Gem Eau de Toilette

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

G. is a spicy little number! Cardamom and coriander can be difficult notes but G. uses them to great advantage, making what could be sharp and unpleasant rich and opulent. I don't get peach or plum, the scent reminds me of spiced apples in the best way possible. Delicious! Moderate performance, unisex and elegant presentation: this one's a winner!

After 2 decades of searching for this parfum I managed to find it. It has quite a high price but I don’t care, Is just how I remembered it I am in love with this parfum the wood the fruit the sensuality is just amazing. It last very long and I am over the moon ❤️

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!

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.

Another discontinued gem ; ) I have a bottle of this available, PM for details

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.

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 Bleue 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.

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!

spicy fruity almost gourmand but still an oriental; chypre at first application dries down to dark fruit

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.

Got a half full vintage miniature. Smells like old people and plum, too strong for me

having an older (I assume if not from the 1990s, then ca 2000) version of the Luxe Vaporisateur of 3oz90mL Edt, and while already reviewed it twice, this morning I was again pleasantly surprised to spritz this fantastic perfume on my pulse and in the nape of my neck. while it is an Edt, it has all the characteristics of an Extrait. this is in several ways possible. because it is already such a heavy, hefty perfume. and because it was left on its own devices inmidst what slowly (and unintentionally) became a Perfume Collection of 299 Bottles. I also have a back-up [Re-fill for the Luxe Vaporisateur] which must be as old. when you smell the initial smell it is its apparent richness and complexity with sweet, balsamic, the pissy notes of Civet unmistakenbly, intensely Floral (and to me a Ravishing Rose), spicy and woody, powdery and ambery and mossy mingling of pure 'Perfumity'. 'following' Fragrantica I now do know and realise that there are as many Tastes and Prevalences as there are people. but if I had spritzed on for instance Cool Water, Boss Woman [if it is called such], Light Blue or ANY perfume from Dyptique, Penhaligon's, Lorenzo Villorezi and the most perfumes from Blue Bell diaphanity Floris, I had not felt the same happiness, fulfillment, gloriousness as I did with this Heavy, Cloying, Syrupy, Lethally Asphyxiative 1980s deft 'Hookerperfume' or costly Call Girl Confiture as I felt with this very Haughty, Hautain, as well Parisian as NY as L.A., perfume. this perfume keeps lingering sweet and promising Old School Richness around my head. the association with the as famous as notorious perfumes of the 1980s is apparent. how can we better rate a perfume than with the Experience of Happiness, Fullness, Commandment in Esthetic sense, Flowering Abundance, Resinous granularity, Feral underpinnings, Moss, Cypress, Myrthle, all lending a deep Forestrial Foundation. Cardamom, Coriander, Cloves (and with Carnation !), wafting a subtle as impressive orientalism along with all the other Luxe Ingredients. the Fruity Initiation of Plum and Peach is of such force that it densifies this fabulous perfume into Regal Realms. Roses, Carnation, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Tuberose, Iris & Orris, the Myrtle & Vanilla all contribute to the sheer Florality of this (now) Mythical perfume. Woodiness is given by Brazilian Rosewood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Orris, Myrtle, Cypress. this almost avant-garde mixxology works wonders and the perfume is coloured RED in its shining canister. I just wanted to revel in its Lively and Capricious Testament of the finetuned handicraft and Haute Joiallerie like attention for details incorporated within this heavenly Balm, Evaporable. the perfume is definitely comparable to the 1980s and 1990s Creeds (but particularly Fleur de Bulgarie & Irisia) [which English-French Maison does live up to either the expectations or whatever fucking expectations people have of it], Guerlains Nahéma (1979) and further without namedropping all the Presentist and Alarmist 1980s Perfumes. and with the same Hauteté and Raffinement of Chanels Coco (1985). another Unforgettable perfume it is comparable with is Gale Hayman's Beverly Hills (1990). Gem is really that 'Gem' in your collection which enhances certain features of your character. if you're such kind of person.

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!

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!