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A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

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Antique rings from The Spare Room.

My archive has an excess of beautiful antique rings from The Spare Room that I never had a chance to show you. That seemed like a shame, so I thought I’d round up these forgotten beauties in their very own post!

An extremely rare antique fede ring in gold, featuring gems and a carved turquoise pair of hands. From The Spare Room Antiques.

This ring. I’ve never seen anything like this ring, anywhere. I’ve seen fede rings, with the clasped hands motif, and I’ve seen textured rings and rings with gems, but I’ve never seen a fede ring with a carved gemstone pair of clasped hands anywhere except at The Spare Room.

I’ve been pining for this piece for a few years now, I haven’t showed it to you since 2016 so I decided to include it again! I think these photos are an improvement on my original shots, anyway. Such an extraordinary piece!

File this one under “If Becky Could Afford This, She’d Already Own It.”

A tiny antique box filled with Georgian and Victorian era antique rings from The Spare Room.

If you love antique – especially the really old stuff, from the 1700’s and 1800’s, you absolutely need to know The Spare Room.

Their collection is incomparable and they’re so knowledgeable that it’s worth stopping by to see them at any antique show even if you don’t have the budget to take a historical treasure home with you. Unless you’re a truly major league antique jewelry aficionado, these ladies will be able to show you something you’ve never seen before.

Three remarkable Georgian era rock crystal rings. Spotted at The Spare Room at the Miami Antiques Show.Here’s another batch of unusual and utterly exquisite antique rings! I don’t know the exact age of these beauties because I was too excited about taking pictures of them to take good notes, but they’re also in the same 1700’s-1800’s range.

What’s special about these beauties is they’re actually all set with the same stone: rock crystal!Read More

Store Profile: Wilson’s Estate Jewelry.

Are you ready for a virtual visit to a truly fabulous jewelry store? I journeyed north to Philadelphia, PA, to visit Wilson’s Estate Jewelry and I have so many beautiful things to share with you!!

Incredible antique and vintage diamond rings from Wilson's Estate Jewelry!! I love that Art Deco style.Wilson’s Estate Jewelry is an appointment-only jewelry store with an an exquisitely curated selection of exceptional antique and vintage jewelry.

When I say “exquisitely curated” what I mean is that you can tell they simply don’t stock anything that falls below a certain standard of quality. Every piece in their store has been hand picked, carefully evaluated, and purposefully chosen. There are simply no low points in their showcases.

I’ve seen Wilson’s Estate Jewelry around the ol’ IG but this visit was the first time I’ve ever actually met the Wilson’s folks in real life, and I must say that they are all as lovely as their jewelry.

An utterly stunning antique pearl and diamond ring from Wilson's Estate Jewelry.Wilson’s Estate Jewelry is in a picturesque, beautifully maintained old building. The inside feels like an art gallery: clean white walls above sloping wood floors, raised cases showing carefully arranged selections of jewels. Plenty of space, flooded with sunshine. The setting is a perfect blend of historic goodness and modern vibes.

I took the train up to Philly just to visit Wilson’s, went straight there, and stayed for 5 hours. I played with as much jewelry as one woman can in 5 hours and I still left feeling like I had only scratched the surface. This place is a treasure trove.

Exceptional blue sapphire rings from Wilson's Estate Jewelry!! Some Art Deco, some vintage, one by Oscar Heyman, all exquisite.

Wilson’s Estate Jewelry carries all sorts of vintage and antique jewelry, as well as some newer estate pieces, but their specialty is rings. They love all kinds of rings, but they have a particular weakness for antique engagement rings, especially Art Deco era, and also fine sapphires, particularly stones of notable origin and extraordinary color.

This handful of sapphires span several eras and many styles, but they all have one very important thing in common: they’re all beautiful. If you’re in the market for a sapphire ring (engagement or otherwise) I would definitely recommend reaching out to Wilson’s. They have some killer pieces and they get more in all the time.

BTW: that swirl ring is by Oscar Heyman. Perfection!

Wilson's Estate Jewelry in Philadelphia, PA, has a whole CLOSET filled with antique and vintage jewelry boxes.

One of the first things you see when you walk into Wilson’s Estate Jewelry is a closet filled with antique and vintage jewelry boxes. I’ll say it again: a CLOSET filled with ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE JEWELRY BOXES.

If you don’t care about this fact, we are probably not friends.

I’ve been told that most of this collection of boxes is not for sale, but that special customers could potentially be allowed access to the box closet under the right circumstances.

Crazy beautiful antique diamond rings from Wilson's Estate Jewelry! Look at all those vintage and Art Deco engagement rings.I mentioned that Wilson’s Estate Jewelry has a stunning collection of antique engagement rings, Art Deco in particular, didn’t I? I would never say such a thing and then not prove it with pictures.

I don’t think I need to tell you how beautiful these are, because you can tell that for yourself. So instead I’ll draw your attention to the variation here: they’ve got it all, from the sleekest of chic geometric, low-profile styles to lacy filigree to small center stones to giant honking sparkleboulders in original settings.Read More

The Medusa jewels I didn’t know I needed.

Medusa is a mythical figure that I haven’t typically paid much attention to…but somehow, recently, she’s worked her way into my consciousness. When I was at The Met in NYC recently, I actually found myself seeking her out: each time I spotted carved or painted snake hair, I felt like I’d spied a friend.

Not to get up on my feminist rage soapbox, but I think it’s the very nature of Medusa that is drawing me in. The idea of a mythical being whose defining characteristics are the opposite of the beauty that’s usually required for feminine power is exactly the hero that women need right now.

The magnificent Medusa pendant necklace by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14K yellow gold with a ruby.This new collection from Sofia Zakia is why Medusa’s been on my mind. I’ve been seeing sneak peeks of the Medusa designs on the Sofia Zakia Instagram story for a while and now that the whole collection is out, they’re even more perfect than I’d hoped.

Sofia Zakia, as you may remember, is the designer who created those creepy and glorious Halloween pieces I went crazy for last year. She’s got a gift for the delicate and figural.

The Medusa rings by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold, with or without a ruby.Isn’t she gorgeous?

And by “gorgeous” I mean bold, strong, and striking: Sofia Zakia has done a fantastic job rendering this legendary figure without making her feel excessively Disnified. (She’s a beautiful piece of jewelry but she still looks like a powerful mythical monster, not a pretty pretty princess.)

The Medusa relic necklace by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold and so stunning!!!I don’t know how Sofia Zakia got the idea for these decayed-looking, Medusa relic designs, but they really float my boat. They feel so ancient and eerie in a powerful way. These are some serious talismans.

Talk to me, friends. Is anyone else feeling the allure of Medusa recently, or is this just a weird misandrist reaction I’m having to current events? What do you think of the Sofia Zakia Medusa pieces?

Images c/o Sofia Zakia. 

 Medusa relic pendants by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14K yellow gold and so stunning! The beautiful Medusa necklace by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold, with ruby. The Medusa necklace by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold, with ruby. The Medusa ring by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold. The Medusa rings by Sofia Zakia. Handmade in 14k yellow gold, with or without a ruby.

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