I’ve had two groups recently on French la Vie where some of the guests were looking for jewelry. Each mixes medals, chains, pendants, and rhinestones. The other searches for vintage jewelry with bling and bang.
I wear very little jewelry myself, and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve looked for jewelry at the brocante. But I’m here to tell you: after seeing so much of it lately, I realize I’ve been missing out. There is an incredible amount of jewelry at the brocantes.
And honestly, women who wear jewelry often seem so chic, so stylish — everything thoughtfully put together, so much attention paid to the details.
There’s gold and silver and pearls, collectible pieces, designer treasures like Chanel and Dior, cool funky pieces, 1980s styles, boho, avant-garde, statement jewelry… I saw it all- and we’re looking for jewelry one sees clothes and shoes and hats and purses…
One thing I learned is that if you’re a jewelry maker, you’re going to need a lot of chain — and there’s plenty of that here too.
Jewelry isn’t fragile to send, but it’s heavier than sin. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration… but it is heavy.
I even started creating jewelry in my mind, because that’s probably as far as it’s going to go. There are plenty of techniques you need to learn, the tools you have to have, and then you either wear it or sell it. I’d definitely have to sell it — probably tied together with ribbons.
The two guests who came looking for jewelry knew exactly what they wanted, exactly what they were going to do with it, and already had the tools and clients to make it happen. It was fascinating to watch.
So if you come to France and visit the vintage or antique markets, look for jewelry. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. From every period of time, you can find so many bits and pieces just hanging around looking for a home. The prices vary, so there’s truly something for everyone.
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