New York-based antique jewelry dealer Dana Kiyomura of Keyamour discusses the meaning behind the inspiring era’s styles.
Dana Kiyomura was first attracted to Georgian jewelry when she heard about a mysterious “poison ring” while working at Fred Leighton in New York City a few years ago. The piece, dating from a time when people might use the jewel to carry out a medieval-style assassination, drew her attention to the time’s symbolism and singularity. Kiyomura, who now runs Keyamour, the estate and vintage jewelry store she founded, began to investigate many types of estate and antique jewelry, focusing on sentimental and collectible items.
In this week’s episode of the Jewelry Connoisseur Podcast, Kiyomura speaks with Rapaport Editor in Chief Sonia Esther Soltani about the fascinating era that has been in the spotlight since 2020, when Netflix launched the popular period drama Bridgerton.
Kiyomura has numbered many remarkable Georgian pieces in her collection. Among them she recalls a “beautiful 18th-century pendant earring with a girandole [ornamental branched candlestick] and a little bit of emeralds at the bottom” and a very large feather set with rose-cut diamonds in silver and gold. Such treasures don’t stay on the market for long, she notes.
Georgian jewelry mainly features gemstones such as garnets, agates, pearls, and diamonds, which were set in gold but covered with silver “to make the gold look white, because there was no platinum or white gold at that time,” Kiyomura explains. As the silver has oxidized, many of the pieces currently on the market are no longer shiny. Ultimately, this makes the jewels more attractive, she says. “Probably what draws people into Georgian jewelry is that it has this very nice patina,” she observes.
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Main image: Dana Kiyomura, owner of Keyamour. Georgian pink topaz rivière necklace, c. 1800. Photo: Keyamour.
