[Jewelry making - Article 00236] - Re: [Orchid] Vintage Jewelry Definition

[Karen Goeller]

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Teresa,

    Well, I would seriously avoid all use of the term "Vintage" no
    matter the age or vintage of the piece... particularly if it's
    something good. It's simply become completely and irretrievably
    tainted by eBay merchants who seem to think it means "anything I want
    to sell for more than it's really worth." It now just makes me
    cringe. 

    It sounds like you very likely have some very interesting pieces
    from a wide collection of design eras, geographies, and cultures.
    Your best bet would be to try and find some jewelry artisans who are
    attracted to the pieces from their design perspective and are likely
    to use them and incorporate them into their own work. I'm a horribly
    good example of that. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to
    the refiner to buy a blob of scrap for melting only to ooh and ahh
    over pieces and end up taking the salvageable ones out for use in my
    work because I can't bear to see their artistry destroyed. I've
    turned antique knife handles into ceiling fan pulls, various forms of
    flatware into bracelets, rings, watch bands, pendants, pins, etc... 

    Or... go through an "estate" auctioneer / buyer (you don't have to
    be dead to have an estate, contrary to popular belief). They may have
    collectors of those eras or cultures that they can place your pieces
    with to live happily ever after. 

    And finally... even though you have all "guys" in the family,
    there's at least a chance that some of those guys are going to end up
    with a gal at some point in the future... a wife or daughter who
    might treasure pieces with such a rich history to help tie them
    further into their family. So consider keeping a collection of your
    complete favorites... the ones with stories behind them or the ones
    that simply make you smile every time you look at them... just to
    pass along to the future of your family. Tuck them away with a
    picture of you, write their stories on a card or piece of paper that
    you tuck away with them. What a treasure! 

Just some ideas!

Karen Goeller
kgoeller AT nolimitations.com
www.nolimitations.com


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