Miami Show Finds

Today we’re taking you behind the scenes of the antique jewellery business, all the way from the blustery streets of London to the beaches of Miami! 

Sullivan has recently returned, tanned and sleep-deprived, from the Original Miami Beach Antique Show. From the 9th to the 13th of January, over 600 of the top antiques dealers, from 30+ countries, descend onto the Miami Beach Convention Centre. Armed with a painstakingly curated horde of jewels (or furniture, art and clothes), and expertise only years and years of passion can get you. Add a thousand discerning attendees, from over 70 countries, and the energy at the convention is electric. As attendee Jade Trau puts it, ‘walking this show is equal parts eye candy and history lesson; every person is so generous with the knowledge they have about the work they carry’.

The Run Up

But before we get there, let me bring you back to our office in Hatton Garden. Where two months before the convention. The meticulous process of compiling our showcase begins. In the run up to the show, our office is a whirlwind of bubble wrap, jammed label makers and paperwork. Then it's evaluating and re-evaluating each piece, ensuring only the best makes it to Miami. Then it's inevitably getting pulled at security because you have 20 kilograms of diamonds with you. Before you know it - the day of the show is upon you.

D-Day

Sullivan has been attending the Original Miami Beach Antique Show show every January for five years. He always stays for the full five days of the show, 9 am to 7 pm, ‘and it still never feels like enough time’ he says. Traders need to get there a day early to set up, but chiefly, so they can have a ‘Dealer Day’. The Convention is closed to the public, and it's a chance for all the traders to get first dibs on each other’s wares, and most importantly, network. Sully already knows many other traders from his years in the scene and shares a booth with fellow Londoners Pat Novissimo and Ishy Antiques - both well-renowned antique jewellers. That being said, these shows are always beneficial for traders to expand their contacts. The convention is an exemplar in ‘work hard, play hard’. Once you’ve talked yourself hoarse with the attendees, the traders go for dinner and drinks most nights to make the most of the vibrant Miami nightlife.

All in all, the show has been a massive success for Sullivan. It is always rewarding for him to talk to attendees about their shared love for jewellery, and many walked out happy, taking our pieces home with them. ‘I also got to make lots of new contacts, which is really what the show is all about’, he says.

There were many interesting finds. Some sold immediately at the show, such as these.

However, there is still plenty that made it back to the UK! 

Check out our Miami finds

Antique Old Cut Diamond Floral Brooch

Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Two-Stone Filigree Ring

Edwardian 2.70 Carat Three-Stone Diamond Ring

Art Deco Ruby and Diamond Two-Stone Ring

Victorian Ruby Diamond and Enamel Cockatrice

Mid Century Three-Stone Carre Cut Diamond Ring

If you have any questions, then feel free to contact us using the below methods.

Telephone : 0800 689 5265
Email : sales@thevintagejeweller.co.uk
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thevintagejeweller/?hl=en