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About Jean Papin Fine Antique Jewelry
Our Service Pledge To You:
I guarantee the authenticity of my items. I ship within 48 hours of payment received via paypal, except on weekends, due to limited access to my safe deposit box on weekends.
Your purchase will be sent in beautiful new box, perfect for gift giving and secure storage.
About Us
Hello, I am Jean Papin. I have been a passionate collector of antique jewelry for over twenty years, and have been selling fine antique jewelry for over 10 years. I graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Art with a major in Jewelry Design in 1989 from The College at New Paltz, in New Paltz, New York. There I learned soldering, casting and hand fabrication of jewelry as well as enamelling. The emphasis was on designing fresh, original "Avant-garde" pieces. While I enjoyed creating this new jewelry, my fascination with antique jewelry never left me. I have come to recognize the unparalleled craftsmanship of the old jewelry. The attention to detail employed in Georgian and Victorian jewelry is rarely seen today. So instead of producing and marketing new jewelry, I am using the experience gained at school to recognize good design and construction methods in antique jewelry, to spot reproductions, and to treasure hunt!
For the past three years I have been a volunteer jewelry appraiser for the Ulster County Historical Society Appraisal Day. I have provided appraisal services to executors of wills, who needed to divide antique jewelry among family members, and for insurance purposes. Of course, if a person has a piece with large diamonds or rare stones, they should seek out a gemologist. But Georgian and Victorian Jewelry should not be judged by intrinsic value alone. A well done piece of hairwork memorial jewelry or a miniature on ivory is worth far more than its materials.
I am constantly reading reference books as well as price guides. In my opinion, antique jewelry is still currently greatly undervalued. If you see a beautifully made piece, buy it! "Fashion" jewelry is fashionable today, but antique jewelry will be treasured for generations to come!
Please note that my e-mail has changed to Click to Email
I have a flexible Lay Away plan if you know you really love an item but can't pay for it in one payment. However, because of the time involved and because I reinvest funds to bring you new shop items, layaways are not returnable. I accept checks and money orders for layaways, not paypal.