Owing to rising gold prices, clients are seeking vintage bracelets and chain necklaces for pendants, charms and medallions, rather than buying new pieces. The goal: to be on trend but not overspend, say curators and retailers.
Over the past year, New York-based Yarden Davis, private shopper and founder of YD Gallery, sourced a wide range of bold vintage gold chains, including coffee-bean, curb and oversized-link styles from the 1970s and ’80s. “Gold has become more valuable,” she says. “And these pieces have such a strong presence.”
There is also a rising interest in individual vintage gold charms and pendants — hearts, zodiac signs, and initials. “It’s become a meaningful, personal way to build a collection over time,” explains the private shopper. “Gold right now is about weight, warmth, and personal style. Vintage makes it feel even more soulful.”
Big gold chains are moving fast, agrees Rick Shatz, founder of New York luxury vintage dealer The Back Vault. “Everyone’s looking for that bold, solid-gold look, especially pieces from the ’70s and ’80s that have real weight and presence.”
Starting off strong
Link chains in 18-karat yellow gold are leading the way, and two-tone gold from the ’80s is starting to make a comeback, with clients opting for necklaces, mostly without pendants. Wholesale prices typically run from around $5,000 for lighter “diamonds by the yard” chains — delicate necklaces with single diamonds spaced evenly along their length — and up to $50,000 or more for signed, heavier examples, Shatz reports.
“The chain itself is the statement,” he adds. “Late-’70s to early-’90s styles are popular — Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, David Webb — anything with strong, sculptural links and excellent craftsmanship.”
Echoing his sentiment is Anne Russell, executive vice president of Hamilton Jewelers, who has seen strong demand for both vintage and contemporary necklaces and bracelets in chunky gold. The panther style — with interconnected rectangular links —has been in demand at her company’s H1912 vintage boutique in Princeton, New Jersey, as have omega necklaces, which feature a flat, smooth, semi-rigid design.
Yellow gold and charms continue to hold sway over H1912’s customers. Adding older charms to new styles enables storytelling and “offers a great opportunity to showcase your personal style,” she says. “Vintage pieces [also] provide great value compared with new production, considering gold prices are at an all-time high.”
A shift to unsigned
There is a definite value proposition in acquiring unsigned — or non-branded — estate jewelry. Making a lot of these pieces today would be tremendously costly due to gold prices as well as labor and production, says Randi Molofsky, founder of For Future Reference Vintage, whose brand specializes in unsigned jewelry. With an eye on the market and shifting trends, she curates “big, bold jewels featuring gold links” that top many of her clients’ wish lists.
“The desire is for large-scale, metal-forward necklaces and bracelets that act as the anchor of an outfit,” she elaborates. “Specifically, collar-style necklaces and wide-linked bracelets are top of mind, most of which are from the 1960s to 1980s.” She’s also observed a spike in “the ’70s and ’80s antique coin necklaces with thick curb chains, a return to that Bulgari-esque resort-wear look of the time.”
Like many others, London Jewelers in New York has noted a rise in demand for chunky and long vintage gold chains. “They’re perfect for making a bold yet elegant statement, and many customers love how these pieces combine classic style with current trends,” says Randi Udell-Alper, the retailer’s vintage-jewelry expert.
Some of her customers “prefer plain chains for everyday wear or layering, while others seek chains with vintage pendants for added character,” she says. She’s found chunky Retro-style versions with textured finishes to be especially popular, along with sleek Mid-Century Modern designs.
“Yellow gold remains the most favored material,” she reports, and designer names are always sought-after. Like Molofsky, she cites strong interest in beautifully crafted unsigned vintage pieces.
Ancient elements
Gold jewelry, according to Simon Teakle, reflects a more casual style that’s currently attracting buyers. Signed gold jewelry from the 1960s to ’70s has been particularly popular in the last 10 years, says the owner of estate gallery Simon Teakle Fine Jewelry in Greenwich, Connecticut. “Good examples are not easy to find, and with the price of gold escalating, the market for these pieces is becoming increasingly difficult.”
Many contemporary designers prefer to work in the yellow metal. “This is perfectly illustrated by Loren Nicole and Kia Schwan, whom we represent,” says Teakle. “The versatility of a classic solid-gold chain, a special antique or vintage statement necklace, or incorporating elements from another era into a contemporary design will continue to stand the test of time.” He points to a piece by Loren Nicole founder Loren Teetelli: a 22-karat-gold lariat necklace with diamond accents, featuring an ancient Persian bronze arrowhead from circa 1200 to 1800 BCE at the end of a handwoven gold chain.
It may seem counterintuitive to invest in large gold pieces right now, observes designer Rebecca Rau. The founder of Rebecca Rau Jewels in New York has predominantly been collecting a variety of 19th-century book and open-link chains spanning the Victorian era, with some French as well as English. In her recent inaugural collection, Then & Now, she combined these chains with ancient artifacts and new gemstones. One piece suspends an oversized first- to second-century-cut brown jasper from an 18-karat French book chain that dates to circa 1865, while in her Criss-Cross necklace, a Bactrian votive wheel hangs on a 14-karat Victorian book-style lariat chain from circa 1880. It was important to her to utilize antique yellow-gold chains for many of the necklaces, as she feels they lend a sense of gravitas and permanence to the works.
With collectors leaning into chunky gold, the current reception indicates that chains from the past will always find takers.
Main image: Cable chains from Loren Nicole. (Loren Nicole)