Share jewelry book recs on #IGJewelryBooks.

February 21, 2019

If you like jewelry and you like books (and you probably do if you’re here reading this) then I bet you also love JEWELRY BOOKS. I have good news for you.

There’s a new hashtag in town: #IGJewelryBooks. It has one mission: jewelry book recommendations.

The hashtag was launched just a few days ago by Manor Jewels. In her inaugural #IGJewelryBooks post, @ManorJewels explained her motivation for the hashtag is education:

[]…We must do a better job of educating one another: Whether that’s sellers educating followers, collectors educating sellers (it does happen and it’s always wonderful to have snippets and insights shared!), buyers asking for clarification and getting clear, concise, and accurate information. Whatever we can do, let’s do it!”

I think this is absolutely fantastic: the more that jewelry lovers know, the better for everyone in our community. I plan to support the #IGJewelryBooks hashtag by posting some of my own jewelry book favorites on Instagram ASAP. The hashtag only had 6 posts when I discovered it (thanks to Laurie Geller for bringing it to my attention!) but I have a feeling it’s going to grow.

Portrait Jewels by Diana Scarisbrick is going to be my first #IGJewelryBooks post!

I’ve been wanting to get back to doing more jewelry book reviews on here for you and #IGJewelryBooks has me feeling all pumped up about it now! Please let me know if there’s any specific book you’ve been wanting to learn more about – I’ll see if I can get my hands on it for review.

While Manor Jewels’ original call to action specifically urges jewelry sellers to help educate buyers, I think that people from all sections of the jewelry community will have jewelry book recommendations to contribute.

Why don’t you head on over you your bookshelf and snap a picture of your favorite jewelry book to add to #IGJewelryReads? If enough people pitch in, we can make this a truly fantastic resource for book-loving jewelry enthusiasts all over the world.

Thanks to Manor Jewels for getting this going – I can’t wait to see everyone’s jewelry book recs!

Antique Jewelry Shows: what you need to know.

January 22, 2019

As I think you know if you’ve read this blog (or followed my Instagram) for any length of time, I love antique jewelry shows. Love love love love love them. They are like visiting a museum + treasure hunting + shopping + antique jewelry lovers’ club all rolled into one. They’re the best thing.

However, I’ve learned from chatting with some of you that antique jewelry shows can be intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Therefore: I’m about to tell you what to expect so that you can go forth and discover the wonder of antique jewelry shows for yourself!

Antique Jewelry Shows 101: an introduction.

Most antique jewelry shows are in places like convention centers or hotels, in a one or two large rooms set up as aisles of little stalls. Each little stall or booth is an individual dealer; these are all unconnected businesses and you should think of them as separate stores.

You may need a ticket for the show, or entrance may be free – it’s a good idea to check the event’s website before you go to make sure. (Also, if you sign up for dealers’ mailing lists, they’ll probably send you free tickets.)

Most antique shows are mixed antiques, meaning you’ll have to hunt for the jewelry dealers among other kinds of antiques (which are always cool to see) but a few shows are ALL jewelry.

What you need to know at an antique jewelry show.

Antique jewelry shows are glorious, but they can be intimidating if you haven’t been before. Here are some tips to make your antique jewelry experience as spectacular and seamless as possible:

It’s okay to touch, but you need to ask.

Dealers come to antique jewelry shows so that the public can see their wares. If something catches your eye, it’s extremely reasonable to ask to take a closer look or to try it on, even if you don’t know if you’ll be able to afford it.

Asking to see a piece of jewelry is not the same as committing to buy a piece of jewelry. If you don’t want something – or if you do, but you can’t afford it or need time to think – just say “thank you” and hand it back to the dealer.

An exquisite and rare rock crystal and topaz girandole set frm Portugal, circa 1760. Spotted at Bell and Bird.

An exquisite Portuguese rock crystal and topaz girandole set, circa 1760. From Bell and Bird.

Don’t Instagram without permission.

Many antique dealers will be okay with you photographing a piece of jewelry if you’re thinking about buying it or if you want to show it to a friend, but they may NOT be okay with that picture ending up on the internet.

This is hard for those of us who love IG to understand, but the concerns are valid: some dealers are looking out for collectors who wouldn’t be interested in a buying piece that’s already gone viral, or they’re concerned that having the specifics of their stock made public could attract danger by giving potential thieves too much information.

But the reasoning doesn’t even matter: the dealer owns the jewelry you’re playing with and it’s their call whether or not those pieces become Instafamous.

