Taking treasure out of the chest
I recently celebrated a dear friend's 60th at a dinner party.
Birthday Boy's wife, R., admired a bracelet I wore and said, "Hmmm. My mother in law gave me one like that years ago, but I never wear it. I'm not sure if it's nice or not."
She ran upstairs to retrieve a buried treasure from the bottom of her jewelry box: a 3-inch wide 18k gold cuff that bore an etched, 'retro Aztec' geometric design. The bracelet, bought in the '60s in Mexico City, was absolutely perfect on her.
When we draped that that smart swath of gold on her wrist, all women guests cooed, "Oooooh."
"But I don't get dressed up", she said, "so I have nowhere to wear it." A casually beautiful woman, R. is dean of the design faculty at a local college. Her style is spare, unadorned, and modern; she wears only neutrals.
We suggested she pair her treasure with jeans and a crisp shirt (what she was wearing at the party), a scoopneck tee and pants, or a Banana Republic sweater and simple skirt. The bracelet needed less, not more to set off its exotic heritage.
If you have vintage pieces, precious or not, bring them out and try them with your favourite casual clothes. The brooch your aunt wore on the shoulder of her suit can look wonderful on a cardigan worn with jeans. Mix a real gold bangle with J. Crew enamel bracelets.
Costume pieces
Many pre-70s costume pieces were better-made than even the best of today's. Just as you would with vintage clothes, invest in renovation and professional cleaning; new life's revealed with a little care. Sparklz web site has good information about how to clean and perform basic repairs to costume jewelry.
A site that calls itself "the first online store for the repair of costume jewelry", Vincenzo Taormina, is based in Philadelphia, and offers a an array of services. Finally, a place you can send those pretty but ear-numbing clip earrings, and have posts put on them. They can replace missing stones, solder broken joins, and replace pin backs.
Enamels, plastics and coatings are more complicated and sometimes impossible; they'll advise you before beginning.
You could also talk to your local jewelers about repair or renovation; however, some techniques used on costume pieces differ from those used for gold, silver or platinum pieces, so they may not have the skills or equipment.
Schiaparelli earrings, shown, $450; from Very Vintage.
Fine jewelry
R. needs only a simple repair to the security clasp on her bracelet. If your piece is set with stones, check that they are not loose. (This may not be apparent to you without a loupe.) Have major pieces appraised. The result can go both ways; I've heard of "diamonds" that turned out to be paste, and of stones thought to be glass that were precious.
To renovate or not?
Barbara thought that the three-stone ring she inherited from her aunt was costume, because the "diamond" wasn't very sparkly. She discovered she owned a signed Cartier ring with a 3ct European-cut diamond and several large sapphires. She had it remodeled as a brooch, wore that for a while, then had a modern ring made.
If I had a ca. 1930 Cartier piece, I would not renovate it. I'd enthusiastically restyle unsigned, out of date jewelry.
Should you sell? Not unless you don't care, and just want it off your hands. I'd encourage you to create something wonderful from your bequest, rather than earn a bit of cash from an auction house or dealer.
To have, but not always to hold
Once the piece is ship-shape, ask yourself, Will I wear it?
If you don't love it, is there another family member who would cherish a Victorian locket or a seed-pearl torsade? You could, for example, give a young niece your heirloom pearls, with a note saying the gift includes restringing and a new clasp of her choice.
A jewelry swap of costume or semi-precious pieces is fun, too. Have an idea of the value, so you can exchange fairly with your friends, and provide some mirrors. That's how I got a beautiful silver bangle that would forever remind one woman of an ex, and she got the "tortoise" combs I wore when I had long hair.
Birthday Boy's wife, R., admired a bracelet I wore and said, "Hmmm. My mother in law gave me one like that years ago, but I never wear it. I'm not sure if it's nice or not."
She ran upstairs to retrieve a buried treasure from the bottom of her jewelry box: a 3-inch wide 18k gold cuff that bore an etched, 'retro Aztec' geometric design. The bracelet, bought in the '60s in Mexico City, was absolutely perfect on her.When we draped that that smart swath of gold on her wrist, all women guests cooed, "Oooooh."
"But I don't get dressed up", she said, "so I have nowhere to wear it." A casually beautiful woman, R. is dean of the design faculty at a local college. Her style is spare, unadorned, and modern; she wears only neutrals.
We suggested she pair her treasure with jeans and a crisp shirt (what she was wearing at the party), a scoopneck tee and pants, or a Banana Republic sweater and simple skirt. The bracelet needed less, not more to set off its exotic heritage.
If you have vintage pieces, precious or not, bring them out and try them with your favourite casual clothes. The brooch your aunt wore on the shoulder of her suit can look wonderful on a cardigan worn with jeans. Mix a real gold bangle with J. Crew enamel bracelets.
Costume pieces
Many pre-70s costume pieces were better-made than even the best of today's. Just as you would with vintage clothes, invest in renovation and professional cleaning; new life's revealed with a little care. Sparklz web site has good information about how to clean and perform basic repairs to costume jewelry.
