Today’s Jewelry Collection Story comes from Heather of @heatherv_ I found Heather over on Tik Tok and immediately followed after seeing her growing collection, love for Marla Aaron, and easy going vibe. She is my comfort creator and I love her point of view. When she is not making jewelry videos and traveling, she is a geologist. Excited to share her collection with you:
“I have been collecting for about 11 years. It all started when my late father gifted my mother jewelry on special occasions, this led me to identify strong emotions and attachments to jewelry. I was lucky enough that the first job that I had was working at a jewelry store in Knoxville, Tennessee. International Flair Jewelers became my second home and my jewelry playground. I initially began my collection with Pandora charms and bracelets. While I still have those beginning day pieces, I would say that my collecting habits and preferences over a decade later are very different.”
“While I enjoy a raggle-taggle of antique motifs, I find myself drawn toward animals/insects and bloodstones. That is not to say that other classic motifs like star set diamonds or memento mori pieces pass me by without getting added to my collection.
Over the years I have accumulated many antique insects, lions, foxes, snakes, dogs, spiders, horses, dragons, birds, you name it. I think that there are so many ways to incorporate fauna into jewelry design, so I never tire of seeing those kinds of pieces.
As for bloodstones, I love the variety between each stone. Also, how relief cuts for intaglio or signet designs reveal more color and sparks of red. It allows secrets of the stone to be revealed. They are bountifully used in antique jewelry, so it is easy to find the right bloodstone piece no matter your budget or design preference.”
“Why am I passionate about jewelry? Knowing its reach.
Knowing its reach through history, through generations, through process.
Jewelry has existed and persisted for well over 100,000 years. There has never been a moment in time that jewelry ceased to exist, and I think that says something. What exactly does it say? Well, I leave that up to the individual.
Jewelry is an heirloom. Is that because of its intrinsic value and historical purpose for people who could not own property? Yes, but also it holds deep memories for people. The charm bracelet always draped over Grandma’s wrist or the pinky ring your father wore even when he mowed the lawn. There are few tangible things in life that can hold the weight of a memory, and jewelry is one of them.
Then there is the process behind creating jewelry. From being found in the ground, to refinement and cutting, to design, and then to finally end up in your jewelry box. It requires a lot of hands and craftsmen to get you your favorite charm.”
“My favorite place to find jewelry has got to be eBay. While I frequent local markets and antique stores, I am an avid eBay scavenger. I find that you can find professional resellers, people just looking to have something taken off of their hands, and everything in between. A variety of styles, prices, and quality all wrapped up in one URL. I enjoy hunting for those hidden gems and misspelled listings.”
“I have a vintage elk signet style ring that I love to share the story behind.
I was in college scouring eBay for my next jewelry acquisition when I came across a listing for a “Vintage 10k Gold Elk/Moose Ring Very Beautiful”. I clicked on the listing as the price was very good and I love an animal motif. The photos that came up were blurry, and when I say blurry I mean BLURRY. I was not even sure at that point if there was even an elk or a moose on the ring. There was no description in the listing and the seller had never sold an item. I hit “Buy It Now”. Almost immediately I was faced with regret and fear that I was going to be scammed.
I messaged the seller to please cancel the sale. I then received a reply from a kind stranger that I will never forget. He explained that he was so sorry for the photo quality; the seller had Parkinson’s and could not capture a photo of the ring on his own. He also explained that if I was cancelling due to financial concerns that he would happily cancel the sale, still send me the ring to see if I like it in person, and then let me (someone he has never even interacted with) make payments to him. I messaged back and expressed my gratitude for his kindness and said not to worry and to not cancel the sale.
I got the ring in the mail with a scribbly thank you note. It is one of the most beautiful rings I own and to this day have never seen anything like it.”
“I wish I could say that I have an elaborate jewelry box that fits everything nicely inside, but I do not. I have a mix of boxes and trays that make up my storage. I have two WOLF 1984 x Bea Bongiasca jewelry boxes that I use mostly to store rings and my Marla Aaron collection. Then I have several orange leather stacking trays that hold the bulk of my collection with each tray having its own style of jewelry compartments; grids, chain loops, ring rolls, etc.
I am not of the mindset that there is a perfect jewelry storage solution. There are ones that look pretty and ones that just work well.”
You can follow Heather here —> @heatherv_
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