Seller Spotlight – Meet Patricia of Desert Earth Jewelry

While I’ve never met Patricia, the owner of Desert Earth in person, we share a mutual love of jewelry, both vintage and contemporary. We became acquainted as sellers on Etsy and I quickly learned she has a marvelous eye for design, both in the vintage jewelry she chooses to sell, as well as in the exquisite work she creates with her own hands.

Take a look at her vintage shop Desert Earth Jewelry, as well as Silver and Earth, featuring her own creations, and I think you’ll agree that Patricia has a talent for both collecting and creating extraordinary jewelry.

How did you become a vintage seller? I starting selling vintage in 2014 when I realized I had accumulated a ton of jewelry after many, many years of buying jewelry for myself. I came to the realization that I couldn’t possibly wear all the pieces I had, so I decided to sell some of them. After selling quite a few pieces from my own collection, I started going to antique shops to find unique pieces to add to my shop’s inventory.

What would you describe as your favorite era and your specialty? It’s really hard to say because I like jewelry from all eras, along with several different styles. But I do have a particular fondness for vintage Native American jewelry–particularly turquoise rings. I don’t have that many in stock right now but hope to find more and add them to my shop in the future.

What is the best thing you’ve ever found and sold? Hmm, it’s hard to pin it down to just one. I’ve sold some of my favorite earrings (from my own collection) and when they sold and it came time to pack them up and ship them out, I thought to myself – “Gee, do I really want to let these go?” But at that point it was too late–they sold! And then I thought about all the jewelry I do have and realized it was time to let them go and let someone else (hopefully) love and appreciate them.  I’m still hoarding some things that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let go of.

What is the greatest challenge of being a vintage seller? Falling in love with just about everything you find and then putting them up for sale. I’ve let go of some things that I absolutely loved.

What is the best thing about being a vintage seller?  Definitely the thrill of the hunt! It’s a whole lot of fun going out to vintage/antique stores and scouring thru lots of old, unique things. You never know what you might find! I think that is what I like the most about vintage things. They have a special, “time-worn” charm and typically there aren’t a million other things out there just like them.

What is the hottest category of vintage for you now? I really don’t have any specific category. I’ve been selling rings, earrings and bracelets. Recently, I decided to go thru my vast collection of belts (I’m a belt lover too) and have collected quite a few over the years. So I decided to try listing a few and have sold several of them. I still have more belts to photograph and list.

What’s something we have in our homes now that vintage buyers will be looking for in twenty years? In my opinion, probably vintage Native American pottery and jewelry, especially turquoise jewelry. A lot of the American turquoise mines have either closed or the turquoise is depleted. So when you do find really nice pieces of turquoise, it keeps going up higher and higher in price. If you see pieces you like it’s best to buy them now because they are going to be worth a lot more in value as time goes on. I know this first hand too, because I also design, make and sell jewelry, so I’m always on the “lookout” for nice, genuine turquoise to use in my designs. I’m shocked as to how much in price it has gone up over the past few years. In addition to jewelry, I also think Native American pottery will be popular. Another weakness of mine! I’ve collected quite a few of those too. And when I watch “Antiques RoadShow,” I see Native American pottery being appraised at a really high value.

What do you collect?  Jewelry and pottery. As I just mentioned above, my house is loaded with pottery. I collect both African and Native American pottery and wall art. I love both styles and surprisingly they blend well together. In addition to the pieces I have bought for myself, my sister travels internationally quite a bit and she has brought me back pottery from Chile, Argentina, Australia, Africa, Europe, etc. I love it all!

Social media links:

Instagram: Desert Earth Jewelry

Vintage Jewelry: Desert Earth Jewelry on Etsy

Handmade Jewelry: Silver and Earth on Etsy

As vintage sellers, the Vintage Unscripted team is part of a community of like-minded individuals and are pleased to support our fellow dealers. If you enjoy this new Seller Spotlight feature, please support these sellers by following them on social media and purchasing from their shops.