Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to my jewelry blog! The purpose of this blog is to explore and discuss the joy of collecting vintage costume jewelry. I am also a collector and shop-keep of an online store that sells wonderful vintage and antique jewelry.

I have always had a keen interest in all things old and mysterious. As a kid I used to spend time with my Dad pouring over old family estate items that had accumulated in the upstairs of my grandmothers 19^th century home. There were many great heirloom treasures including everything from my great-grandmothers wedding picture to my grandfather’s suspenders and everything in-between. On occasion my Dad still teases me about my early enthusiasm as I was known to frequently remark, “Don’t throw that out, it could be worth thousands of dollars!” I was convinced at an early age that I was going to make my fortune by finding that one “absolutely priceless” antique treasure. By the way, I am still looking for said item as it has not yet seen fit to present itself to me.

Eventually my focus did turn to antique and vintage jewelry and I became fascinated with it’s unique quality and history of design. My idea of heaven is a large box of jewelry, fresh from an estate sale, ready to date, research and clean.

My shop is called “Penelope’s Pearls Vintage & Antique Jewelry”. “Penelope” has become a sort of alter-ego for me. It’s my creative place where I get to go and become jewelry fashionista consultant to a large cross section of people. My jewelry has been purchased by Hollywood stars, fashion magazine jewelry suppliers and collectors from all over the world. I have consulted many times on wedding jewelry attire.

I hope that you will visit my blog often and share your comments as I believe that we can all learn from one another.