About Estate, Antique and Vintage Jewelry

Antique jewelry and vintage jewelry comprise an important part in the history of Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery and its current status as a source for one-of-a-kind and historically important examples of Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Retro and Modernist jewelry.

Thirty-eight years ago I began selling general antiques. After assembling an 800 pound potbelly stove in the store’s front window, I nearly burst into tears when a customer walked in minutes later and asked to purchase it. Enough! I needed to find something smaller, precious, portable! At that very moment, I decided to focus on antique jewelry and vintage jewelry. This change of course was brilliant, except I had no customers for antique jewelry and vintage jewelry!

Within days I sat up weekly classes. LEARN TO VALUE AND IDENTIFY YOUR ANTIQUE JEWELRY! I had room for six students. For the next three to five years I taught weekly classes, (pages ahead of my students). The result of this major study of antique jewelry and vintage jewelry was the creation of an extensive jewelry library. Over 400 volumes now fill our miniscule backroom, from An Intimate Biography of Queen Victoria to Victorian Jewelry by Margaret Flowers (a rare and out-of-print book).

Today, at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery we have a discreet selection of antique jewelry and vintage jewelry: Edwardian filigree vintage rings, Victorian gold and gemstone brooches, men and women’s watch chains, a variety of bracelets and assorted medals, a limited number of World War II pins and souvenir items. Because our selection of antique jewelry and vintage jewelry is limited, we choose carefully and with discretion. Our antique and vintages pieces are chosen because they are well crafted, unique, and beautiful!

With the emphasis on one-of-a-kind modern jewelry, we also keep available an ever changing selection of platinum filigree rings from the 1920s and 1930s. Slowly we are adding vintage jewelry from the 1940s to the 1950s. It is not unusual for our customers, on the search for unique wedding rings, to pair their antique rings with contemporary jewelry.

Also available at the gallery is Buying Antique Jewelry: Skipping the Mistakes, a buyer’s guide for antique jewelry and vintage jewelry. This book documents the basic mistakes one makes when first entering the world of vintage jewelry and antique jewelry.

The business journey over these years has been interesting, (please read the chapters on the ABOUT page documenting the history of the business). Locations, losses and wins, good times and crazy times are told in anecdotes both funny and sad. One particularly interesting chapter captures the pleasure of appraising for Antiques Roadshow (specializing in antique jewelry).

Your questions and comments are encouraged!

Karen Lorene

Below a few examples of Antique jewelry and Vintage jewelry available at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery.

Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery offers antique jewelry and vintage jewelry repair, appraisals for insurance purposes and appraisals for donation. We also offer the unique service of jewelry sorting. Often times people inherit a lifetime’s worth of jewelry, some antique, some modern, some great, some not so great. Karen is happy to sort the collection with you and help label those jewelry items you may wish to keep, sell, or even donate to charity.