This coming weekend we welcome Marilyn Weiss of Marilyn & Co. Antiques to our Oakland shop for a trunk show, and we couldn’t be more excited. There’s nothing quite like the exquisite craftsmanship found in these antique jewels – they really don’t make ‘em like they used to! We love fantasizing about the incredible histories that may lay behind each of these pieces; whose fingers may have worn them, which forgotten artist’s hands created them.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces currently in our shops, each a miniature masterwork that exemplifies the artistry and design hallmarks their era. Read through for a quick primer on antique jewelry styles, and join us on Saturday to shop Marilyn’s incredible collection of vintage treasures.
Marilyn & Co. Vintage Jewelry Trunk Show Saturday, May 27th 11am to 6pm ESQUELETO Oakland 482 A 49th Street in Temescal Alleys
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Georgian These incredible earrings exhibit many of the typical traits associated with the Georgian period. The diamonds are foil-backed and set in silver with 18k gold accents, with the metalwork crafted in a more rough-hewn manner than the later, more refined Victorian era. The diamonds themselves are also cut in a less-precise fashion, with the imperfect rose cuts giving the stones a totally unique character.
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Victorian An exquisite ring dating back to the Victorian period, this ring features a central lustrous pearl surrounded by a bevy of clustered old mine cut diamonds. You can see the metal work becoming more refined in this era, with delicate prongs and intricate filigree on the sides of the rich 18k gold setting.
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Edwardian This sweet little floral diamond cluster ring perfectly embodies the über romantic Edwardians, with its detailed engraving, milgrain accents, pastoral design inspiration, and delicate platinum setting.
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Art Deco In the roaring 1920s we see a shift in jewelry design towards urbanity, futurism, and modern materials. This architecturally-inspired platinum ring, with layers of gridded diamonds rising higher and higher, resembles the grand skyscrapers of the period reaching towards the sky.
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Mid-Century Modern By the 1950s, jewelry design had fully embraced the modern era, with its egalitarian simplicity, function-driven forms, and classic, understated sensibility. Technological advances brought a mastery of materials, giving this ring the unparalleled sparkle of the brilliant cut center diamond and clean perfection of the tapered baguette cut sides.