One of my favourite things about thrifting is the accidental discovery. Thrifting is a bit like gambling in that you never know when you’re going to get lucky; that unpredictable positive reinforcement is what makes thrifting so much fun (or, you might say, addictive) to dedicated thrifters like myself. But apart from that, I love that the “prize” is ultimately a subjective one. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure … and, sometimes, it’s treasure you didn’t even know you wanted.
Here’s a personal anecdote about that.
I have been loving large, chunky, architectural jewelry for the last year or so – it accents my current aesthetic nicely. It has proven to be a tricky category of accessories because quality tells. The bigger the scale of the pieces, the more obvious that cheap production becomes. And, of course, handmade stuff is pricey. For example, I have been eyeing Adina Mills pieces after Sherry (Save Spend Splurge) posted about her on Instagram. But the supply is limited, sells out quickly, and costs well upwards of $100USD per piece.
I am not sure if I am ready to make that kind of commitment, so I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, I found this piece at Value Village.
It had the right vibe and looked well made, which was my cue for a closer look. I always search for signatures or brand tags on jewelry to help me figure out what I’m looking at. This one was signed “Rafael Canada”.
A 30 second Google search confirmed this was a known vintage jewelry label – enough to make me commit to the $7.99 price tag. At home, I began to do more in-depth research. It runs out that Rafael Alfandary – who signed pieces as Rafael Canada – was a well-known Canadian jewelry designer (originally from the former Yugoslavia) in the 70s and 80s. His pieces were worn by Margaret Trudeau, Mohammed Ali, and Prince among other celebrities. I also learned that the style – which I love, and perfectly encapsulates the aesthetic I am going for with jewelry – is called Brutalist. This is important, because I now have an extra keyword to search when looking for similar stuff online.
I quickly fell in love with a bunch of other Rafael pieces and began hunting for them on eBay and Etsy. The bad news is that inventory is fairly limited and prices aren’t thrift-cheap. The good news is that it’s possible to find pieces under $100CAD. To wit:
This was a very popular design (there is a photo floating online of Prince wearing it at an awards show), and I had to have it – I love the scale of it, the “rough” design, the dark teal Murano glass cabochon. It works so well with my current wardobe, both workwise and casual.
I cannot wait to expand my collection, and it’s given me renewed enthusiasm for the thrill of the (thrift) hunt. Stay tuned for more …
… and please share your didn’t-know-I-needed-it-can’t-live-without-it thrift finds in the comments!
it’s interesting, the pedant looks big in your hand but completely fabulous on. I have a pewter and orange glass pendant which is a bit similar which I love, but it’s quite heavy on so I have to be in the mood! I’m a big Pippa Small fan (I live in the UK) but I’ve never seen her stuff anywhere but retail. I have a bit of a thing about handmade enamel pendants etc – my friends roll their eyes as I find them hard to resist but I love the uniqueness.
Ooh, will have to check that out. This could end up being a dangerous post for my wallet if you guys keep telling me about fab designers …
You may also like some pieces by Christina Rose Jewellery
Her stuff is similar in style to what you have posted.. at least, I love her work.
I’m now hunting for my own Rafael necklace. I love it so!!
I’ve checked her out as well based on your posts. Her stuff is lovely too but I would have to wait for a sale …
The necklace is beautiful! I love the joy that you take in the hunt and in getting dressed. I was starting to put more of an effort in how I look for work. I work in a warehouse so it doesn’t matter how I look. Then my Mother became ill and passed away on 5/20/2019. Now my spark is gone. However, I still enjoy your spark! I enjoy your blog!
Liz | wannabeliz.com
I am so, so sorry to hear about your loss. I cannot imagine what you’re going through; I lost my grandmother 2 years ago and am still processing it. Sending you lots of ❤️
Thank you Adina! Please add me and my Family to your Prayers!
If you enjoy hunting for Brutalist jewelry, check out Carvalhu of Rio. I found a massive molten chrome belt buckle (stones removed but still beautiful) for 50 cents in an art thrift shop. Dutra’s and COPA are other Brazilian Brutalist jewelers from the 70s.
I’ve been eyeing Dutra pieces on eBay. They’re lovely. Gonna have a look for the others, thanks for the reccs.
It’s not a particularly exciting or sexy choice, but I look for clothes and jewelry by banana republic, Ann Taylor, and white house black market. Designer items are fairly hard to come by in my area, and I’m still learning about what I like as far as designer aesthetic. but in regular life, thrift has allowed me to affordably upgrade the quality of my work clothes beyond the target, Walmart, and Ross items that are normally the “budget” choice here.
Banana Republic made especially cute jewelry in the 10 years ago! I have a gorgeous black and white enamel ring from them. The rings came in a size 5! BR had an accessories store right across from there main store in San Francisco. That was years ago though!
BR jewelry from 10 years ago was SO good! I have some of those old pieces too and still love them. Newer stuff I tried in the last 5 years fell apart really quickly. It was a huge disappointment but I stopped looking at their jewelry after that.