Past Era Antique Jewelry, Marion Glober’s Houston-based store, recently relocated from a large mall to a freestanding building that she describes as “open, airy, light and bright.” It’s only her third move in 38 years in business, but she says the new shop is exactly what she wanted to highlight her collection. She opened her first store in Honolulu in 1973, and relocated to Houston in 1993, when her husband’s career took them to Texas.
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Lacy Edwardian platinum, diamond and pearl brooch with scalloped edge, circa 1910. Courtesy Past Era Antique Jewelry.
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Growing Up with Jewelry
Jewelry has always been an integral part of her life, Glober says. Her father was a manufacturing jeweler in London, and one of her early memories is sitting on the floor of his walk-in safe, playing with pieces of scrap jewelry. After her father’s death, her mother took over the business, which designed and manufactured jewelry for some of London’s top retail shops. It was in this environment that Glober developed a love and appreciation for jewelry, as well as a discerning eye for the best-made pieces.
Unlike some estate dealers who look for jewelry with big names, Glober says she doesn’t particularly seek out signed pieces and stocks few brand-name items unless she can find early examples of those brands. She chooses her jewelry very carefully, always wary of plagiarized designs and damaged or badly repaired pieces.
“I buy wherever I can find beautiful things that will work in my inventory,” she says. After a lifetime in the business, Glober says she has a network of people around the world who source for her. She is the main buyer for the shop, but allows her staff members the flexibility to buy if they see something special.
Past Era contains a broad mix of periods, beginning as early as late seventeenth century pieces — understandably in very limited supply — up to twentieth century designs, some as recent as the 1960s. The inventory includes all jewelry categories and a handful of antique watches. Diamonds figure prominently in many periods, and are especially popular in Edwardian and Art Deco engagement rings.
Diamonds are Forever
Glober says she does offer loose diamonds for some antique mountings, but the diamonds must be “period correct.” She says she has no real preference for color or grade, and offers “anything and everything.” Unlike other retailers who are limited in their color and grade requirements, Glober says antique diamonds with some color can be quite beautiful. As she points out, diamonds didn’t come into their own until the advent of electricity in the early part of the twentieth century and standards for color and clarity were not as stringent as today.
The retailer characterizes her shop as a “fantasyland” for lovers of jewelry and has attracted a loyal following among stylish women, who often come in to play “dress up” with the jewelry. Most of Past Era’s clients are educated about fine jewelry and different period styles. The shop itself is run by Glober and six other women, all of whom share a passion for antique jewelry and are, she says, “very patient and love to share their knowledge.” Two of her staff members are graduate gemologists; others have educational and occupational backgrounds in fine art, history and communications.
One of Glober’s stated goals is to make the jewelry “accessible and unintimidating” to her customers. It is not displayed by period, but by color, material or style. For example, there is a diamond showcase, another for antique silver jewelry and others for colored gemstones and even paste pieces.
Fashion Connection
Glober, who frequently lectures about period jewelry, is also familiar with contemporary fashion trends. “I like to teach groups what we teach across the counter,” she says. That includes how to build a jewelry collection and how to combine and wear estate pieces in a modern, fashionable way. For example, she says the current trend toward a bolder, chunkier look can be achieved by layering and stacking smalle pieces. In the Houston market, Glober says, there is a growing interest in chunky yellow gold jewelry, usually pieces from the 1940s and later.
Past Era maintains a website that serves as a sales arm, as well as an informative venueabout the many periods of antique jewelry. Because each piece is one-of-a-kind, only a small percentage of pieces from her cases can be shown on the site at any one time. “Many of my clients go directly to the site; we update it monthly.” Staff members also send out regular emails about new additions to the store’s inventory.
After almost 40 years of collecting and selling, what are Glober’s favorite pieces? “I have favorites, but my taste is fickle,” she says. The Etruscan revival of the late nineteenth century in yellow gold has long been a favorite, but she also enjoys “funky, quirky jewelry,” such as figural pieces from the nineteenth century, designs with images of little beasts, birds and insects. For example, she owns a pair of silver owl earrings with diamond eyes that attract attention and comment whenever she wears them.
Now that Past Era has a new, larger location, plans are to host in-store events and perhaps a lecture series about antique jewelry. “There’s a sense of joy in sharing my love of things; it’s a happy business because people buy jewelry for romantic reasons. I treat my clients as if they were guests in my home.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - December 2011. To subscribe click here.