I recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend the first occurrence of Lueur NY, a new antique jewelry show from the renowned U.S. Antique Shows group. The Lueur jewelry show is remarkable in several ways, first and foremost because it features only jewelry.
Only jewelry!
The Lueur jewelry show was held in the Javitz convention center, in a room I’d never seen before – smaller and more private than the main event space. It was my understanding that this was the first time U.S. Antique Shows had held an antique jewelry show in this space, and some of the dealers and attendees I chatted with weren’t all delighted with the venue.
I heard rumors of difficulty with the setup logistics, and also with overzealous door security. I personally was searched every time I came back from the bathroom and was nearly denied entry twice. Thankfully, staff from the show office were called in both times and they vouched for me.
However, any new show will have kinks to work out, and the treasures on display more than made up for any inconvenience. The lighting was also better for photography than it sometimes is at these shows, and the aisles between booths were nice and wide.
It was an interesting mix of dealers, including several I’d never seen. I saw more vintage and estate pieces on display than I normally see at such events, as opposed to just antique jewelry. And oh my goodness, were there some exceptional pieces around.
I started by visiting the lovely Jane of Prather Beeland, whose beautifully displayed wares are always a delight. The opal ring above – which began life as a brooch, and has been expertly converted into a ring – pretty much blew my mind.
I also had the honor of meeting Gloria of Glorious Antique Jewelry.
She showed me these two Georgian sepia mourning rings. The motif on the left suggests the ring was in commemoration of a spouse, while the “nipt in the bud” motif showing a broken rosebud was typically used in memory of a child. Both pieces were in exquisite condition.
A pair of perfect Art Deco sapphire and diamond earrings at Rod Billing’s booth. They have an almost Art Nouveau feel, with those curving lines. But the colors are all Deco.
Antique Animal Jewelry’s most remarkable non-animal pieces tend to be the mourning rings (in my opinion, anyway). Just look at the incredible condition of the two Georgian sepia rings above: every detail remains perfect.
This mourning ring is also a Georgian sepia ring, but it stands out thanks to its startlingly gorgeous and unusual halo of turquoise stones. The inscription reveals that the piece was created to honor a child who was lost at just two and a half years of age.
I showed you a dog and a cat crystal intaglio already, but you can see another immediately above; a Victorian reverse painted crystal guinea pig intaglio, which is a thing I have never seen before.
Antique Animal Jewelry frequently features conversion jewelry like the piece above: the finished bracelet represents the combination of the snake or griffin clasp, which was originally on a bracelet of horsehair, with a different 18k gold Victorian bracelet.