A site that calls itself "the first online store for the repair of costume jewelry", Vincenzo Taormina, is based in Philadelphia, and offers a an array of services. Finally, a place you can send those pretty but ear-numbing clip earrings, and have posts put on them. They can replace missing stones, solder broken joins, and replace pin backs.
Enamels, plastics and coatings are more complicated and sometimes impossible; they'll advise you before beginning.
You could also talk to your local jewelers about repair or renovation; however, some techniques used on costume pieces differ from those used for gold, silver or platinum pieces, so they may not have the skills or equipment.Schiaparelli earrings, shown, $450; from Very Vintage.
Fine jewelry
R. needs only a simple repair to the security clasp on her bracelet. If your piece is set with stones, check that they are not loose. (This may not be apparent to you without a loupe.) Have major pieces appraised. The result can go both ways; I've heard of "diamonds" that turned out to be paste, and of stones thought to be glass that were precious.
To renovate or not?
Barbara thought that the three-stone ring she inherited from her aunt was costume, because the "diamond" wasn't very sparkly. She discovered she owned a signed Cartier ring with a 3ct European-cut diamond and several large sapphires. She had it remodeled as a brooch, wore that for a while, then had a modern ring made.
If I had a ca. 1930 Cartier piece, I would not renovate it. I'd enthusiastically restyle unsigned, out of date jewelry.
Should you sell? Not unless you don't care, and just want it off your hands. I'd encourage you to create something wonderful from your bequest, rather than earn a bit of cash from an auction house or dealer.
To have, but not always to hold
Once the piece is ship-shape, ask yourself, Will I wear it?If you don't love it, is there another family member who would cherish a Victorian locket or a seed-pearl torsade? You could, for example, give a young niece your heirloom pearls, with a note saying the gift includes restringing and a new clasp of her choice.
A jewelry swap of costume or semi-precious pieces is fun, too. Have an idea of the value, so you can exchange fairly with your friends, and provide some mirrors. That's how I got a beautiful silver bangle that would forever remind one woman of an ex, and she got the "tortoise" combs I wore when I had long hair.
Comments
I received a particularly beautiful modern necklace of pearls, silver and stones that a dear friend gave me yesterday and I think I will never take it off. Thanks again, Duchesse.
Have you, or do you know anyone who has, used the repair website. I have a fabulous gold-plated bracelet that I adore that seriously needs refurbishing but on one around me can do it.
diverchic: So happy you like it!
Wish I had treasures like that lurking in my drawers . . . what I have are a few very small gold pendants (wee crosses, an amethyst on a gold clasp, ditto for an opal) along with the approx. 1-inch gold locket my dad gave my mom almost 60 years ago. Following advice in an earlier post, I've gathered these together and am going to take them to a local jeweler who does custom work to see if he can devise some way to pull them all pleasingly into one piece -- I'm thinking a gold neck chain a bit like a charm bracelet, but I'll see what ideas he might have. I'll let you know how it all turns out. Thanks for the inspiration.
Frugal: If that were my bracelet I'd sleep in it!
I have some really nice pieces of chunky costume jewellery, including some great Nordic-modern silver things from I think the fifties. My father's mother, the artist, liked them. I find them hard to work into my style, though. The few good bits of old jewellery I have are impossible for me, all being gold, tiny, and dainty - I doubt my style will ever shift towards the gold, tiny and dainty! (These include a lovely Victorian locket with engraving and an enamel flower, from my great-gran.) I still like having them in my box, though. Every now and then, I sift through things, and hold them fondly.
I wish I had a massive neo-Aztec cuff, though! That I could wear, even if it is gold! Gorgeous piece.
Can't thank you enough :)
Oh, and that bracelet is a beauty.
s.: I'm so sorry to hear that, it is so painful to lose family treasures. That is why so many people keep things in a box at a bank, then seldom wear. Good idea to have hiding places to deter a smash and grab- the main thing is to realize anything in a usual spot (dresser drawer, jewelry box, bedside table) will go.
lagatta: See CompassRoses' idea. My mismatches usually get recycled, it only reminds me of my loss to have one lonely earring in the box.
Imogen: Agree, and another advantage of vintage pieces is that you can go quite 'big' without looking over the top.
I was working as a student in a store when a woman came in and plonked down a necklace on the counter- She wondered as to the value of the piece- was it 'real' was it fake.Her mother-in-law whom she didn't like on sight had given it to her on the morning of her wedding. They hardly spoke afterwards and she was since departed and the piece looked like junk jewelry- tons of 'diamonds' in layers with what looked like a rhodium finished sterling silver or even silver plated.
The jeweler took it in for inspection and it was valued at $250,000 It was platinum.They were all diamonds.
She was about to dump it because of its associations. Her mother-in-law had never mentioned the cost or insurance leaving her to believe it wasn't very special.