent de la profondeur au “chypré”.
……………………………………………..
Au départ, les notes fruitées sont ensorcelées de vanille, ambre et patchouli, ensuite, les fleurs capiteuses sont chauffées de girofle, de coriandre et de notes animales.
C’est la magie des fruits, des fleurs et des épices sous le soleil où tout est lissé!
J’espère que l’on n’arrêtera jamais la production de ce petit bijou de la parfumerie…
Weenych – :
I got a tiny gem-shaped vial of this (think its EDP) at a vintage boutique last week, and tried it on Saturday (in the privacy on my own home in case it was too ovewhelming for others!).
I couldn’t stop sniffing myself, but even at the end of the day when I had to use a sea salt and clay soap to remove the scent, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. At one point about an hour after applying it, I started to get a headache and my lips and face began to tingle…very interesting! But that passed in about an hour, and I just kept sniffing.
Very heavy, fruity and woody, with something kind of rich and filthy underneath (the civet maybe? – sorry I don’t know the best descriptive terms yet). Definitely a chprye, and that’s probably why it fascinates me so – I adore the chypres even when I don’t understand them.
At some points throughout the day it smelled the way I imagine a very high quality courtesan’s bedroom would smell after the orgy (excellent!), at other times, it evoked a slightly unwashed old lady who wears diamond brooches over soup stains on her cashmere twin sets, and happened to be in the kitchen of a house with too many male cats, baking gingerbread (not so great). Sigh. I have so much to learn!
SessWhife – :
Very Nice fragrance with so many notes! add the kitchen sink as well:)!
leternaou – :
This is a great scent from my past! I can’t find it anymore and now I would like it back. I know it has been discontinued and wonder why.
I wore it many years ago while at University. It’s so complex, warm, refined, very ladylike yet seductive. Not everyone enjoyed, but a girl enjoyed so much that the day after she came around wearing “my” Gem! I felt it like a robbery and stopped wearing it!
yulya31 – :
Incredibly gorgeous. If you like Femme by Rochas you will like this. it is very classic.