Today’s Jewelry Collection Story comes from Mara of @penyweight_prizefighter. In a world where everyone weighs gold in grams, it is just Mara and I who prefer pennyweights. I have loved her Instagram handle since I stumbled upon her account years ago! Mara is based in New Jersey and often has weekly Live sales on Instagram, which she has been doing for several years. She often jokes by saying, “I would keep this… but I don’t keep anything” – jokes on her audience because her personal collection is amazing. The pieces she sells range from fun, quirky charms, to vintage initial jewelry, Judaica pieces and gemstone rings. Let’s see what is in her personal stash:
“Truly collecting since I was a teenager, but enmeshed in the world of vintage jewelry via my mom since I was a wee one. We did the pier shows in Manhattan, and the antique malls all over the state. Once we drove to Brimfield (4-5 hour drive from where I grew up in NYC) when I was maybe 7 or 8, and I got a raging fever the minute we stepped foot out of the car . My dad laid under a tree with me for hours while my mom did “the barns.” We turned around and came home and I remember driving straight to the doctor. So… a long time?”
“Here’s where my interests lie currently. Don’t make fun of me.
I will always love risqué almost offensive jewels. I want the nudes. I want to say to myself “why did someone make this in gold? What kind of sick f….?” And then buy it. I have 2 articulated flashers. And wouldn’t mind finding a third. A side-lying nude man very reminiscent of that David Hasselhof centerfold. An articulated phallus and hand with a bead chain of ejaculate… I’m going to jewelry hell aren’t I?
Sweet love charms just murder me. The cutesy ones that say like “you’re tops!” Or “I’m nuts for you.” I actually really would love to add more of these to my collection but I’m picky. It needs to feel like a valentines card from 1951. I need to BLUSH.
My next big category is “weird things in circles.” I mean the oversized mid century medallions. Usually engine turned. But the weirder the better please. A heart or angel? No thanks. A knight with removal mask that says “my knight in shining armor.” Gimme.
And finally I can’t believe it, and my mom is definitely cringing, but I’m very into the 80s excess stuff right now. Just actually gaudy. I want jewelry that was made when gold was $200 an oz. I imagine the jeweler just going, “more gold! Pour it in! Just keep adding more!” And laughing maniacally. This category I sometimes call “ex wife jewelry.” Jewelry hell, party of one.”
“Some favorites to follow are Instagram accounts, I’m not affiliated with, or know personally, but have the same taste as me, are @KateGoldJewellery and @LindaSherrieAntiques. They’re romantics. You can just tell. And they find the best charms. Kate for little sweetie ones and Linda for the big medallions I love to see.”
“I have this stunning solid opal ring. Not a doublet! It was my grandmothers and she left it to me, so I got it when I was about 16. However I was raised to believe opals are bad luck (I know they’re not, don’t @ me 😂), and superstition dies hard… so I’ve NEVER worn it. It’s been in a jewelry box since 1999.
While we are on the topic of heirlooms. My mom gave me a piece that was my great aunt’s. Oh ya know, just a 30 gram shark ring with sharp teeth and diamond eyes 😂. This one I wear and wore. Even in high school. Imagine me in Brooklyn public high school in the 90s, in Mavi jeans, a baby tee, and this shark.
Then I have silly stuff. The tooth made by a dentist with dental gold, that I added a diamond “filling” to. And my “3 carrot” ring.”
“Creature of habit: I have worn 2 matching pinky rings for a couple years now. I had them made out of 24 karat and they weigh an ounce and a half together. So I figure I’m wearing my investment. They’re slightly different sizes so one is engraved “left” inside and the other is engraved “right,” so I won’t put them on the wrong hands 😂.
And I have worn this Star of David every single day since my sweet friend Kate at bhunicorn bought it for me at the Vegas jewelry show. I had been admiring it at Zoland for literal months, and was just too cheap to buy it for myself. So my jewelry husband did 😂.
And on that same chain I wear a “l’chaim” charm that I had made as a friendship charm with my friend Liz who owns Cure Thrift Shop in Manhattan. She mentioned wanting a L’Chaim nameplate, so I made these to tide her over. I get SO many requests for them, so I’m casting the heart and will be producing them soon!
The most sentimental piece I own is a tiny little heart with my dad‘s name and birthdate engraved on the back. It was one leaf of a four leaf clover charm that my grandma also left to me. It didn’t mean much until my dad died when I was in my early 20s. I cut the leaf off with his name, made it a heart, and now it’s my most treasured piece of jewelry. I was definitely rethinking and rehabbing vintage pieces long before I was selling! And that’s one of my favorite aspects of this work. Reimagining. Cufflinks to charms, single earrings to pendants. Adding a quirky engraving to an otherwise boring piece. It all gives these treasures new life.”
