Confidence has its own gait.
Swagger is what happens when Western attitude cleans up for the evening. A little bravado, a little polish, and absolutely no need to prove the point. Some things simply know how to walk into a room.
Holland’s miniature sterling spurs began in 1936 as recognition pieces for people considered to have “won their spurs.” The idea was taken surprisingly literally, with fully dimensional spurs, hand engraving, and articulated rowels that actually turn. This chained example carries that bit of Texas bravado into jewelry form, right down to the working hardware.
Details
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Era: Midcentury, circa 1940s to 1950s
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Origin: San Angelo, Texas, USA
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Metal: Sterling silver, acid tested
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Size: Larger spur approximately 1 inch; smaller spur approximately ¾ inch
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Style: Western double pin brooch with chain and articulated spur motifs
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Maker: Holland’s Jewelry
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Hallmarks: HOLLAND, STERLING
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Condition: Light surface wear and patina consistent with age. Articulated spur rowels remain movable. One original small companion pin is missing; the surviving large and small spur pins remain connected by the double chain.
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Styling Notes: Swagger does not require boots. Pin it across a jacket lapel, denim collar, or the pocket of a sharply cut blazer and let the chain find its own line.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Some things never stayed at work.
The original Rocky Mountain Diner staff pins had a habit of leaving with the people who wore them. Cut from silver dollars and prized enough to disappear, they were eventually replaced with a cheaper version. Consider this one successfully off the clock.
The Rocky Mountain Diner opened in downtown Denver in 1990 with the Old West worked right into the room, from saddle-topped bar stools to a menu heavy on Colorado comfort food. The marshal badge fit the vibe. Its openwork star preserved the coin’s reeded edge and gave this staff uniform piece considerably more substance than the job required.
Details
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Era: Vintage, circa 1990s to 2000s
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Origin: Denver, Colorado, USA
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Material: Silver dollar
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Size: Approximately 1½ inches
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Weight: 14.21 grams
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Style: Openwork marshal badge staff pin
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Provenance: Original Rocky Mountain Diner staff pin. According to former employees, the early pins were cut from silver dollars and became sufficiently prized that employees frequently kept them. The diner later switched to a less expensive version.
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Condition: Well kept with surface wear and patina consistent with age and prior use.
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Styling Notes: Keep the Change has already done its time in uniform. Put it on denim, a work jacket, or the lapel of something considerably more expensive and let the badge handle the rest.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Two pictures. Your choice.
By midcentury, even the locket had changed clothes. Gone were the flowers, flourishes and romantic ornament of earlier generations. This one arrived dressed for a new world: graphic, geometric, textured in alternating rhythms of gold. But open it, and the old purpose remains. Two small photographs, carried close.
Made in France and marked Plaqué Or Laminé, Cadence carries a particularly French bit of jewelry history. Or laminé was a quality gold-layer construction, made by mechanically bonding a substantial layer of gold to a base metal rather than depositing the very thin surface layer associated with ordinary electroplating. The result was jewelry made to wear and endure more like gold, which helps explain why the finish on this little locket has survived so beautifully.
Open it and the geometry continues inside, framing two oval spaces for photographs. Both metallic paper photo inserts remain in place.
Details
- Era: Midcentury, stylistically dated c. 1940s–50s
- Origin: France
- Material: Plaqué Or Laminé (French laminated gold)
- Mark: Plaqué Or Laminé
- Measurements: Approx. 7/8 × 3/4 inch
- Interior: Two oval photo compartments with metallic paper inserts
- Condition: Good vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age and a small shallow ding to the center polished panel, as shown. Gold-laminated finish remains very well preserved. Locket opens and closes securely and retains both metallic paper photo inserts.
- Styling Notes: Small enough to layer. Interesting enough not to disappear.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Friendship. Love. Truth. [and Mortality].
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows managed to fit quite a lot of existential philosophy into a very small piece of jewelry.
At its center are the three linked letters FLT — Friendship, Love and Truth — the central principles of Odd Fellowship. The skull and crossbones isn't simply decorative Victorian-era morbidity. Within Odd Fellows symbolism, it served as a memento mori: a reminder of mortality and the temporary nature of earthly life. Friendship, love, truth...and the useful reminder that none of us gets out alive.
Dating to approximately 1900–1920, the fob is richly detailed on both sides, with contrasting enamel surrounding the FLT emblem and an articulated skull-and-crossbones element that moves on its hinge. Originally intended as a watch fob, it translates remarkably well as a pendant today.
Details
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Era: Antique, c. 1900–1920
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Organization: Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)
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Metal: Gold filled
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Materials: Enamel, red glass accents
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Design: Double-sided FLT emblem with articulated skull and crossbones
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Hallmarks: None
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Measurements: Approximately 1¾ × ⅞ inches
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Condition: Very good antique condition with surface wear and patina consistent with age and use. Enamel shows age-related wear visible in photographs. Articulated skull-and-crossbones element remains functional and moves freely on its hinge.
