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Treasures of NYCJAOS Autumn 2024

Remember last year when I went to the very first NYCJAOS event? Well, the show came back this year bigger and better than ever and I had the pleasure of being there once again!

Wanna see what I found? Of course you do!

I had a great time at NYCJAOS Autumn 2024!

Treasures of NYCJAOS Autumn 2024

The New York City Jewelry & Object Show (NYCJAOS) is a relatively new show – it just launched last year – but it has already more than doubled in size.

NYCJAOS Autumn 2023 had 23 booths and around 35 dealers (see last year’s recap here). This year, the show grew to a full 90 booths with nearly 100 dealers from all over the world! The Metropolitan Pavilion was a wonderland of treasures, both antique/vintage and contemporary.

If you missed NYCJAOS Autumn 2024, don’t despair: it’s coming back in the spring! April 5-7, 2025, to be exact. There will be a glorious curation of exhibitors and I’m hearing that a series of expert talks is planned as well. I recommend following the show’s Instagram for the most up-to-date info.

Enough talk. I know you’re here to see the jewelry.

A remarkable antique English bracelet with many different agates. From Marilyn & Co., spotted at NYCJAOS.


This bracelet was one of the first pieces to catch my eye at NYCJAOS Autumn 2024, but Marilyn & Co.’s booth was so busy that I didn’t have a chance to play with it until my last hour at the show.

And what a piece it is!! I love agate jewelry that celebrates the innate beauty of the stones and I’ve never seen such a remarkable antique example of this style. Don’t miss the carved intaglio in the first panel and the exquisite condition of the piece as a whole.

Antique French Victorian era necklace with turquoise and diamonds. From Halle's Jewels at NYCJAOS.


I was so excited about this antique French turquoise and diamond necklace from Halle’s Jewels that I posted it on Instagram during the show…and one of you saw it and bought it just a few hours later!!

It makes me so happy when I can help great jewelry find a good home.

A lovely gold swirl pendant necklace with emeralds and black enamel, by Halleh Fine Jewelry. Seen at NYCJAOS


Halleh Fine Jewelry was one of the new-to-me contemporary jewelers from NYCJAOS Autumn 2024.

Her work incorporates enamel in a really glamorous way. I especially liked this swirl pendant necklace, with its vivid pear-shaped emerald and precisely angled black enamel stripes.

An absolutely exquisite antique pink enamel snake with emerald and pearls, from Classical Gem Hunter. Seen at NYCJAOS


Not to indulge in hyperbole, but this pink enamel snake from Classical Gem Hunter is one of the best pieces of jewelry I’ve ever touched in my life.

I’ve swooned over this baby on social media before and see it in person just cemented my love. Look at the incredible enamel, the side details, the glowing emerald!! Sigh.

(This dealer also had a Renaissance era piece that blew my mind, but that will be getting its own blog post.)

Antique Georgian brooch from A Pocket of Rocks, seen at NYCJAOS.


This Georgian era brooch from A Pocket of Rocks is another jewel I’ve admired online and was delighted to finally meet in person…and the same goes for Lisa, the lovely human behind A Pocket of Rocks!! I’ve known her via the internet for at least a decade and this was our first ever face-to-face encounter.

Can you even with this brooch!?! It really does glow like that in real life.

Trying on an antique cut steel necklace with Victoria of Friarhouse Antique Jewellery at NYCJAOS


Another friend-from-afar who I hugged for the first time at NYCJAOS Autumn? Victoria of Friarhouse Jewellery!!

How gorgeous is that cut steel necklace from Friarhouse? It is a longer length (none of this 15 inch nonsense) has such a lovely drape. I always love how cut steel catches the light.

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What I’m Reading: Vol. 127.

What I'm reading. A beautiful library, photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash


Hello darlings,

I hope your winter season is off to a good start! The biggest thing happening around here is that I’m working on setting up a Diamonds in the Library ShopMy account: this will give me a way to link directly to the jewelry I feature in Instagram posts (today’s is here) a place to build shoppable wishlists that I can share with you (and should help me link to Amazon less often, which is a goal I have for DitL moving forward).

It’s a work in progress, but some of the categories I’ve set up on my ShopMy so far are Vintage Jewelry Finds, Jewelry Books, Jewelry Storage, Everyday Diamond Treasures, Modern Pearl Jewelry…and more to come!

Here’s a taste of the Vintage Jewelry Finds section:

I get a small commission if you buy from certain websites after clicking through my ShopMy, but that won’t affect the price you pay – it’s just a little finder’s fee for me that doesn’t come out of your pocket.

If you have any requests for new categories, please let me know and I’ll be delighted to curate a list for you!

And please take care of yourselves in this colder, darker season, my darlings. Don’t forget to schedule some cozy blanket reading time to recharge your heart.

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House follows Opal as she tries to make ends meet in a dead end small town with a younger brother to take care of – but how can she focus on work when she can’t stop having dreams about the creepy old house that belongs to the Starling family?

