Collecting Vintage Horse Jewelry

“Why do I love collecting vintage horse jewelry?” Deborah smiled. “Well, a girl can never have too many diamonds. I’ve always believed that.  But it’s more than that, at least for me.  When you buy a piece of vintage horse jewelry, you’re also buying a story.  Who made this jewelry? What was the artist’s life like? What experiences and events were shaping his vision while he was making the ring, or the brooch, or the gold horse necklace? I like to think about that.”

Deborah has been collecting vintage horse jewelry for over 20 years.  Her favorite pieces are Art Deco horse jewelry. “I find some great vintage horse jewelry online, of course,” she said. “But I also go to yard sales and auctions.  And believe it or not, thrift stores. People don’t always know what they have. I got a beautiful Arts and Crafts era brooch for a friend in a Salvation Army shop for less than $20.”

“That’s the other story that comes with every piece of vintage horse jewelry,” Deborah explained. “It’s the tale of the hunt, of the discovery.  Where did you find that vintage horse jewelry? How did you find the treasure?”

If you are new to collecting vintage horse jewelry, congratulations! A whole world of excitement and discovery is waiting for you.  Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Choose high quality vintage horse jewelry: You always want to buy the best quality vintage horse jewelry you can find. Pay attention to condition: broken clips, clasps, and damaged links on necklaces, watches, and bracelets detract both from the value and your enjoyment of your horse jewelry.
• Find a style you love and specialize: Some collectors of vintage horse jewelry choose to focus on a particular style or era of jewelry design.  This can help you focus your collecting efforts and accumulate a collection with significant style and depth.  Examples are modern design horse jewelry, Victorian horse jewelry, Edwardian horse jewelry, Art Deco Horse Jewelry and Art Nouveau horse jewelry.  Lots of great horse jewelry comes out of England and the American Southwest.