You know as one ages, their interest change. I used to work around the corner of Showplace Antique Center and I never bothered to take a look inside. Now that my passion has developed in the jewelry industry it'll be a shame of me to not have been inside this antique center.
The four-floor retail arcade features 150 individually-owned shops that sells fine antique with guaranteed authenticity. Their most popular items are mostly jewelry, decorative items like lamps, paintings, and art pottery. There are some costume piece jewelry too. I can't say that their prices are cheap. According to Yelp reviews, their prices are in the double dollar sign. However I did came across many beautiful pieces that I wish I could keep for myself.
Every Sunday they have an estate auction that starts early in the morning. It was my first time at an auction, it's not as grand as Sotheby's auction but it's a start. I really wanted to feel involved so I took one of their catalogue and started writing down the price of each item, since that's what I saw the lady beside me doing. What is great about this auction is that it's quiet small, there's not that many people hence the pieces also goes out really fast. The pieces that went on auction that day were mostly decorative items such as furniture, lamps and paintings. Since I don't know much about antique pieces, I can't help but question the authenticity of them.
After finishing writing a full page of prices I decided to go upstairs. Like any antique stores, the second floor is filled with many items. You can see light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, beautiful big mirrors hanged up on the wall, and shiny jewelry behind glass boxes.
It was not long till this stunning ring (below) caught my attention. I stared at it for awhile before asking the sale specialist to let me try it on. Perhaps a poet would be best to describe the emotions I felt when I slide it onto my finger. The emerald and diamond are such great companion. According to the sale specialist, this ring was made in the 1960s. Sadly this ring came with a heavy price tag.
As I continued to wonder around the store, I came across these carefully displayed cameo jewelry. If you paid closed attention, you would have noticed that cameo pieces tend to be a woman's profile carved out of white shells against a coral background. I did a little research and found out that the pieces below were from the Victorian period. The most common motif is the portrait, usually it depicts a celebrity of the day- ruler, scholar or philosopher.
Than in the early 19th century, cameos started to feature anonymous Roman woman wearing no jewelry. On the other hand, lava cameos carved with mysterious woman's image were sought out by Victoria women on the Grand Tour- a travel rite passage for the upper-class European. Since then these Victorian women had a big influence on the cameos when they demanded a more familiar-looking lady, with thinner neck, her hair up and wearing jewelry. Below you can see a few pieces where the lady is wearing necklaces around their neck.
Below: I found this necklace interesting because when I see a head of a buddha it's often carved out of jade. So I thought it was unusual to see a buddha head carved out of coral. Somehow the coral is not as red as it could be, however it still looks beautiful nevertheless. If you like this necklace, here is a similar piece made of coral and pearls, I think it has a more fashionable look to it.
Below are more of my favorite pieces. From rings, to necklaces, to brooches and bracelets.
RINGS
Common materials in antique rings are platinum, gold, diamonds, pearls and gemstones.
EARRINGS
These 14K yellow gold earrings reminded me of David Webb gold pieces. There's a touch of antique style yet it's bald and barbaric in a sense. I always think that gold and diamonds are the best combination, however a few precious gemstones enhance the fun in a piece.
BRACELETS & BROOCHES
The four-floor retail arcade features 150 individually-owned shops that sells fine antique with guaranteed authenticity. Their most popular items are mostly jewelry, decorative items like lamps, paintings, and art pottery. There are some costume piece jewelry too. I can't say that their prices are cheap. According to Yelp reviews, their prices are in the double dollar sign. However I did came across many beautiful pieces that I wish I could keep for myself.
Every Sunday they have an estate auction that starts early in the morning. It was my first time at an auction, it's not as grand as Sotheby's auction but it's a start. I really wanted to feel involved so I took one of their catalogue and started writing down the price of each item, since that's what I saw the lady beside me doing. What is great about this auction is that it's quiet small, there's not that many people hence the pieces also goes out really fast. The pieces that went on auction that day were mostly decorative items such as furniture, lamps and paintings. Since I don't know much about antique pieces, I can't help but question the authenticity of them.
After finishing writing a full page of prices I decided to go upstairs. Like any antique stores, the second floor is filled with many items. You can see light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, beautiful big mirrors hanged up on the wall, and shiny jewelry behind glass boxes.
It was not long till this stunning ring (below) caught my attention. I stared at it for awhile before asking the sale specialist to let me try it on. Perhaps a poet would be best to describe the emotions I felt when I slide it onto my finger. The emerald and diamond are such great companion. According to the sale specialist, this ring was made in the 1960s. Sadly this ring came with a heavy price tag.
As I continued to wonder around the store, I came across these carefully displayed cameo jewelry. If you paid closed attention, you would have noticed that cameo pieces tend to be a woman's profile carved out of white shells against a coral background. I did a little research and found out that the pieces below were from the Victorian period. The most common motif is the portrait, usually it depicts a celebrity of the day- ruler, scholar or philosopher.
Than in the early 19th century, cameos started to feature anonymous Roman woman wearing no jewelry. On the other hand, lava cameos carved with mysterious woman's image were sought out by Victoria women on the Grand Tour- a travel rite passage for the upper-class European. Since then these Victorian women had a big influence on the cameos when they demanded a more familiar-looking lady, with thinner neck, her hair up and wearing jewelry. Below you can see a few pieces where the lady is wearing necklaces around their neck.
Below: I found this necklace interesting because when I see a head of a buddha it's often carved out of jade. So I thought it was unusual to see a buddha head carved out of coral. Somehow the coral is not as red as it could be, however it still looks beautiful nevertheless. If you like this necklace, here is a similar piece made of coral and pearls, I think it has a more fashionable look to it.
Below are more of my favorite pieces. From rings, to necklaces, to brooches and bracelets.
RINGS
Common materials in antique rings are platinum, gold, diamonds, pearls and gemstones.
EARRINGS
These 14K yellow gold earrings reminded me of David Webb gold pieces. There's a touch of antique style yet it's bald and barbaric in a sense. I always think that gold and diamonds are the best combination, however a few precious gemstones enhance the fun in a piece.
BRACELETS & BROOCHES
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