Is it bad luck to gift vintage jewelry?

“My girlfriend and I love shopping for vintage and antiques. Lately, I’ve watched her swoon over glass cases of vintage jewelry. I’ve hesitated to buy a piece for her because I worry that if the token of someone else’s love has wound up in an estate sale or a thrift shop then it might be bad luck in love? Am I being silly?” Looking for Something Special

I was given a special ring decades ago. Its provenance was a pawnshop, which I thought was an ingenious idea, as we were recent university graduates struggling on starter-job wages. Alas, the relationship didn’t last. But the ring went on to star in a great cocktail party story, involving a dear friend, the Queen Mother café, some cheap wine and St. Mike’s hospital. To this day, I have no idea how she swallowed it. But the ring’s story kept on giving: Many years later, at a cocktail party (naturally), a doctor told the story of that ring back to me. Turns out, the X-ray was still tacked up in the hospital’s staff lounge. See? Vintage jewelry does take on the narrative of its new owner.

But don’t take my word for it. I rang up Megan Mensink, a “treasure curator” from Cambridge, Ont., who sells vintage and estate pieces on her website, Folklor, some of which she has “upcycled,” some she has created something new by combining old pieces. She herself has a “scratched and scruffed” vintage signet ring inscribed with the initials “MB,” which happened to be her own initials when she went by her maiden name. It has come to represent her relationship with herself: “Every time I look at it, I am reminded of my journey, my growth, my strength.” She is obviously the right person to talk to us about the sentimental potential of vintage jewelry. “You want to find pieces that you connect with on a visceral level,” she says. “That is where one-of-akind vintage is special.”

Mensink, who has a science degree and a tendency for logical thinking, puts to rest the idea of bad luck in love being vested in a discarded ring or necklace. “The person buying the piece brings the energy,” she says. “To me, it feels like the pieces are the vessel, and the new owner brings the sentiment and the significance.”

Mensink is often transported when customers share what attracts them to a piece. “Interacting with people who are looking for something that is special moves me in a way I didn’t anticipate,” she says. “It can give me goosebumps.” When clients find the right piece, bells ring. “Your heart races, your palms sweat. You are unlocking a memory and creating a memory, a connection to the person you are buying the piece for.”

Personal and talismanic jewelry have been on trend for some time now. “There is nothing more personal than preloved,” Mensink says. “There is only ever one of each item. You spend time hunting and digging through pieces, until you find something that resonates.” If you need some help, she will take on commissions to seek out exactly what you are looking for.

Mensink reports that heavy gold chains are popular in the vintage market now, as are signet rings and bracelets, brooches and stacks of dainty rings. What is new is how we wear them these days. “Something about the pandemic has meant we don’t save good jewelry in a box, only to be pulled out for special occasions. We are wearing a diamond tennis bracelet with sweatpants,” she says. “Fine jewelry is a way to sprinkle some joy in your day.” People are also looking for pops of colour, a cheerful way to stand out in a blah time. Trends don’t drive her curation, though. “I look for great craftsmanship, good design and quality materials,” she says. “If it checks those boxes, it will be good in 10 years’ time.”

The vintage jewelry market lags a bit behind vintage clothing, which is very well established in Toronto. For years, you had to seek out auctioneers or high-end dealers (a great one is Cynthia Findlay Fine Jewellery and Antiques on King Street West, where you can find very special estate pieces). Some dealers were focused on collectibles, like vintage enamel or Bakelite. That left pawn shops or markets for hunting treasures. But in recent years, new energy and fresh eyes have infused the market. NoahNoahNoah is an online vintage jewelry shop founded by former digital fashion editor Noah Lehava, who has worked at the Coveteur and Elle Canada. Her line recently landed at Holt Renfrew in a collaboration with the retailer’s H Project, making it easier to shop vintage gems than ever.

So go forth and create new memories with vintage jewelry. You can feel good about the sustainable aspect of giving new life to an old piece, and your recipient will feel good about how much effort and thought you put into finding them something special. “As humans, we want to be seen, be acknowledged,” says Mensink. “When your person has sifted through all these items, different designs, from different eras, and selected something that represents you? That is going to make you feel special.”

Or buy it for yourself and write your own story. Just don’t swallow it.