I feel so lucky to have the job of buying the antique jewelry we sell and now and then I just can't part with it. Truly, I've been collecting pieces over the (almost) 20 years I've been a jeweler. Sometimes it's the rarity of a piece that catches my eye, or a style or stone that I've always wanted. Jewelry continues to be an excellent investment so that helps me justify a growing collection, as well as the desire to pass on these incredible examples of timeless design for my kids to enjoy with their own families someday. I plan to unearth more treasures from my collection soon, so stay tuned. Best wishes and Happy Summer! -Rebekah
The above were a Mothers Day gift from my husband. A perfect example of early paste (1880's-turn of the century). The bows actually look like drooping fabric, almost abstract. The paste stones are cut by hand (in this period and before, crystal was often cut to mimic diamonds in quality, and did - see previous posts on paste jewelry history). The rings holding the chain were worn away so we laser welded the natural Victorian coral back in place.
These are a really cool, rare example of antique Gilt, handmade in France sometime circa the 19th century. Gilt is an overlay of Gold (14k in this case) on any metal, typically Silver. These earrings look so good on & I always get compliments whenever & wherever I wear them. To this day I've never seen such unique metalwork and the coral cabochon's compliment it beautifully.
