If your Instagram algorithm resembles mine in any way, you will be hard pressed to scroll very far without encountering estate-jewelry content. Just as antiquing and thrifting and crafting have found millions of eager digital devotees, so, too, has pre-owned jewelry. Why does this content perform so well online? Here are a few factors that make the difference.
Education
Generally, educational content performs well on social media platforms, and this is a strategy that brands and retailers often adopt as a way to soft sell — to provide value through content rather than just giving a straight-up sales pitch. Watch a video featuring a brand-new jewel, and it will likely leave you feeling appreciative of the design or in awe of the gemstones. Watch one with an estate jewel, and you might well finish it feeling that you’ve learned something, be it about the jewel’s era of origin or the history of the craft.
Danielle Miele runs the popular Instagram account @GemGossip and sells her estate jewelry finds through the dedicated @ShopGemGossip account. One of her top posts this year was a selection of old-cut antique diamonds that she had sourced for a collaboration with Yearly Company, a jewelry store in Nashville, Tennessee. Shoppers could select one of the loose diamonds Miele had curated and have it set in a bangle.
“Pieces with old-cut diamonds are very popular,” says Miele when asked which types of posts get her followers excited. “Whether it’s an old mine cut or old European cut, I think people are realizing the rarity of these stones, how they were cut by hand — not an easy feat — and how, as time goes on, original old cuts are getting harder to come by.”
Storytelling
Another reason social media is proving to be such fertile ground for digital-first estate dealers is storytelling around distinctive pieces. The unusual and the curious stop us in our scrolling, and estate jewelry does this better than almost any other category.
It was a vintage oval-link bracelet in 18-karat gold that ended up being the hottest piece of the year on Olivia Harris’s @BigOhBijoux Instagram account, which she runs out of New York. The quirky design — which had the phrases “Don’t panic” and “This too shall pass” engraved on the chunky links — generated 8,000 likes, 3,900 saves, and over 700 shares.
“I believe it was such a hit because it serves as a lovely, wearable talisman to remember to breathe and take things one day at a time, whatever battle may lie ahead,” says Harris, who later replicated the design because it was so popular.
“Another draw is the mystery and sentimentality of antique pieces,” posits Shari Cohen, founder of Seal & Scribe, a San Diego jewelry brand that incorporates antique seals and intaglios into modern designs. “Our clients don’t gravitate toward newly created intaglios. They prefer antique and vintage because they appreciate that these little objects are imbued with sentiments that transcend time and space. Something that was used to convey one message 300 years ago can still mean the same thing today, or it can be reinterpreted into a new meaning for today’s wearer.”
The thrill of the hunt
Online estate-jewelry shopping appeals to a certain type of customer — one who’s looking for a bargain and willing to put in the time to find just what they want. In June, eBay users searched for “vintage jewelry” about 30 times per minute, according to statistics the auction site shared with Rapaport — further proof of the strong demand for pre-owned jewels.
In a recent effort to shore up its luxury-jewelry offering, eBay started providing a consignment service for a set number of jewelry and watch brands, including Gucci, David Yurman, Chanel, Hearts on Fire, TAG Heuer, and Hublot. In 2022, it partnered with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to launch a fine-jewelry authentication program for pieces on the site that were selling for over $500.
While social media users seem to engage most often with the quirky and unusual, the eBay search history shows a more predictable thirst for brand staples. From January to October this year, the site’s top five most-searched jewelry-style terms were “Cartier Love Bracelet,” “Cartier Juste Un Clou Bracelet,” “Van Cleef Alhambra Necklace,” “Van Cleef Alhambra Bracelet” and “Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring.”
Whether it’s the lure of finding that coveted icon at a lower price, a way to discover standout designs, or simply the chance to learn about a piece’s history, shoppers are increasingly going digital to bolster their collections.
Main image: A promotional shot for eBay’s luxury jewelry sales. (eBay)
