One of the best parts about summer is getting away from the ordinary and exploring new parts of this beautiful country. While in California, I got a chance to go treasure hunting for an entire day! My goal was to find some irresistible trinkets–like gold bands, dainty rings, and anything shiny. I mapped out the route–first, check out Solana Beach in the morning, an hour for lunch, and then Ocean Beach in the afternoon! Here is what I found:
Solana Beach
Antique Warehouse
212 S. Cedros Ave.
An amazing array of antiques, mostly from the 1950s-1970s, but really all eras are mixed in the multiple aisles. The front of the building hosts all the jewelry cases, with everything neatly organized and priced. There are cases with all gold jewelry, all gold rings, as well as cases with costume jewelry and vintage watches.
I picked up a 14k yellow gold malachite ring which magically fit my ring finger of my right hand perfectly! Also found a retro “cornucopia” ring that was pretty dirty and missing a sapphire–I knew I could fix it up! I don’t see that style of ring too often, so I couldn’t pass it up. Other treasures that I found, but didn’t take home were some pretty unique filigree lavalier pendants from the turn-of-the-century and a few outstanding pieces of Essex crystal (like the dog above). I also wasn’t sure about the garnet ring with the “wave” motif, so that one stayed at the store. The shop is also great for decorating and finding random trinkets–like the mermaid bottle opener I bought for a friend and the malachite bowl that needed some TLC. You can see the pictures above for the bowl transformation!
Ocean Beach
Antique Mall
4926 Newport Ave.
This was my third time visiting the Ocean Beach Antique Mall! I can’t come to California without stopping by–mainly because the inventory and treasure chest full of rings is ever-changing, and that simple fact, combined with my instinctive treasure-hunting attitude always leaves me wanting to plan another trip! This time I found some great gold baby rings to add to my collection! I sifted through the treasure chest of rings–which is basically exactly what it sounds like–each is priced and there are about 100 rings in the pile. Low and behold, I found a rose gold antique band that had the most unique and delicate engraving around the entire ring. It even fit and complimented my engagement ring visually, so I think I found my wedding band in a treasure chest in California! hah! The above photo features some other favorites that I found–the antique bloodstone ring was put back in the chest, and the rest went home with me, including the masonic ring for my friend Brooke. The stand out piece the shop had was an Art Deco dinner ring with a large Old European cut diamond–couldn’t leave the store without trying it on and snapping a photo.
– – – – – – –
>> Hope you get a chance to go treasure hunting for some beautiful jewelry this summer! If you do, feel free to share your story! It may even end up on the blog!
This post was brought to you in collaboration with LoveGold