Styling Notes: Originally made as a watch fob, Until Death is ready for its second act as a pendant. Add it to a favorite chain or charm collection and enjoy explaining why your tiny ruby-eyed skull is really about friendship.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
There was one more thing.
Tiny enough to escape notice, Postscript rewards proximity. A diamond star interrupts an otherwise orderly composition, cutting across engraved scrollwork with unexpected confidence. Equal parts keepsake and punctuation mark, it turns a private object into something impossible to overlook.
Created during the transition between the Edwardian and Art Deco periods, Postscript borrows from both without belonging entirely to either. The engraved floral scrollwork and star-set diamond look backward, while the compact square silhouette and striking diagonal division anticipate the cleaner geometry to come. Open the locket and the construction reveals itself with equal care, from the engine-turned interiors to the reverse of the diamond setting itself. Discovery is part of the design.
• Era: Transitional (Edwardian–Art Deco), c. 1915–1925
• Material: 14k yellow gold with white gold/platinum-topped accent
• Stones: One old-cut diamond measuring approximately 3.3 mm (estimated 0.12–0.15 carats)
• Weight: 4.33 grams
• Measurements: Approximately 11/16 inch square
• Style: Two-tone diamond locket
• Hallmarks: None noted
• Condition: Very good antique condition with wear consistent with age and use. The locket opens and closes securely. Light evidence of use is present commensurate with age.
• Styling Notes: The scale makes Postscript remarkably versatile. Wear it alone on a fine chain as an everyday signature, or incorporate it into a collected neck stack where its diamond star and two-tone construction reveal themselves over time.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Today, more than yesterday.
Inspired by a line from Rosemonde Gérard’s beloved poem, “Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain” — today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow — French jeweler Alphonse Augis transformed a literary sentiment into one of the twentieth century’s most enduring love tokens. Rather than engraving the full phrase, Augis distilled it to its essence: + qu’hier − que demain. A promise not of perfection, but of continuation.
Crafted in 18k yellow gold, this substantial French love medal is accented with five diamonds and three calibré-cut rubies set into the symbolic plus and minus signs. The textured ground catches the light with a radiant finish, while the generous 1-inch scale gives it real presence worn alone or layered with modern chains. Collectible, deeply wearable, and unmistakably French, the Augis love medal remains one of the most recognizable expressions of devotion in vintage jewelry.
Details
- Era: c. 1950s
- Origin: France
- Maker: Augis
- Metal: 18k yellow gold
- Stones: 5 diamonds; 3 calibré-cut rubies
- Markings: Signed Augis; French eagle head mark for 18k gold
- Measurements: Approximately 1 inch diameter
- Weight: 5.86 grams
- Condition: Very good vintage condition with light evidence of wear consistent with age and use, including minor wear to the bail and a faint impression to the reverse visible only on close inspection.
- Styling Notes: A French icon. Wear it on a fine gold chain as an everyday signature, or stack it among mixed-era favorites for a look that feels collected rather than coordinated. Equally suited to denim and a white tee as it is to life’s more meaningful occasions.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
For what mattered most.
Practicality has always had its own elegance. Le Carnet offered its first owner a beautifully appointed place for the details of everyday devotion: a photograph carefully trimmed to fit, a note folded into quarters, the names and reminders that accompanied a life fully lived. More than ornament, it was designed to participate in the day.
Originally worn as a watch fob, the substantial gold-filled locket retains its swivel dog clip and generously proportioned interior compartments. Everything about its construction speaks to function, yet the maker couldn’t resist embellishment. The front swells with an extravagant repoussé motif, while the reverse erupts into a dramatic starburst. Practicality may have dictated its purpose. Personality shaped its final form.
Details
• Era: Victorian, c. 1900–1915
• Origin: Paris, France
• Material: Gold Filled
• Size: Chain approx. 14 1/4 inches; locket approx.1 1/4 x 7/8 inches
• Style: Watch chain fob necklace / box locket necklace
• Hallmarks: None found
• Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate wear. Swivel dog clip functions properly. Interior compartments remain intact and ready once again for photographs or keepsakes. Surface wear consistent with age is present upon close inspection.
• Styling Notes: Wear Le Carnet as a statement piece on its own or layered with longer chains and charms. The substantial proportions and original hardware make it equally compelling to collectors of antique watch chains and those drawn to jewelry with a previous life.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Time was part of the design.
The symbolism was hardly hidden. Hearts appear across every panel of the bracelet, framed by flowers and rendered in raised silverwork that catches the light from every angle. Whatever message the maker intended, subtlety was not part of the plan. More than a century later, the design still endures.
Crafted in Continental 800 silver, this bracelet dates to approximately 1895–1910. Octagonal panels feature repoussé hearts framed by scrolling botanical forms, joined by flower-form connectors that create movement across the wrist. The combination of dimensional silverwork, pierced details, and repeating motifs gives the bracelet remarkable presence, while the substantial width makes it as visually striking today as it would have been at the turn of the century.
Details
• Era: Victorian, c. 1895–1910
• Origin: Continental Europe
• Material: 800 Silver (a silver standard commonly used throughout Continental Europe, containing 80% silver)
• Length: Approximately 7 1/4 inches
• Width: Approximately 1 inch
• Style: Repoussé panel bracelet
• Hallmarks: Marked 800 and AE
• Condition: Clean antique condition with light surface wear consistent with age. Repoussé details remain crisp and well defined throughout. Clasp functions securely.
• Styling Notes: A strong standalone piece that needs little accompaniment. Pairs beautifully with antique silver, Victorian lockets, and modern tailoring alike, but is equally compelling worn on its own.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Not everything was as straightforward as it appeared.
Long before special effects, there were objects like this. A polished sphere of rock crystal, suspended from a chain, capable of turning the world upside down with nothing more than light and physics. Victorian jewelers called them pools of light, and more than a century later they retain much of the same fascination.
Carved from a polished sphere of rock crystal and suspended within a simple antique mounting, this Victorian pendant creates the optical inversion effect that gave pool of light jewelry its name. As light passes through the crystal, objects beyond the sphere appear reversed and transformed. Unadorned by elaborate metalwork, the crystal remains the focus, allowing the remarkable properties of the stone to take center stage.
Details
• Era: Victorian, c. 1880–1900
• Materials: Rock crystal with antique metal mounting
• Size: Approximately 3/4 inch diameter
• Style: Pool of Light pendant
• Hallmarks: None observed
• Condition: Clean antique condition with light wear consistent with age. Rock crystal remains smooth and displays the characteristic optical inversion effect associated with period pool of light jewelry. Mounting shows expected age-related wear.
• Styling Notes: Striking worn alone on a fine chain, watch chain, or layered among other antique charms and talismans. The crystal’s optical effect makes it an instant conversation piece for collectors and the merely curious alike.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
Several concerns were raised.
Crafted in gold fill and set with pink stones, this vintage lion pendant carries a surprising amount of character in a remarkably small scale. Cabochon eyes and a faceted stone held between parted jaws bring warmth and expression to the sculpted lion’s face, while the softly worn gold surface gives the piece the feeling of a long-kept personal talisman. Equal parts guardian, mascot, and conversation starter, it’s the sort of charm that tends to choose its wearer.
Details
• Era: Vintage, c. 1950s–1970s
• Material: Gold Filled (tested)
• Stones: Pink cabochon eyes and faceted pink mouth stone
• Size: Approximately 3/4 x 1/2 inch
• Style: Lion pendant / talisman charm
• Hallmarks: None
• Condition: Vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age. There is visible wear and patina to the gold-filled surface along the lower right side of the lion’s chin and jaw, visible in photographs. Stones remain secure.
• Styling Notes: Wears beautifully on a fine chain, watch chain necklace, charm stack, or layered among personal talismans and collected objects.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
The first time you see it, it doesn't quite look real.
The Cadet Chapel belongs to a short list of buildings that architecture people cannot stop talking about. The proportions. The optimism. The audacity of it. More than sixty years after its completion, it still looks like it arrived from somewhere slightly ahead of schedule.
This sterling silver charm captures the unmistakable silhouette of the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, one of the most celebrated works of American Midcentury Modern architecture. Designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 1962, the chapel remains a landmark of architectural optimism, engineering ambition, and sculptural design. Despite its tiny scale, the geometry is instantly recognizable. A miniature monument to one of the most iconic buildings of the modern era.
Details
• Era: Midcentury, c. 1960s–1970s
• Material: Sterling Silver
• Motif: USAF Cadet Chapel
• Size: Approximately 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
• Hallmarks: Marked Sterling; "Cadet Chapel USAF Academy" on reverse
• Origin: United States
• Style: Architectural charm / souvenir charm
• Condition: Clean vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
A more formal era for emotional complications.
By the late Victorian era, people had become remarkably skilled at disguising emotional intensity beneath good manners, structured clothing, and carefully managed social rituals. Mourning lockets and hair jewelry allowed certain attachments to remain physically close without requiring public explanation. Tiny objects, yes. Rarely small feelings.
This Victorian gold filled mourning hair locket features a softly domed center framed by intricate floral repoussé work and a delicate twisted border, all rendered at a scale small enough to feel genuinely private. The interior retains the shallow enclosed compartment typical of hair lockets from the period, designed to hold a physical remembrance rather than a photograph. Today, it reads less like overt mourning jewelry and more like evidence that people have always found elegant ways to carry emotional complications around with them.
Details
- Era: Late Victorian to Early Edwardian, c. 1890s–1910s
- Material: Gold Filled
- Hallmarks: None observed
- Size: Approx. 3/4 inch diameter
- Style Notes: Especially compelling layered alongside heavier chains where the small scale feels intentional rather than delicate
- Condition: Good antique condition with visible age wear throughout, including light impressions to the reverse side from long-term wear and use. Interior compartment and hinge remain intact and functional.
Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.
Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr signature wrapping, ready for gifting or keeping entirely for yourself.
Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.
