I Love Jewelry!

I’m a jewelry nut. When I shop, I end up at the jewelry cases first, my favorites being the beads and baubles made by local artists. I want a great piece that no one else has—and if I find great vintage jewelry, that’s even better. So when I was working on the “Collect It/Antiquing Buzz” story for the November issue of Country Home magazine (see page 78 of the November 2006 issue) about great artisans who make new jewelry out of reclaimed found antiques, I was over the moon.

It seemed like a good time to be doing a story on this, because everywhere I had been turning—Elle magazine, DailyCandy on the Web, New York magazine, the design blogs I read, and gift shows my fellow editors attended—there were little bits on vintage-turned-new jewelry.

So I called a bunch of people and asked them to send in their favorite pieces. I was floored by what the artists sent. My desk was a veritable jewelry playground. Unfortunately in the magazine world, space is at a premium, and I couldn’t include some of my favorites.

In our November issue, you’ll see pieces from Lulu Frost, who makes very fine jewelry out of hotel numbers, chandelier drops, vintage charms, and other beautiful and sparkly antiques; What’s Your Type, who fashions bracelets, necklaces, and more from vintage typewriter keys (then donates the typewriter skeleton to other local artists to keep them out of landfills); Silver Spoon Jewelry, whose vintage-inspired watches, bracelets, and even business-card holders are sophisticated and regal; and, finally, Grandmother’s Buttons, a 20-year-old, Louisiana-based company that makes great traditional-looking, as well as hip and funky, pieces out of antique buttons and vintage Bakelite buttons.

But I didn’t have room to include Leviticus Jewelry by Tara Levitin — click on “one-of-a-kind” to find some of my favorites), or Found Treasures You Wear by Connie Govea Stuart. Check both of these ladies out if you get a chance. Connie goes to a lot of jewelry and antique shows throughout the country—send her a note at connieart@aol.com to see her stuff.

And after we went to press, I got some information about L.A. designer Amy Di LaMarra’s Kudra belts. The sash belts are adorned with super-blingy vintage (and some vintage-inspired) belt buckles and other found things.

Although a bit pricey, I also mooned over Monique Pean’s vintage-scarf-and-antique-chain creations. Gorgeous!

Want to find more artists to browse through? Try going to My Bonnie and Clyde , which hosts a bunch of independent artists, many of whom make new jewelry out of found vintage objects. (One of my favorites is Laura James.)

Because of this story and my overflowing inspiration garnered from these creative folks, I look at leftover vintage pieces, or objects that would otherwise be lost and forgotten, in a new way. In fact, when I shopped the Chicago Antique Market this summer, I bought a handful of vintage chandelier drops to make into necklaces for Christmas presents.

What about you? Do any of you have any jewelry-making ideas or inspiration? Who are some of your favorite jewelry artists who use antiques?