I’m excited to share another Jewelry Collection Story with you all today! We are diving into the collection of Andrea, also known as The Lady Lucan on Instagram. Many of her rings are something everyone drools over anytime she posts them on her feed. Her Georgian starburst ring with blue enamel and diamonds is so unique, and not something any ordinary person would wear. It takes a confident woman to pull it off and as we get to know Andrea through her collection, she can definitely do so! She also has a penchant for naming her favorite rings — like Gilda and Gustavo lol. I love it! Let’s get to know Andrea and her collection:
“I’ve been collecting for more than 10 years now. I bought a replacement for my engagement ring on my first wedding anniversary and I’ve never looked back. And, yes, that’s probably as bad as it sounds.
My engagement ring was really my first piece of fine jewelry and I think both my husband and I figured it would be my last. How wrong we were. At the time I got engaged, engagements were still largely “surprises.” We never discussed getting married, much less what the engagement ring would look like! I know that sounds insane now. My husband braved the Cartier on 5th Avenue and basically asked for an engagement ring — as if there were only one kind. And the terrifying sales person showed him a modern round brilliant on a plain platinum band and pretty much said, “There you go.” So my husband bought it. Proposed with it. And I wore it. Secretly not loving it.
On our first anniversary, we happened upon a magical shop that had an absolutely stunning array of antique jewelry. I had no idea jewelry could be so amazing. The diamonds had a different sparkle. There was so much detail in the settings. There was engraving and enamel and hearts and arrows and bows and everything good. I was in love.
It was there I found my first antique piece, a tiny giardinetto ring — a small grouping of old cut diamonds shaped like a floral spray made of silver over gold. And, I’ve been hooked ever since.”
“I love inscriptions, floral engraving, celestial pieces, and enamel. I love anything that tells a story or shows how much a piece was loved, so I actually like my pieces to show a little wear. You can tell from my collection that I love elongated shapes. Also, if a piece has a moon or star on it, I basically just hold my wallet out and say, “Take my money.”
My personal style and the pieces I collect are sometimes at odds. I’m truly a child of the 70s. I love light wood, ferns, yellow gold, and caftans. So, on most days, I’m dressed in a linen sack (some days I do cross the line into 17th century peasant territory) with a large sculptural piece of jewelry like my giant opal cuff or a big diamond solitaire. But in my heart of hearts, I want to surround myself with Edwardian platinum pieces — festoon necklace? Yes, please. That deep pink spinel with the platinum spiderweb detail was so beautiful to me that I had to have it. Even though I never wear platinum!
So, Art Deco jewelry is a good compromise. I get clean lines, but fussy old time craftsmanship! My newest solitaire is a Deco emerald cut diamond. I love the windmills in it and I love how deep it is.”
“I love how beautiful antique jewelry is. It’s like wearable art — wearable sculpture.
I also love the hunt — the excitement of finding that perfect piece. I travel a fair amount for work, and I always make a point of popping into a few jewelry stores anywhere I go. Once I found a Victorian blue enamel locket in Paris, Kentucky. I also learned what pimento cheese is there.”
You can follow Andrea here –> @theladylucan
