Simply take a look at that picture above. For those who’re as intrigued by the glittering hodgepodge of gold chains, bracelets, bits, and bobs as I’m, enable me to elucidate what it’s: a snapshot of the junk pile. At the least that’s what Elisa Casas, aka @chelseagirl.nyc, calls it on her energetic Instagram feed, and stated junk pile is the place she sources a few of her finest classic wonderful jewellery.
I needed to discover out extra—digging via kilos upon kilos of random gold jewellery castoffs actually appears like my concept of heaven. What follows is a recap of what I realized about Casas, her enterprise, and her course of.
First, her title could also be acquainted to any New Yorkers studying this, as Casas has a protracted historical past within the resale style area because the proprietor of three SoHo boutiques. The primary was Chelsea Lady, which opened on Thompson Avenue in November 1993. “I used to be six months pregnant once I opened my little store in SoHo, and, fairly frankly, I didn’t know what I used to be doing,” she says. “However I used to be obsessed with classic clothes and jewellery, and that keenness translated right into a profitable enterprise.” Laurel Canyon (a onetime favourite purchasing hang-out of mine), Clutch!, and Metropolis Lady Café adopted throughout a 17-year interval…till Soho modified. “My arty clientele moved out and vacationers moved in, my shops misplaced their leases and closed one after the other, so I started promoting solely via my web site,” says Casas.
Lower to 2016, when Casas’ daughter Ruby arrange an Instagram account for her. The format suited Casas properly, as she’s a former photojournalist. At the moment, she’s promoting solely via the platform, focusing primarily on vintage gold-and-diamond jewellery, with about 15 to twenty% of her stock plucked from the junk pile.
“It’s such a enjoyable manner of purchasing, and my prospects are actually fascinated by it, so sharing my tales undoubtedly retains my ‘junk pile gang’ engaged and invested,” says Casas. “My prospects inform me that they really feel nice about rescuing heirloom items actually days earlier than they get melted down and misplaced without end. In their very own small manner, they’re preserving little bits of historical past.”
Elisa Casas and her daughter Ruby, looking the junk pile for treasure
As for this newly initiated member of the junk pile gang, I wanted specifics. Like, what’s the junk pile by definition—and extra to the purpose, the place does one discover one?
“What I affectionately name the ‘junk pile’ is extra usually known as a ‘scrap pile,’” says Casas. “There are lots of companies on forty seventh Avenue (and I assume in different cities) that purchase gold, and it’s all thrown into massive, soiled, tangled piles. The scrappers don’t care concerning the high quality of the items, all they care about is the worth of gold. When gold is down, they wait, and when gold goes up, they ship all of it to the melter and make their revenue. In between, sellers like me can rifle via the piles for treasures. Being a treasure hunter all my life and loving the fun of the hunt, I completely adore in search of that needle in a haystack! The items I select are offered by weight, which is manner below retail worth, permitting me to supply particular gadgets to my prospects at cut price costs.”
Not surprisingly, this dingy dragon’s lair of treasures is strictly the area of the jewellery commerce. “The junk pile guys are very strict about getting your organization info, they usually solely take firm checks as cost,” says Casas.
I additionally wished to know: How on earth does one lower via the muddle to search out items price turning over? I distinctly recall experiencing an intense sort of overstimulation and fatigue digging via the clearance racks on the late, nice Century 21 in downtown Manhattan. I can’t think about what a pile of gold jewellery would do to my senses…
“I at all times purchase my merchandise on intuition. If I need it, I assume my prospects do additionally, so in that regard, purchasing within the junk pile is absolutely no completely different than purchasing wherever else. After all, as a vendor, I carry on prime of the developments and I do know what my prospects like. So for instance, I at all times buy San Marco bracelets, which I discover usually, due to their recognition. And chains are all of the sudden scorching, so I at all times search for good ones.”
The key, she says, is to undergo the pile methodically, piece by piece. “It’s really easy to miss one thing particular if you happen to go too shortly. And it’s important to be actually cautious to display screen for situation: Hole gadgets are sometimes dented, rings are out-of-round, and deep file marks (from testing) are frequent. Generally an merchandise simply wants a straightforward restore (like a sequence lacking its clasp), and I’ll take it to my jeweler. Different occasions, I’ve to depart it behind.”
The junk pile is only one arrow in Casas’ quiver—she sources her items from all around the world. “I’ve a supplier in Paris who buys high-end vintage rings for me from all of the public sale homes. I purchase on-line. I’m going to flea markets and auctions. I’ll look wherever and in every single place for a wonderful piece of vintage jewellery.”
However man, does she unearth scorching little numbers among the many rubble. Under, a few of her most memorable finds.
“Occasionally, if the stones are small, the junk pile guys don’t hassle to take away them, which is the perfect!” Casas says. “I hardly ever purchase earrings as a result of my daughter, who has her personal firm, Lady of the Earth, additionally digs within the junk pile and sells them on her web site. However when I discovered certainly one of these within the junk pile,” say says of the earrings beneath, “I prayed to search out the opposite, and I did!”
Retro diamond and ruby earrings
“Jewellery remorse! I didn’t really purchase these: They had been so costly and I didn’t know what I might do with them,” Casas says of the chess items beneath. “However I took a photograph, and once I posted it on Instagram, everybody went loopy. After I went again to get them the subsequent day, they had been gone.”
18k gold chess items
“Despite the fact that I knew it wasn’t superold, I appreciated the standard workmanship, so I purchased it,” Casas says of the bigger ring beneath, on the correct. “After I confirmed it to my buddy Janet, she gasped: It was a designer from the ’70s, whose items hardly ever come to market. Janet was a collector of hers, so I used to be thrilled to present it to her!”
Helen Woodhull rings (the junk pile discover is on the correct)
“This strong gold fob is a murals. Fobs should not actually my factor, however if you discover one thing particular like this, you instinctively know to purchase it. It offered in a single scorching minute.”
Griffin fob
“Snake chain bracelets are a scorching pattern proper now, and consider it or not, the previous ones find yourself within the junk pile fairly ceaselessly. Final week I discovered the heaviest one I ever noticed, but it surely had some kinks, so I took it to my jeweler, and I pray that he can repair it. The beauty of the junk pile is, if you happen to don’t promote it to a buyer, you’ll be able to simply promote it again to them! So, usually I take possibilities on items that I usually wouldn’t purchase.”
Assorted snake chain bracelets
Prime: “What I like most concerning the junk pile is how democratic it’s: There are $10 charms and superheavy items that price hundreds of {dollars},” says Elisa Casas. “And I’ve at all times favored the concept of interesting to a big demographic, providing enjoyable, reasonably priced items together with costly property gadgets.” (All photographs courtesy of @chelseagirl.nyc)
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