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I've done some hunting around and don't see this FAQd or in any post by a Paizo Developer, so asking here.
Does Arcanist count as a spontaneous caster for the purpose of items like the Mnemonic Vestment? It's annoying and frustrating being in the position where the whole thing hinges on how the GM interprets the word known vs the language in the Arcanist Spells class feature.
If the wearer is a spontaneous caster, once per day she may use a spell slot to cast a spell from a written source (such as a scroll or spellbook) as if she knew that spell. The spell must be on her spell list, the same spell level or lower than the expended spell slot, and the same type of spell (arcane or divine) as the spell slot expended.
An arcanist may know any number of spells, but the number she can prepare each day is limited.
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The "as if she knew that spell" is key reason why it doesn't work for Arcanists, for whom that has no relevance to their mode of spell casting. Of note, while some things that actually increase # of spells known will apply to Arcanists, this isn't actually increasing spells known. Arcanists can use Expanded Arcana Feat and Spell Lattice to increase # of Spells Prepared, but the Vestment and Ring of Spell Knowledge should not work for them, nor do Pages of Spell Knowledge (although Spell Lattice functions essentially the same as Pages).
Notice how a Sorceror and Arcanist get essentially the same value out of a Lattice, while an Arcanist would get dramatically more value out of the Vestment than a Sorceror, given that the Arcanist ALREADY gets for free many spells in a spellbook which can be used with it (and any they add to it for $ can be cast via normal Arcanist casting) while to get any value of the Vestment, a Sorceror must buy scrolls to use with it that don't aid their normal spellcasting in any way. So you can see why it makes sense not to work for an Arcanist. Similar distinction is probably the basis for why Sorcerors and Bards get Spells Known as Racial FCB but Arcanists can only get bonus spells in spellbook, not as extra Prepared slots.
Similarly, other mechanics beyond actual Spell Known Spontaneous Spellcasting would not be compatable with Pages/Ring/Vestment, e.g. Varisian Tattooed Sorceror Archetype generates Spell Tattoos/SLAs based on Spells Known, but Pages/Ring/Vestment only affect actual Spells-Known Spellcasting which the Tattoo abilities are not.
I agree that Mnemonic Vestment doesn't work for an Arcanist.
I think the Ring of Spell Knowledge should work for them.
Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells an arcanist can prepare.
Through study, the wearer can gain the knowledge of a single spell in addition to those allotted by her class and level.
Sounds like it is affecting the number of spells known.
Thereafter, the arcane spellcaster may cast the spell as though she knew the spell and it appeared on her class’ spell list.
Once again, adds the spell to those known.
I believe it should work for an arcanist and allow them to prepare another spell of the appropriate level.
The argument I have seen against this is that Arcanists don't qualify as spontaneous casters.
Well, you can see there in the passages you quoted, a conflict between the first "can gain the knowledge" and the later "may cast the spell AS THOUGH she knew the spell", the latter being equivalent to "may cast AS IF she knew the spell". If it truly granted a Spell Known, then the "as if"/"as though" wording would not be used. Just look at Expanded Arcana, it just says "add one spell to list of spells known", doesn't talk about casting "as if" or anything like that. IMHO, the first passage is clearly fluff description: "Thru study, the wearer can..." and so shouldn't be granted precedence over the rules text which isn't consistent with it.
As you quote, there is ACG clause which lets actual Spells Known increases benefit Arcanist casting (despite not using Spells Known), but IMHO "can CAST as though she knew..." does not trigger that clause because it is not actually increasing Spells Known (in order to trigger clause increasing Spells Prepped), and Arcanist casting doesn't organically involve Spells Known. As I mentioned, the implications of that distinction are not limited to Arcanists, but even (my favorite) Tattooed Sorceror archetype would be unable to utilize it for their Spell Tattoo/SLAs, and I'm sure there are other abilities which reference Spells Known yet are not actual Spells Known spellscasting themselves. (making one up for example's sake: a Sorceror-only Feat giving bonus to Spellcraft ID spells which you have as Spells Known. Pages/Ring/Vestment spells would not qualify, even though you can cast them "as if" you know them.)
Like I mentioned, there is balance reasons for this, in that allowing broader access would yield disproportionate benefit higher than that for Sorcerors themselves. Enabling Feat support is fine (Expanded Arcana), but not every classic Spontaneous Caster item needs to work for Arcanists... After all, they already have their own item support in the form of Spellbooks which is included in their class and allows cost efficient way to expand repertoire.