Month: November 2024

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Curious Things

For the past decade or so, those of us in the jewelry industry have been promising the comeback of two things…  yellow gold and brooches.  Quite honestly, for most of those years, we didn’t believe that those assurances would actually come to fruition.  Because we are avid buyers of antique and estate jewelry, our inventory is laden with hundreds of pins…  most of them are made from yellow gold.  And so, imagine our delight when BOTH of these promises were fulfilled in 2024.

Yellow gold began inching back into the spotlight a few years ago.  But… it takes a while for trends to make it all the way to rural Pennsylvania.  Nevertheless, it has happened!  And we are here for it.  Thanks to celebrities, professional athletes and fashion influencers, brooches have also exploded back to center stage as well.  The most popular pieces are often whimsical and even a bit cheeky.  

Coinciding with both of these hot trends is the rapidly escalating price of gold.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), with gold at an all time high, people everywhere are cashing in on their jewelry.  For the first time in a long time, we are buying jewelry as quickly as we are selling it.  Some truly unique finds have made their way into the store in the past months, like this playful arrow-pierced heart brooch.

Measuring 2.5 inches from the point of the arrow to the tips of the fletching, this pin is just one such discovery.  It’s constructed entirely of 18-karat yellow gold.  Oh-so-appropriately placed in the center of the brooch is a heart-shaped citrine.  Presenting with a lovely honey tone, this gem weighs approximately 8.00 carats.  Surrounding the heart in a softly sculpted  halo are twenty round brilliant diamonds.  Each one is held in place by just two prongs; combined, they have a weight of .80 carat.  Accenting the shaft of the arrow itself are eleven square sapphires.  Displaying a brilliantly blue hue, these sapphires offer 1.50 carats of bright bling.

Equally suited to a man or a woman, this brooch could be pinned to a lapel, a hatband, a cuff or even the folded edge of a knitted beanie.  Sophisticated elements combine with a simple shape giving the pin an ageless quality – it could easily worn by the very youngest or the very oldest jewelry lover.  As my own tastes continue to evolve, I am surprised by how much I like this hearts-and-arrows beauty.  Priced at $2000.00, I can’t wait to hear your reviews of this charming piece.  What do you think… is it hot?  Or not?

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe