The Archive

The House Journal. Essays on Taste, Craft, and Collecting.

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Is solid gold jewelry worth it? How to build a capsule wardrobe around one piece. Wearable sculpture, fine art jewelry, and the making of heirloom jewelry. Plus ancient symbols of protection, and Egyptian amulets. All found here.

Journal Archive
Frank Sinatra wearing his family crest signet ring on the little finger, one piece worn daily

The One-Piece Philosophy: Building a Capsule Je...

There is a person you have seen, in Lisbon or New York or at a dinner that ran long in someone’s garden. Dressed simply — linen, black, nothing loud —...

The One-Piece Philosophy: Building a Capsule Je...

There is a person you have seen, in Lisbon or New York or at a dinner that ran long in someone’s garden. Dressed simply — linen, black, nothing loud —...

Gold marquise diamond commission worn on hand against lavender silk, a custom pendants and rings house

Is 18k Solid Gold Jewelry Worth It? The Case fo...

There is a question every thoughtful jewelry buyer eventually asks, usually with a piece open in one browser tab and its price in another: is solid gold jewelry actually worth...

Is 18k Solid Gold Jewelry Worth It? The Case fo...

There is a question every thoughtful jewelry buyer eventually asks, usually with a piece open in one browser tab and its price in another: is solid gold jewelry actually worth...

Pair of gold armbands, ca. 200 BCE, Hellenistic Greece, the sculptural gold tradition behind wearable sculpture

Wearable Sculpture: Why the World's Turning Bac...

For a decade, the fashion of fine jewelry was the art of disappearing. Thin chains, whisper-set stones, the barely-there piece you could layer beneath a collar and forget you were...

Wearable Sculpture: Why the World's Turning Bac...

For a decade, the fashion of fine jewelry was the art of disappearing. Thin chains, whisper-set stones, the barely-there piece you could layer beneath a collar and forget you were...

Jeweler setting stones in a custom commission ring at the bench, one of a kind engagement ring in progress

The Piece That Exists Only Once: Commissioning ...

There is a particular kind of jewelry that no shop window can offer: the piece made for one person, drawn from one story, that will never be repeated. It is...

The Piece That Exists Only Once: Commissioning ...

There is a particular kind of jewelry that no shop window can offer: the piece made for one person, drawn from one story, that will never be repeated. It is...

Ancient Egyptian relief of a hand grasping an ankh by its loop, the carved symbol of eternal life

Exploring the Significance of Egyptian Amulets

The civilization of the Nile Valley left behind monumental pyramids, intricate hieroglyphs, and a rich legacy of spiritual beliefs. However, some of their most powerful secrets were small enough to...

Exploring the Significance of Egyptian Amulets

The civilization of the Nile Valley left behind monumental pyramids, intricate hieroglyphs, and a rich legacy of spiritual beliefs. However, some of their most powerful secrets were small enough to...

custom amora adera engagement ring for client

How to Give an Heirloom: Choosing a Jewelry Gif...

The most memorable gifts are rarely the most expensive ones. They are the ones that mean something: the object that seems to know the person it was given to, and...

How to Give an Heirloom: Choosing a Jewelry Gif...

The most memorable gifts are rarely the most expensive ones. They are the ones that mean something: the object that seems to know the person it was given to, and...