Shopping for Fine Jewelry
A rundown of my favorite vintage sellers, contemporary brands, and more.
For me, fine jewelry is a more recent interest than clothing, but not an entirely surprising one. I was the type of kid who diligently collected one of each state quarter and slotted them into a giant fold-out map. In elementary school I developed a random obsession with miniature ceramic animals (I cried when my younger sister broke the hooves off one of my deer). A few years later, I became fanatical about stickers, which I kept in a special sticker album and traded with friends. I still have some of my baby teeth, stowed away in a small Ziploc bag. In other words: I’ve always been a collector at heart. The innate heirloom quality of fine jewelry really lends itself to that proclivity.
There are many aspects of fine jewelry that feel intimidating, though — first and foremost being the price point. I’ve grown my own collection mostly by shopping for vintage pieces from Etsy, eBay, Instagram sellers, and The RealReal, or working with fine jewelry clients and exchanging my copywriting / brand strategy services in part for trade. I recommend shopping vintage to anyone who is just starting to explore fine jewelry since the price point can be more accessible, with the caveat that it’s important to do some diligence first. Below, my tips for buying vintage fine jewelry online, followed by: the three pieces of fine jewelry I would consider for those just starting their collections, a roundup of my favorite vintage sellers, and lastly some of my favorite contemporary brands. Enjoy!
Tips for buying vintage fine jewelry online:
On Etsy and eBay, look at the reviews. Make sure you’re buying from sellers with high ratings, ideally lots of them, written by humans and not bots. Try to shop from sellers who have clearly been in business for many years, ideally with a bio, social media presence, and/or their own website.
Check and see if the weight and dimensions are stated. If they aren’t, message the seller and ask for them.
Ask for a photo of the purity stamp (14K, 18K, etc.) if it’s not visible in the listing.
Use a site like Coin Apps to calculate the item’s absolute base price (i.e. if it was being melted down for scrap). I’ve found that most pieces are listed at about 3x more, which factors in the cost of design, manufacturing, resale value, etc.
Remember that anything that seems too good to be true probably is :)
My fine jewelry starter pack:
A DIY antique watch chain charm necklace. Every woman in my immediate family (so my mom, my two sisters, and me) has her own unique vintage fish pendant attached to a Victorian watch chain, along with a handful of other charms we’ve each collected. My mom’s is the best because she’s been collecting the longest, but they’re all pretty special. It’s a great template for jumpstarting your fine jewelry collection since each collection of charms will be one-of-a-kind and therefore innately personal. The first ingredient is an antique solid gold watch chain (watch chains have a dog clip attached to them, which is perfect for holding charms). These can be found on Etsy or eBay using the keyword phrases “antique solid gold watch chain,” “vintage solid gold watch chain,” “antique belcher watch chain,” “vintage muff chain,” or “vintage guard chain.” Look for ones that are an appropriate length to wear as a necklace, so at least 18” long (unless you prefer a shorter, choker style). Here’s a nice 30-inch chain for $795 and a 31-inch chain for $928. After that, you’re ready to start rabbit-holing on Etsy for different vintage charms. Fobs, shields, coral peppers, figa hands, fish, shark teeth, mushrooms, and cabochons are some search words to get you started — but get creative! Love turtles? Look for a turtle charm. Into sewing? Search for a sewing machine. It’s a personality quiz in necklace form.
A pinky ring. There’s just something uniquely delightful about festooning your tiniest finger. Since different pinkies are different sizes I won’t presume to guess yours, but here’s a few rings I like for shopping inspiration:
9ct vintage gold sapphire, ruby, and carnelian ring, size 3, $464
14K vintage gold blue tourmaline cabochon ring, size 4.5, $475
18K vintage gold chain link ring, size 4.75/5, $450
A gold wire collar. It takes a bit of digging to find a good one, and by good I mean solid polished gold wire that isn’t too thin instead of the more common mesh cable or twisted styles. Here’s a nice one for $898 and another for $780. I love mine as a layering piece with a longer necklace underneath, or alone with tops or dresses that have a higher neckline. As for what you use it to display: a cool pendant, a handful of vintage coral charms interspersed with gold beads… the options are infinitely customizable according to your preferences.
My favorite vintage fine jewelry sellers:
Alpha Omega: Highly recommend keeping tabs on their weekly Instagram Story sales.
Bauble Bird: Lots of cool vintage chains, charm holders, and connectors.
Big Oh Bijoux: Antique, vintage, and custom fine jewelry.
Chelsea Girl: “Antique jewels for modern girls.” I bought a really fun gold zig zag ring here that I need to get resized.
Circa1700: I want to make a trip to L.A. and go to the Pickwick vintage show just so I can shop from this seller IRL.
Drop of Difference: I bought one of my favorite charms — a mermaid with an articulated tail — from this UK-based seller. Would love an excuse to splurge on this lapis lazuli cross pendant.
Fine Quality Jewelry: A prolific source for vintage charms. I love the abacus and the rhino.
Gem City Gems: Vintage estate and designer jewelry. This diamond cluster necklace caught my eye during an Etsy rabbit hole a while back.
Kota Jewelry. One of my all-time favorite shops. This is where I bought my vintage puffy heart charm in the last photo above. They’re having a 20% off sale right now with the code “July.” Someone should get this cigar band ring.
Miss Mickster: She does regular charm sales grouped by price point on her Instagram.
My Collection Inc: This Etsy shop is on a break right now, but they have great stuff. Worth a bookmark for when they come back later this month.
None the Worse for Wear: Vintage jewelry from an L.A.-based curator.
Shop Fort Knox: Vintage and estate jewelry curated by a brother and sister. I really love the idea of this South African coin pendant strung on a piece of leather.
Tales from the Junk Pile: “Antique gold jewelry, rescued from the melter.”
This Art Gallery: Right now this diamond solitaire pendant necklace and Etruscan style charm are both providing ample want-but-can’t-have fodder in my bookmarks folder.
Victorian Vintage Treasures: Follow for the curation, stay for the vintage charm styling ideas.
WW Antique Finds: Always a great selection of vintage charms in this shop. I love the coral fish and the shoe house.
Xidni Antiques: A unique curation of antique fine jewelry. I harbor a particular fantasy about owning this weighty fob chain.
Yeah It’s Jewelry: More tiny charms galore.
A list of contemporary fine jewelry brands that I love:
xo Harling
This is gold. 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Harling! I was initially 'influenced' by you to look into Arielle Ratner's jewelry and am absolutely obsessed with this necklace of hers: https://arielleratner.com/product/3-station-initial-diamond-disc/ but $15K+ is not in my jewelry budget :-( Do you have any suggestions for jewelers who make bespoke pieces at (at least slightly) more affordable price points? Or suggestions for how to find contemporary pieces at various price points?