Trademark Antiques has quickly become one of my favorite places to obsessively check for new jewelry inventory. Why? Because they have an impeccable eye for antique jewelry. Their finds aren’t your typical run of the mill heirlooms, and I would know because I am constantly on the hunt for unusual antique pieces. In Buffalo, my lovely historic city, I just don’t come across much Art Nouveau and Victorian creature jewelry, but Trademark Antiques seems to tease my palate with not one, not two, but more than a handful of little animals and mythical beasts that are too cool to pass up! It’s not often I am this tempted by another dealer’s shop that sells jewelry in a similar price range as mine, because, well, usually I can source the jewelry myself locally. One of the main advantages they have that sets their business apart is that they have perfected the antique stick pin conversion trend.
I’ll admit, when I first got into the antique jewelry business, I was a jewelry purist. Basically I was an advocate for keeping antique jewelry as original as possible in pretty much every case. Sure, I was never really going to wear those two cool stick pins with a snake and lion I found at that auction, but yes – they are super cool to look at in my drawer. The husband and wife team from Trademark Antiques changed all of that for me. I had seen some cool antique jewelry conversions before, but never quite like this. They convert items that appeal to my aesthetic most: birds, bees, foxes, dragons, snakes, flowers, griffins, beasts I had never even heard of… all the good stuff! Their jewelry features enameling, pearls, turquoise and other materials I covet. Not only that, their conversions are so meticulous that it is difficult to tell in a lot of cases that the ring or necklace was ever something other than what it was.
They have offered more quality conversions than any other antique jewelry dealer out there because they have committed themselves to this concept whole heartedly. Sure, a brooch may make a comeback, but can we honestly say that women will start using stick and hair pins again? I just don’t think so. Even though Trademark Antiques has a great inventory, many of their conversions are highly sought after and sell quickly, so I recommend following them on Instagram for a first peek at their upcoming creations.
To score your own conversion or original heirloom from Trademark Antiques, shop their Etsy and Rubylane shops.
