A blog about vintage fashion, vintage jewels and art.....

Thursday, November 24, 2011

How do I....? Lady Melbourne on her Collection of Jewellery



Welcome to the second in the series of 'How do I...?'. Our second guest on FairyFiligree is Phoebe Montague, alias Lady Melbourne. FairyFiligree asked her about her abundant collection of jewellery, how she stores it, what she collects.... Read on...

How many pieces of jewellery do you reckon you own?
PM. I don't think I could put an actual figure on it, but it would be in the hundreds.


What do you prefer wearing on a day to day basis.. modern, vintage, fine costume or just about anything that takes your fancy?
PM. I always lead my outfits with my accessories, so really its about how I feel and the occasion on the day. If it calls for fine jewellery then so be it, otherwise it's about how I'm feeling and what suits my mood.


Where and how do you store your jewellery items? 
PM. As I had my own accessories label for seven years, I have a lot of storage!! For the things that are put away in storage I use strong cardboard boxes. Any fine jewellery, for example Chanel, is kept in its original box and I also have a large pin board with what I tend to wear 'day-to-day.' I also have a cube bookcase where I keep my cuffs, larger pieces of jewellery and the shoes that I wear on a daily/weekly basis. 


What is the quirkiest jewellery holder/box/container that you own?
PM. I don't know about quirky but I bought a bookcase just to hold my jewellery. Enough said really!


What is the most effective way of storing jewellery?
PM. It depends on how and what you want to store. For fine jewellery, store in  its original box out of direct sunlight. I like a good large pin board so that I can see what I might wear on a daily basis.




What do you do to ensure jewellery items do not get damaged in storage?
PM. Wrap in tissue paper and individual boxes. 


How do you remember what you have - is there a method by which you store/organise your jewellery?
PM. I'm obsessed with jewellery and accessories and I know where each and every piece is stored from memory. Don't ask me where to find the TV remote though!


What is your favouite jewellery item at the moment?
PM. My current favourite item and one I've been wearing for about a year is a large Turkish statement coin necklace that I bought on Sydney Rd in Brunswick for $40. People stop me in the street when I wear it wanting to know where I bought it. In fact I'm wearing it as I type this!




What jewellery item do you specifically collect and how many of that do you own?
PM. I'm not biased, I will collect/buy whatever tickles my fancy at the time.


Is there any particular jewellery item you aspire to possess one day and why?
PM. A vintage art deco diamond engagement ring. Although that has to be bought for me obviously! 



1 comment:

The Pink Monocle said...

The large crystal/lucite ring is absolutely stunning!


The Pink Monocle