Today’s featured jewelry collector is Olivia of Hudson & King Jewelry. I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia IRL when she visited Nashville a few years ago. She has such an elegant and beautiful eye for jewelry, especially the pieces that are in her personal stash. Since interviewing her, she has a space where she sells her vintage finds that include jewelry, clothes and accessories. It is located in Hudson Valley, NY and called the Newburgh Vintage Emporium. Check her booth out if you’re in the area! Ok, without further ado, let’s dive into Olivia’s personal jewelry collection:
“Favorite motif to collect? I’m not sure I have too many motifs that I gravitate towards but my favorite eras are Victorian and Art Deco. There are also certain gemstones that capture my attention no matter what. I love all things turquoise and gold. Major points if it has diamonds in it too (still on the hunt for the perfect turquoise and diamond cluster ring!). Moonstones have always mesmerized me and I’ve just started a new appreciation for rose cut diamonds as well.”
“I love that every piece of jewelry tells a story. I’ve always associated jewelry with a specific event or time in my life (a graduation gift, birthday present, etc.) and I find myself going back to certain pieces to relive those memories. When it comes to antique and vintage pieces in my own collection, I often wonder where they came from. Was my diamond Navette ring a gift for a certain milestone? What’s the story with my beloved enamel snake ring? Jewelry is such a personal thing and every time I add a piece to my collection I feel like I’m doing my part to continue its story and keep its history safe.”
“These days I do a lot of my treasure hunting online at auctions but prior to going on a vacation or day trip I used to spend time researching shops in little towns on the way to our destination. I love spending time meeting shop owners and designers and can spend hours getting lost in conversation about jewelry. One of my favorite shops is Bavier Brook in Hudson, NY. The owner Jessica is the sweetest and incredibly knowledgeable. We’ve become great friends over the years and I’ve purchased some of my favorite pieces from her.”
“I bought an antique pink tourmaline and diamond pinky ring in Paris in 2017 that I absolutely adored. The entire week I was in Paris I was searching for something special to bring home with me and I knew I had finally found it. I wore it to work one day in the city and realized around lunchtime that the tourmaline that fallen out. I was so upset. I’m so careful with my jewelry and I knew I wasn’t going to find that tourmaline on the streets of midtown. I knew I wanted to replace the stone so I took the ring to my jeweler and we decided on turquoise. I was so happy when I picked up the ring from him since the turquoise looked so natural in the setting. We both agreed that maybe it was just waiting for that turquoise cabochon all along.”
“I have a couple of simple jewelry boxes that I use for storage but I love displaying my jewelry on my dresser in antique ring boxes and vintage catch all dishes. I just got one that is a ceramic tigers head and I absolutely love it.”