I’ve now read several books by Alix E. Harrow and loved every single one. They’re lush, richly descriptive, intricately conceived stories with a “fairy tales in the real world” feel – but I don’t mean Disney style fairy tales, more like old school Brothers Grimm.

Eragon, The Inheritance Cycle #1 by Christopher Paolini

This richly plotted, expansive YA fantasy epic spans 4 books (I’m on the bonus 5th book now) and tells the story of Eragon, a young boy living in a small farming village whose life changes dramatically when he bonds with a newly-hatched dragon and becomes the only hope of a brave group of rebels who have been working to overthrow their kingdom’s tyrannical leader for 100 years.

Eragon gest to know elves, dwarves, shapeshifters, and of course (my favorite) his dragon, Sapphira, to learn how to use his powers, support the rebellion, and ultimately challenge the evil king. This expansively-written series has a gradual pace that I thoroughly enjoyed, but the slowness feels deliberate and deeply satisfying rather than boring.

See more book recs on my ShopMy here or my Amazon Storefront here.

Internets

Meet the Finalists for the Tiffany x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award.

I’m mentioned in this article on Redfin about Hosting the Ideal Fall Backyard Engagement
Party!

From Ancient Egypt to Native America, the Global Story of Turquoise.

Put a Pin on It – JCK Magazine on why brooches are having a moment.

Lucille Ball’s Unique Engagement Ring.

The Oldest Written Text in the World Is 5,500 Years Old. I love things like this – the history of writing is so fascinating.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

Emerging jewelry designers of CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle

CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle is a new event dedicated to emerging jewelry designers – one of my very favorite jewelry categories! I had the chance to pop up to NYC to see everything in person and I can’t wait to show you the jewelry I saw.

Gold, gemstone, and diamond abstract gold rings by Crevette Design Studio. Emerging jewelry designers of CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle.

Rings by Crevette Design Studio

Emerging jewelry designers of CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle

First things first: what is CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle? It’s a section of the NY NOW Trade Show, a select showcase of carefully chosen emerging jewelry designers’ brands that includes extra support for its participants.

In the words of its organizers, Liz Kantner and Robin Kramer:

“CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle is tailored to brands that are on the cusp of greatness. […] We seek brands who possess both remarkable talent and a proven track record of business ability. While these brands are considered ‘emerging,’ they are already well on their way to success and remain eager for further professional development. They also embrace the strength of a collaborative community of fellow creatives.”

The strength of the community that grew between the brands of CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle was palpable as I walked the floor. The whole time I was there, I saw emerging jewelry designers encouraging each other and raving about what they had learned from Liz Kantner and Robin Kramer. The comradery of the experience as a whole was evident and powerful.

Enough talk. I know you’re here for the jewelry! Let’s dive in.

Hilary Finck Jewelry gold and opal earrings. Seen during CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle.


The sixteen emerging jewelry designers of CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle represented a huge range of styles, each with their own distinctive, compelling aesthetic.

The compelling earrings above are from Hilary Finck Jewelry. They feature a pair of bewitching iridescent opals in the designer’s signature Captured setting, which features a bezel set gemstone caught in place by a bin across the front.

Emerald and diamond rings by 12th HOUSE Jewelry. Seen in CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle.


Oh hello, you beauties! These emerald and diamond rings are all by 12th House Jewelry, who specializes in talismans and amulets and has the tagline “Fine Jewelry Made for Magic Seekers.” Yes, yes, and yes.

I am not expert in whatever symbolism might have inspired these lines, but I definitely appreciate the compelling geometry of these pieces.

Vintage bunny rabbit cameo earrings by Ciara Bowles Jewellery. Seen during CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle.


Ciara Bowles Jewellery was one of the new-to-me emerging jewelry designers that I was most excited to see. Her Instagram is filled with color and fun and whimsy, which are all things I LOVE to see in jewelry.

The reality did not disappoint. Just look at these earrings! They feature vintage Wedgwood bunny cameos (yes, the same Wedgwood company as this article) set in gold with pretty looping details and colorful gems.

Incredible 22k Fairmined gold diamond rings by LFR Studios. Such stunning chunky engagement rings!


There were a few different brands in Curated at Luxury Lifestyle that specialized in 22K gold, but each designer’s style was so distinctive that it never felt repetitive.

These sleek, chic 22k Fairmined gold and diamond rings are by LFR Studios. Yes, those are enormous diamonds and yes, these that 22K gold is as luxurious on the skin as it looks.

Mosaic hoops by Mercurius Jewelry. One of the emerging jewelry designers at CURATED at Luxury Lifestyle.


These are the Mosaic hoop earrings by Mercurius Jewelry. Known for their exception in-house lapidary work, Mercurius Jewelry is an emerging jewelry designer I’ve been aware of for a while, but this was the first time I had the pleasure of seeing their work in person.

I was fully blown away: just look at the craftsmanship of these earrings! Those stones are fitted perfectly together, just the stone and the gold, perfectly suspended in place. It’s mind-boggling.

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