The subtle hints of sophistication, polish, and status that jewelry gives a woman, and how much a woman is willing to pay to get that, is the essence of the jewelry business. Jewelry, and the reasons to wear or make it is a vast and fascinating annex of the art world. Nowhere do brand names matter as much as in jewelry. It is a fast and easy way for a woman to express exactly what she thinks of the fashion world and how seriously she thinks it matters in her life. From cheap colorful plastic bangles, to expensive 18K gold filigreed earrings studded with precious gems, there is a jewel for every woman, and a woman for ever jewel.
But none is as fascinating as the world of fine estate jewelry. For here is not only the pinnacle of prices and status, but also of history, sentiment, and intrigue. Both Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dedicated several stories and novels for their sleuths to track down famous diamonds and strings of pearls.
Estate jewelry simply means pre-owned jewelry. It by no means devalues it. There are plenty of - and please excuse the pun - diamonds in the rough to be found amongst estate jewelry. A beautiful pair of diamond and sapphire Buccellati earrings with intense fire, or an elegant geometric H Stern bracelet lightly dusted with small diamonds. Or perhaps for the bolder, a David Webb cocktail ring made of coral, jade, diamond, and gold, or an elegant Tiffany & Co. brooch. The styles and eras and individual designers all bring their own flare to these little wearable pieces of art. Each ring, bracelet, and pendant, is a compilation of hours of labor, sweat, cutting, polishing, casting, sawing, rasping, collecting, and setting. Each little gem, carefully mined, washed, analyzed, cut, analyzed again, sold, and set, and sold again. Each piece of jewelry has a wake of artists, businessmen, high society, appraisers, and history behind it. It is a true form of art that can be worn, touched, and handled.
So where can the average person get a piece of the action? A general place to find goodies like these, would be at an estate sale. This isn't exactly a yard sale, nor is it a flea market. An estate sale is when someone is trying to sell off their belongings as quickly as possible to get the maximum return profit. They are almost always being conducted by a professional. By the time an average person hears about and gets to one of these sales, most of the good stuff is generally gone. And to the unexperienced eye, figuring out which pieces of jewelry are worth buying and which ones are not, can be very tricky.
For one, coming in armed with knowledge of designers, their hallmarks (the numbers, symbols, and signatures stamped into the inside or underside of jewelry), and a general sense of what is worth how much, when, and why, is a good start. That way you can easily identify what a material is made of, when it was made, and how much it is worth. For instance, 750 usually refers to 18K gold. Sometimes designers will stamp 18K directly into their work, sometimes not. 925 refers to sterling silver. Knowing the general total weight in carats on a piece with diamonds, will also indicate how much the piece is really worth. For more information on hallmarks, and how to stylistically recognize certain designer's work, one can take a gander at this article compilation blog: www.oak-gem.blogspot.com.
To some collectors, half the fun is perusing estate sales, finding pieces, and getting them appraised. For others, they just want to find the jewelry without the hassle and risk of paying too much for a piece better off to be scrapped.
In the latter case, it would just be better to find a professional in the business and purchase your piece of jewelry from them. The person to contact would be an estate jewelry salesman and BUYER. The fact that they buy is key. It means they know how much pieces are worth and can instantly detect quality. Someone who just sells will try to turn a profit on just about anything. But a person who buys, HAS to know their stuff.
A fine example of an organization that buys and sells fine estate jewelry is OakGem. You can visit their website www.oakgem.com to see their wares, or do business with them in person. The three graces is another group that deals with second hand jewelry.
Jewelry is a fascinating part of human life and society. It is one of those things we cannot resist. One can wear it and feel a certain level of completion and pride, or one can collect it and treat it as art. Either way, fine estate jewelry is a fascinating world to enter, and when played right, can reap plenty of rewards.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
SLANE AND SLANE
Slane and Slane is a very noble high end sterling jewelry line. Run by bi coastal sisters, Heath and Landon Slane, this studio produces spiritually and architecturally influences pieces that resonate with a higher meaning.
The Slane sisters like to invite other artists and designers to work with them in their studio, and a lot of their pieces are a product of a collaboration between multiple artists. This gives their work the feeling of unity, strength, and camaraderie. They work with 100% recycled silver and 80% recycled gold. They are one of the greenest brands out right now, and 90% of their work is done here in America.
The designs of the jewelry itself are usually very humble, very structural, and based around a single idea or texture. A lot of thought goes behind the meaning of each collection. They take their inspiration from other cultures, animals, and architecture. Each collection is a solid recognizable unit that can stand on its own quite well. Their work is a unique blend of both figurative and abstract design. One clearly sees the figurative influence or elements, but can still appreciate the elegant geometrical back drop.
They use a very small amount of gems to adorn their work. They are usually used either for color, or to add a small bit of glitter here and there. They do, however, have an exquisite pearl collection. They play with the natural forms of their pearls and enhance it with amazing sterling work.
Slane and Slane is the perfect jewelry brand for environmentalists, intellectuals, spiritualists, and artisans. Their work adds a meaningful and elegant touch to anybody, and is a pleasure to both wear and own.
The Slane sisters like to invite other artists and designers to work with them in their studio, and a lot of their pieces are a product of a collaboration between multiple artists. This gives their work the feeling of unity, strength, and camaraderie. They work with 100% recycled silver and 80% recycled gold. They are one of the greenest brands out right now, and 90% of their work is done here in America.
The designs of the jewelry itself are usually very humble, very structural, and based around a single idea or texture. A lot of thought goes behind the meaning of each collection. They take their inspiration from other cultures, animals, and architecture. Each collection is a solid recognizable unit that can stand on its own quite well. Their work is a unique blend of both figurative and abstract design. One clearly sees the figurative influence or elements, but can still appreciate the elegant geometrical back drop.
They use a very small amount of gems to adorn their work. They are usually used either for color, or to add a small bit of glitter here and there. They do, however, have an exquisite pearl collection. They play with the natural forms of their pearls and enhance it with amazing sterling work.
Slane and Slane is the perfect jewelry brand for environmentalists, intellectuals, spiritualists, and artisans. Their work adds a meaningful and elegant touch to anybody, and is a pleasure to both wear and own.
PENNY PREVILLE
Penny Preville is an award winning contemporary jewelry designer. Her work has paved a comfortable path for itself on the red karate and in blockbuster films.
Her jewelry is lacy, but not too delicate. She has lovely hints of Indian and Middle Eastern influences in her designs, which adds a sort of visual fragrance to her work. Her motifs include chains of shapes studded with diamonds, engraved platinum and white gold, and geometrical lacework.
She keeps up with today's fashion and makes jewelry with a whole outfit in mind. She keeps her pieces just basic enough to go with most clothes, but still adds a graceful personal touch to them.
Penny Preville jewelry is a great starting point for anyone keen on collecting jewelry.
Her jewelry is lacy, but not too delicate. She has lovely hints of Indian and Middle Eastern influences in her designs, which adds a sort of visual fragrance to her work. Her motifs include chains of shapes studded with diamonds, engraved platinum and white gold, and geometrical lacework.
She keeps up with today's fashion and makes jewelry with a whole outfit in mind. She keeps her pieces just basic enough to go with most clothes, but still adds a graceful personal touch to them.
Penny Preville jewelry is a great starting point for anyone keen on collecting jewelry.
LAUREN K
Design-wise she details bold shapes and colors with delicate feminine vines and flowers. She will dangle precious gems off of complex curved hoop earrings, and pairs diamond studded gold with brightly colored gems. For example, she will make a lovely delicate gold pendant, and use a string of precious gems as the chain. She has a fun collection of candy rings. Lovely cut stones set in diamond studded white gold. Although there is nothing original in her rings, they make exquisite accomplices to her other work. She designs with her entire array of work in mind, not just focusing on individual collections.
She has been featured in publications like Elle, Lucky, Marie Claire, New York Times, and Rapaport (just to name a few).
H STERN
Its fair to say that where other designers fall into extremes, his jewelry is a fine example of something in between. This makes his work compatible with almost anything. It is simple, brilliant, and elegant.
DORIS PANOS
Doris Panos is one of those remarkable young women who took the industry by storm. A true diamond in the rough. It is so rare to find female designers in the industry, and for companies this young to be flourishing, but there you have it. doris Panos has done it all! She spent years learning about the industry: from gold and metal smithing, to gemology, and even business. She was so exceptional in all fields that she was encouraged to go start her own company. And in 1993, she did! Her work is shockingly beautiful. It is intricate and detailed. She features lovely stackable bangles that can be worn individually, or together as a stack. Her treatment of gems is a whole thing in of its own. She sets them in fine glittering rings with lacy metalwork.Her instinct for design creates this wonderful symbiotic relationship between curves and straight lines. Simply masterful!
All statements aside, her jewelry is stunning to wear. Period. End of story. However, every woman who wears her make, and every man who buys her work to collect, should understand that her jewelry isn't just stunning, it is also a sign letting everyone know that even a 150 year old male establishment cannot accomplish what this 20 year old company owned by a single strong woman just did.
CATHY WATERMAN
However, the woman behind them is very strong. Keeping up a strong designer
jewelry career and raising a family at the same time is an astounding accomplishment. Her work is so personal. Each ring, each necklace, each bracelet holds a small sliver of her soul. When you wear her jewelry, you aren't wearing someone's big luxury name. Instead, you are wearing someone's fluttering heart and their undying love to create.
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