A Brief Guide to Vintage Jewelry
STYLE | Forbes.com
A host of jewelry insiders share their memories of vintage pieces and their insider knowledge when it comes to purchasing special items, including Tim Mendelson, the former personal assistant to Elizabeth Taylor, on her appreciation for jewelry; Frank Everett of Sotheby’s Jewelry; and Ariel Saidian, a fourth-generation dealer and supplier to the stars.
Vintage jewelry lovers will agree: there’s nothing quite like discovering a bygone piece, filled with charm, allure, and romance; you can’t help but imagine its storied past—the bodies it’s adorned, the glamorous parties it’s frequented—and these come together to bring the past to life. If only jewels could talk.
From auction houses to dealers and markets, the want is real, and this popularity is reflected in global sales with Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Phillips dedicating IRL and online auctions, as well as ‘buy now’ options on their websites.
Just take Sotheby's royal and noble sale of magnificent jewels last year that achieved more than twice the estimate, showing the high demand of revival jewelry. The historically significant 18th-century necklace that’s thought to have possible links to Marie-Antoinette’s “affair of the necklace” well exceeded its estimate and fetched nearly $5 million after a 7-minute bidding battle.
Frank Everett, the Vice Chairman of Sotheby's Jewelry, says, “Antique and vintage pieces—antique jewelry by definition, is 100 years or older, while vintage is 50 years plus–are prized by collectors and take the spotlight at auctions every year for good reason.” Then there’s the smaller brands that are offering rare beauties, take London-based Bear Brooksbank, who noticed a “major surge in appetite for vintage jewelry” and ramping up during the pandemic through the desire of wanting to create connections.
For Jean Ghika, Global Head of Jewelry at Bonhams, “Vintage jewelry offers a wonderful glimpse into the past with jewels of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, there is a magic to discovering the provenance and stories of a bygone era that resonate with me and can be passed on to a potential buyer. Many designs are relics of social history, and we have seen a growth in appetite for owning and understanding antique jewelry. Art Deco has an enduring appeal with its timeless designs that are as fresh today as when they were first created, the designs sit well with the modern collector. Deco collectors are driven by not only the style of the jewelry but also the makers. Notable names that are highly coveted and produced exceptional deco designs include Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari, and Chaumet.”
An opinion also held by all-round authority on jewelry, Carol Woolton, whose podcast, If Jewels Could Talk, and book of the name name, delves into past eras, precious stones, and personal histories, a must-listen for anyone who adores jewelry.
Impossible not to mention, Elizabeth Taylor had a true affinity with jewelry as Tim Mendelson, her former personal assistant and co-trustee of House of Taylor, can testify. He worked with the actress for over 20 years and personally handled her jewelry almost every day. In true leading lady style, she had the jewels to match, and her go-tos houses were Bulgari, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels, cherishing all of them for their sentimental meaning and exquisite craftsmanship.
Of course, think of Miss Taylor, and think of the whopping diamonds that made headline news, namely the 69.42-carat Burton-Taylor Diamond, but she had a deep appreciation for antique pieces too.
On Elizabeth’s antique jewelry, Tim says, “Arguably, her most important historic piece is La Peregrina Pearl, a perfectly shaped natural pearl that had once been part of the Spanish royal jewels. Initially, the pearl came on a simple chain with a diamond-encrusted bale, but Elizabeth worked with Cartier to redesign it in a style similar to one depicted in a portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots.”
It is also worth noting her friend, socialite, and actress, Zsa Zsa Gabor, held an iconic diamond collection; after all, she famously said, “I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back,” and she had nine husbands over the course of her life, so you can just imagine her collection.
Impossible not to mention, Elizabeth Taylor had a true affinity with jewelry as Tim Mendelson, her former personal assistant and co-trustee of House of Taylor, can testify. He worked with the actress for over 20 years and personally handled her jewelry almost every day. In true leading lady style, she had the jewels to match, and her go-tos houses were Bulgari, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels, cherishing all of them for their sentimental meaning and exquisite craftsmanship.
She passed away at the grand age of 99 in 2016, and the jewelry auctions commenced a year later; notably, her 1964 Harry Winston diamond rivière necklace sold for $1.3 million at a Bonhams New York auction in 2017.
Then there are those who have jewelry in her heritage, and as the name suggests, Francesca Cartier Brickell is one of those. Author of The Cartiers and whose great-great-great-grandfather founded Cartier in 1847, is drawn to the romance of historic pieces: “I love what antique jewels tell us about past lives—a single carved emerald may have adorned a Maharaja’s turban ornament at Indian banquets, sparkled on a glamorous Grand Duchess’ tiara in a St. Petersburg palace, and attracted attention within a socialite's sautoir on the dance floor of a Manhattan speakeasy…just imagine what personal highs and lows that single gem has borne witness to—the loves, the arguments, the joys, the tragedies.”
Vintage jewelry is also a source of inspiration to today’s jewelers such as Rosa and Tierney, the duo behind Rosa de la Cruz London. Forever immortalised thanks to the 1950s Salvador Dali portrait, Rosa’s grandmother, Lolo, teamed her Van Cleef diamond and pearl earrings with a Dior couture dress when she sat for her portrait. Handed down to Rosa, she says of the heirlooms, “These timeless pieces which I treasure and wear with our own designs also reflect our belief in unique personal style and fashion, sustainability, and enduring value and investment.”
Talking of Salvador, we’ve also seen echoes of his work in early pieces by contemporary designer Delfina Delettrez, the fourth-generation Fendi woman known for her surrealist take on high jewelry.
As with fashion, what goes around comes around, but the romance and mystery surrounding vintage remains. Going to show vintage can be translated into a modern context is Ariel Saidian, a fourth-generation NYC-based jewelry dealer and supplier of the flash factor to private clients in the know as well as leading A-listers, including Rihanna. She’s a huge player in the vintage jewelry game, choosing to go vintage for Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton show, the Super Bowl, and the Met Gala with an approach: more is more, giving a contemporary aesthetic. Why wear one diamond-encrusted brooch, when you can wear three? Yes, the brooch is back.
As Ariel says, “Why wear one bangle or brooch when you can wear several! Brooches! We have always believed in them, and they are having a moment now more than ever. Smaller ones can be casually pinned on at work during the day, and the fancier ones are for the red carpet and high-profile events. What also helps with the surge in popularity is that every age and gender are embracing the style, older women with ball gowns all the way to younger men in casual wear. The brooch is certainly having its moment.”
It’s not only brooches; “bracelets and necklaces are also being stacked on top of each other as if it were the 1920s again, but now it tends to be in yellow gold and colored stones, instead of platinum and diamonds,” Ariel comments.
Having noticed a surge in interest more than ever before, and fuelled even more by the celebrity wears, he puts it down to authenticity: “It is becoming more mainstream that a vintage jewel just feels more authentic and genuine. It is more like owning a jewel that is almost like the "blueprint" of modern jewelry. People love to be part of a unique jewel's history that no one else has or is a part of.”