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May 2010  |  By Liz Logan  |  Comments (0)

Viva Vintage! Vintage Jewelry Finds a Home in Winnetka

TAGS: vintage, jewelry, collectors

Whether you’re looking for something sparkly for your next black tie benefit or just a few pieces to throw on before lunch, vintage jewelry is hot right now—and the Winnetka company Arch Vintage can help you get your fix.

“People have more respect for vintage jewelry in the past couple of years because it’s truly unique, and they want something that no one else is wearing,” says Laura White, the owner and founder of Arch Vintage. “It leads to more creative independence in your personal style.”

And White herself knows the magic these pieces can hold. Wearing something no one else has makes her feel “all the more special,” she says, and that’s why she’s traveled to far-off places like Paris and Miami in search of the finest vintage jewelry.

White’s interest in vintage started when she was designing handbags that incorporated vintage buttons. The mother of three now has numerous clients—mostly on the North Shore, but also collectors who find her via the Internet—who come to her for vintage jewelry at a variety of price points, ranging from $125 to $900.

Many of White’s pieces are from the ‘30s and ‘40s, when many fine jewelers fled Europe and used their skills to make costume jewelry with the inexpensive materials that were available. And then Coco Chanel told women to mix real with fake.

Though the jewelry lacked gold and diamonds, the craftsmanship remained the same, and, White says, the cheaper materials gave the jewelers more freedom to be creative.

Other pieces of White’s are from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s—the latter being particularly popular right now.

White strives to procure pieces that “people can throw on with a T-shirt for instant style,” to give their look an original feel.

“I thrive on trying NOT to look mass-produced,” she says.