Have a budget plan.

It is SO easy to get swept up in the excitement of an antique jewelry show and end up spending more than you should have. I know I’ve done it.

It really helps to make a plan before you go in: think about how much money you’re willing to spend, what would be worth spending it on, and whether or not you’d consider breaking that ceiling for a Holy Grail piece (and what would be good enough to deserve such a splurge).

Bring cash.

Not all dealers at antique jewelry shows accept credit cards, but most will take a check. If you have cash, though, you might find that some dealers will offer you a discount. Every little bit helps!

Antique rings from Lucy Verity.

Ask questions.

It’s completely fine to ask questions about the merchandise, especially if you’re considering buying.

Remember that you can ask “how” as well as “what.” If a dealer tells you the ring you’re looking at was made in England in 1839 and features Burmese rubies, it’s fine to ask them how they know that. Ideally you’ll learn something new about jewelry in general and that piece in particular.

If the dealer can’t answer simple questions about how they came to the information they’re giving you, you might want to think twice about buying from them.

Asking questions is also the best way to learn at antique jewelry shows. Many of my favorite antique jewelry show moments have been when dealers took the time to teach me about the interesting pieces in their collections, just for the joy of sharing knowledge. There’s no better way to learn about jewelry than holding in in your hand while a more experienced jewelry lover teaches you about the specific piece in front of you.

If it looks too good to be true, it is.

Many antique jewelry dealers are spectacularly knowledgeable experts with hearts of gold and unimpeachable moral compasses…but some are not.

It’s also a sad truth that reproduction pieces are rampant in the antique jewelry market right now. There are a lot of dealers out there selling fake new pieces as antiques: whether it’s intentional fraud, laziness, or ignorance, it could still lead to you paying antique jewelry prices for a meaningless copy.Read More

My best advice for new bloggers.

July 5, 2018

There’s one question I get from new bloggers more than any other: “What’s your secret?”

Sadly, there’s no one secret to blog success…but half a decade into Diamonds in the Library, I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two. My pearls of wisdom may not be what you’re expecting and some of them may even be contradictory, but here’s what I’ve found to be true.

My best advice for new bloggers

More than one person told me I was crazy for writing this post, but I’m a big fan of supporting my fellow bloggers, rather than treating newcomers as potential competition. Blogging can be awesome, but it’s a hard road and and it goes better for all of us of we have each other’s backs.

Without further ado: here’s my best advice for new bloggers!

Write about something you love.

If I didn’t genuinely enjoy thinking, learning, and writing about jewelry, I would have stopped doing this years ago. Pick a subject that makes you happy and you’ll find satisfaction in your blog, regardless of the size of your audience.

Also worth mentioning: if you don’t love your subject matter, you’re going to have a hard time connecting with readers who do. People aren’t stupid. If you’re faking your interest in their favorite thing, they’ll know.

Do a good job.

If you care about your blog and want people to respect it, spend some time on presentation. Look at it with an outsider’s eye: is the text easy to read? Is the background distracting? Do your links work? Is your website mobile-responsive?

It’s also worth taking the time to proofread. If your writing is sloppy, you’ll seem sloppy and it’ll be harder for people to take you seriously.

Don’t steal.

If you share a picture on the internet and you didn’t take the picture yourself, you need to credit the person who did.

If the picture is of an artist’s work – for example, a piece of jewelry – you need to credit the artist as well as the photographer. To do otherwise is to spit in the face of the photographer and the artist, make yourself and your blog look lazy, and possibly invite legal trouble.

Also: I will think less of you. I don’t follow, recommend, or respect blogs or Instagram accounts who don’t credit their photo sources.

The exception to this is photos with a CC0 Creative Commons license – there are various places online you can find such photos that are free to use. The photos in this post are all CC0.

Don’t give up.

The internet is a harsh place. Some days, nobody will be interested in what you have to say. People will disagree with you, insult your body parts, and proposition you. It can wear on anyone, from experienced writers to new bloggers.

Focus on the good things: the readers you connect with, the discoveries you make, and the satisfaction you can take in creating good content. I’ve had a few days ruined by mean strangers, but the genuine connections I’ve made with other wonderful like-minded people loom larger in my memory.

And like I said above, if you pick a topic that you love, your own enjoyment in the subject matter will keep you going when it feels like nobody cares what you have to say.

I had 4 readers at the beginning, and at least two of them were my immediate family. Don’t give up.

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