Etsy Shop: Bellflower Bay Antique & Vintage Jewelry

Collecting can be such a passionate hobby.  That’s what led Jenn to create her Etsy shop called Bellflower Bay Antique & Vintage Jewelry.  Here’s her story:

“My love for jewelry was born early on, something I imagine is the same for many girls (and boys) out there. When I was young, my mother used to slowly sweep through the glossy pages of Town & Country magazine, idling over the baguette diamond bracelets and necklaces dripping with rubies. Brand names like Cartier and Tiffany crowded the captions. We were definitely not in the demographic that these editorials were designed for, but we coveted them, sighed over them, dreamed about them nonetheless. 

As I got older, my limited resources kept my jewelry collection limited to sterling bangles and moonstone rings, pretty little baubles my mother and I bought and shared together.  I imagined a life limited to these pieces, maybe some cute costume jewelry that looked a little more expensive than it was. Maybe a boyfriend would give me a special occasion piece, but I never expected to wear, or even be in the same room as, those sparkly baubles that I remembered. Then, something miraculous happened: I discovered antique jewelry. Several years ago, I had a boring desk job with limited internet and somehow stumbled onto pages of glittering jewels that didn’t seem out of my reach. My husband bought me my first piece for Christmas that year: an unwieldy, exotic, antique bohemian garnet ring. It was under $400 and more exquisite than anything I’d ever seen. 

I was hooked.

My mom got back in the jewelry game with me, and we started collecting here and there. Flea markets, antique stores, estate shops, online, offline. After several years of slowly building up our personal collections—and I mean slowly, I often asked sellers for layaway and was fortunate to encounter many easy-going folks who loved jewelry as much as I did—we decided that we could maybe put together a store of our own. 

And so Bellflower Bay Antique & Vintage Jewelry was born. 

In the Victorian era, flowers were used to send secret messages; Bellflowers stood for gratitude. That’s the message we want to send everyone who looks at, loves, and maybe buys something from our store: thank you for being a part of this little something we’re creating. 

We deeply love old jewelry: for the beauty, the originality, the uniqueness, the history, and the sparkle that each piece carries. We want to provide pieces to women who never thought they could afford a special little bauble. (We offer layaway and are happy to work with all budgets.)  We want to find your wedding ring for you, a celebration piece, or a lucky jewel that makes you feel like a million bucks.”