From working behind the counter of his family’s Washington, D.C. grocery store to working behind the counter of his own jewelry business, Jacob’s Diamond & Estate Jewelry, Jacob Gipsman has been intrigued by jewelry his whole life. His passion for jewelry started as a young child, when he would rummage through his mom’s jewelry box fascinated by its shining, sparkling contents. His curiosity about jewelry was further piqued by a costume jewelry store owned by the parents of a middle school friend. Then in 1968, Gipsman got his chance to nourish his fascination for jewelry when his family moved to Los Angeles, California. “My mom had a jewelry stand in the back of a smoke shop in the Los Angeles area,” recalls Gipsman. “I would run errands in the jewelry district for her.”
Eventually Gipsman attended the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) where he studied political science. It was around then that he began working with a dealer who had a retail store, J. Herbert Hall Jewelers in Pasadena, which was later bought out by Gordon Brothers. Gipsman worked there for 18 months, then with more knowledge under his belt, he began running booths for dealers in the jewelry district. It was during this time that Gipsman met the person who gave him the life changing advice that set him on the path to opening his own business. “I gave the gentleman in the booth across from me a ride home every evening. He was a little bit older and he liked to talk,” says Gipsman, who started his business in 1984 in the downtown Los Angeles jewelry district. “He told me to get into antique jewelry.” Good advice that Gipsman took.
Always Something New to Learn
While much of Gipsman’s jewelry education has been on the job, he did graduate from the Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) diamond grading course. “In our business you learn something new every day,” comments Gipsman. “That’s what I love about the jewelry business, you learn from clients and other dealers.”
When buying jewelry for inventory, Gipsman asks himself one very important question: “Will this piece make my customer happy?” In addition to that criteria, Gipsman admits to being very discerning in his jewelry choices. He buys pieces that he finds interesting and that he loves. It’s a winning formula, customers return, sometimes looking for a custom order, while others mention how glad they are to have taken Gipsman’s advice on purchasing vintage jewelry. “I want people to love what they buy,” says the dealer. “If someone tries on a piece and I don’t think it will work for them, I say something. I had a couple come to me recently looking for an engagement ring. She tried on a ring that she really loved, but it was too big for her hand so I told her that it wasn’t right for her and she agreed, even though she loved the ring, she didn’t buy it.” Instead says Gipsman, her partner bought her another ring as a gift.
Trust and Communication
What advice does Gipsman have for people who want to purchase vintage jewelry? “Trust the seller,” he advises. “If you meet the person and you jive and communicate well, then you’ve made the right decision to buy from that person.”
Gipsman also notes that before buying a piece of vintage jewelry there are a few things to consider. It’s the details in the making of the piece that will set it apart from other jewelry and make it incredible, he says. When you’re evaluating a piece of jewelry Gipsman suggests looking at the overall appearance of a piece, then look at the back to see how the piece is constructed and how it is finished.
“This is my hobby and my love,” says Gipsman who has been in business for some 40 years and isn’t going anywhere, as his life-long enthusiasm for jewelry continues to be his first love, “I have an extreme passion for jewelry,” he concludes.
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Turquoise and 14-karat gold brooch, converts to pendant, circa 1970s; Vintage yellow and white diamond, pink sapphire and 18-karat blackened gold owl cufflinks; Tahitian pearl, rose quartz, chrysoprase and 18-karat gold necklace, signed Tony Duquette.
Authored by Amber Michelle