Ever wonder where we find the vintage pieces that are featured in our necklaces? This is one of the most-asked questions that we get, and today I am giving you a behind the scenes look at a recent big estate sale find that was a treasure trove of jewels.
The sale was from the estate of a well-known women's clothing store owner in Dallas, Lester Melnick. You can imagine I was thrilled to discover this, and knew it was a sale we couldn't miss. One of the first sights upon entering the house were these brightly colored sofas and dimensional art. He was definitely a fan of color!
There were tons of funky details throughout the house, including these unusual barstools that tied into the decor in the adjacent living room.
One of my favorite finds was this rare brass tea service set. It had such a unique design and shape - vintage, yet so modern - and was unlike anything I have ever seen before! It's a good thing I was on a mission and had a budget to stick to, or else this beauty would have come back to the studio with me and I'd have to find a way to use it on a necklace! Kidding, of course.
Luckily, there were mounds of vintage jewels down the hall to distract me. The piles captured in this picture only represent about one third of all the jewels at the sale! I had my work cut out for me.
After lots and lots (and lots) of digging, sorting, and deciding, I narrowed it down to a handful of special pieces that caught my eye.
A few stones are missing on the yellow and black clip on earrings, but it gives them such character! I can only imagine the events these beauties attended, and the dresses they were worn with.
I already have some ideas for these unique pieces swirling around in my head, and can't wait to get to work. Stay tuned to see what becomes of them!