Today’s Jewelry Collection Story comes from Louisa of @goldfinder444 – for me, the number “444” is a particular set of numbers that I guess you could call my “angel” numbers, as I tend to see them quite often, especially in times when I need a “sign” to show me I’m on the right path. I always get a warm feeling when Louisa’s photos pop up on my Instagram feed and I love her handle! Louisa is a long-time collector and I love her style. So excited she has agreed to share her collection with all of us:
“I have been collecting for 40 years (!) the women on my mothers side have all been passionate collectors , I have pieces belonging to my 3x great grandparents. Photo below shows my great grandmothers 15k locket, a favorite antique fleur de lys found in a rundown pawn shop. My grandfathers cross. One of my favorite ‘Mary’s’”
“My favorite antique motifs are religious medals. This must go back to my Irish Catholic roots! The detail on them is just beautiful, I see them more as collecting pieces of art.”
“Jewelry is my passion because it links me so strongly to my family and my past. My great grandmother would tell me the stories of her Victorian pieces, how they survived WW2, pieces she lost and pieces she hid away. Holding pieces that my 2 x great grandmother wore 125 years ago is deeply sentimental to me.”
“My favorite places to source are from dealers, online, melt piles and word of mouth. I travel back and forth between the USA and the UK, so that is helpful.”
“Photo above is my great grandmother – she was a huge lover of the classic heart padlock bracelets. This photo of her is circa 1913 wearing two of them and I still have one of hers , dated 1900!”
“My most recent beloved piece is a French ‘dropsy’ Mary medal that I saved form the melt pile. My most sentimental piece is one of the first pieces I begged to get for my 13th birthday from an antique centre in Warwick, UK. a solid dice studded with turquoise, pearls and garnets. The pieces I wear everyday are my 18k white gold wedding band that I never take off and my curb with my figa and horns and an Italian st Christopher!”