Here's my jewelry collecting experience. As to what I consider a set, that will be another post.
I’ve been collecting jewelry for
close to 50 years.
Buying philosophies have evolved over time matching to my lifestyle and budget. Over time I learned what I want and what works with my style. Your needs change and evolve as you age.
For the TLDR Types: Buy what you LOVE. Save for it if you don’t have the money. Don’t settle.
- Teens to 20s: No money, no jewelry (juggling up to 3 jobs). Well maybe three pieces (eRing, sapphire stud earrings that I wore to death, and a Paloma Picasso 18K Squiggle pin). Engaged at 27, DH bought an engagement ring with borrowed money from his parents. We dutifully paid it back in $250 increments until it was paid off.
- 30s: Some $, some jewelry. Mostly from small independent jewelers, quality varied, but I began to learn about jewelry construction and what was quality. When you order a custom piece, make sure the jeweler has the chops to pull it off.
- 40s–50s: More $, more jewelry, more lifestyle requirements. This is when I began to acquire nice things and learn about designers like VCA, Verdura, Jean Mahie, Elizabeth Locke, Paul Lantuch, Paul Morelli. This is when I purchased most of my collections. I went on buying jags (like a kid in a candy store) in which I bought lots of works from one designer. First, I bought Locke, Lantuch, Mahie, and Morelli. Then, I discovered Verdura, VCA, Graff, Procop, and Temple St. Clair. I made some great purchases and some mistakes. But I learned.
- 60s. I have money. But my lifestyle has changed. COVID, employment changes, and I’m no longer going to black tie events, store events, retreats. So, I do not need to have formal jewelry. And my adult children do not go to black ties, etc. I am in the process of “right-sizing” my collection. That means taking a hard look and what I have and ruthlessly culling. Now, I only buy things I LOVE that I mean to keep for the rest of my life. Same thing with my handbags.
Other drivers of my jewelry collection.
- Being dragged into jewelry inheritance squabbles with my own family and my In-laws. Won’t get into it here. I refused to fight for jewelry with either side of the family. Relatives wanted the stuff badly and made sure they got it. Fine. But man, was it unpleasant at the time.
I do not want my kids to squabble over my stuff. I’ll rise from the grave and smack them silly if they do.
- I buy my jewelry myself, with my own money. Sometimes I’ll ask DH to buy me something, but it’s rare. It means I am in control of my collection. I love DH dearly, but I want to choose jewelry myself. DH hates shopping. So, it works.
- I do not hesitate to resell items.Review your jewelry box periodically. Does everything spark joy? Or not. It’s better to get some money back rather than have items languish in a jewelry box, unused. I use TRR and Beladora regularly. When I cull, here’s my calculus:
- When was the last time I wore the piece of jewelry?
- Do I still love it?
- Is it too similar to something else in my jewelry box?
- Will I have use for it in the future?
- Is it replaceable?
- How much did I pay for the item(s)?
- How much can I resell it for?
- What vendor is the right reseller? This takes research. Do your homework. Beladora is direct buy out, whereas TRR is consignment. TRR can be a pain in the a** to work with. But for certain pieces of jewelry, they are a better reseller.
- I rarely regret purchases. But sometimes I regret not buying something.
- My best friend is in the jewelry business. Through her, I have access to a world-class jeweler. When the Smithsonian needed to unmount the Hope Diamond to examine it, this jeweler was hired to do the work. He made my Emerald ring.
- I buy items from resellers, such as TRR, 1stDibbs, and Beladora. Sometimes you can find under-priced items on TRR. Jewelry is returnable, so it’s worth the $30 in postage both ways to look at things IRL. I bought the emerald from my emerald ring on TRR. It was originally in a pendant and was very well priced. My friend reviewed the stone and confirmed it was a good deal. The jeweler and I came up with the design. The final ring is spectacular. I recently got an Opal for a pendant from TRR and we are mimicking Irene Neuwirth style on it. Again, my friend confirmed the stone was worth the price. And it had 2 carats of 8 point VS G melee on it too.
TRR is where I discovered Irene Neuwirth. You can find well priced items there. I started off with a Peruvian Opal candy bracelet and I was hooked. So I buy Newirth from both TRR and Bergdorfs.
- Negotiate with Stores. At Neimans and Bergdorfs, you can negotiate on price if you are buying items in excess of $10K. Buy on double/triple points days. You can accrue lots of gift cards. When the VCA boutique was in my local Neimans, I used to buy Verdura and others, negotiate discounts, buy on triple points days, and use the rewards cards to buy Van Cleef, which was not eligible for triple points.
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