Because sometimes the best things have already had a life.
There is something slightly odd about the phrase "pre-loved".
It sounds like something a marketing department came up with after deciding that "second-hand" wasn't sufficiently glamorous.
But I actually really like the idea behind it.
Because that's exactly what these pieces are. They have been loved before. They've been worn, admired, taken out for evenings, possibly forgotten about in jewellery boxes and, eventually, found their way to me.
And I think that's rather lovely.
My Pre-Loved Collection is a little different from the rest of RainbowRegalia. These aren't pieces I've made from scratch. They're vintage and previously owned jewellery that I've found, fallen for and decided deserves another outing.
And I'm a firm believer that jewellery shouldn't have to be brand new to be special.
Why buy something that's already had a life?
Well, for starters, you get things you simply can't buy new anymore.
Take the Vintage Murano Glass Millefiori Necklace, for example. It's a beautiful piece of vintage Italian glass jewellery with those unmistakable millefiori patterns that make every piece feel like a tiny work of art.
Or the 1980s Rémy Dis Paris Y-Drop Statement Necklace.
This is exactly the sort of thing I love finding. It's properly 1980s, properly dramatic and absolutely not interested in quietly blending into the background. It has its original vintage character and even a tiny missing rhinestone that I've made sure is clearly mentioned in the description. Because pre-loved doesn't mean pretending something is perfect. It means appreciating what it is.
Then there's the Vintage Argento Sterling Silver Double Disc Pendant Necklace. Simple, silver and very wearable, but with that lovely feeling you get from a piece that has been around for a while.
And if you're after something with a bit more colour, there's the Vintage 1960s French Glass Statement Necklace that has maybe dangled over a smoky Paris stage in ’68, taking in the full, glorious chaos of Serge Gainsbourg.
None of these pieces could be described as mass-produced fast fashion.
And that's rather the point.
It's better for the planet
I'm not going to pretend that buying one second-hand necklace is going to save the planet.
But keeping something that's already been made, rather than buying something new, is a sensible place to start.
The jewellery already exists.
The materials have already been extracted. The manufacturing has already happened. The original packaging, transport and production have already happened.
Buying it again doesn't require all of that to happen for a second time.
That's one of the reasons I love working with vintage and pre-loved pieces. I'm much happier giving something that already exists another life than watching perfectly good jewellery sit forgotten in a drawer or, worse, end up being thrown away.
It's the same principle behind the vintage beads and pendants I use in my own jewellery. I spend a lot of time looking through charity shops and similar places for things that I think still have something to give.
Sometimes they're beautiful.
Sometimes they're weird.
Occasionally they're both.
And then there's the quality
There's also something to be said for jewellery that's already stood the test of time.
Some of the pieces in the Pre-Loved Collection are decades old.
The Balinese Woven Sterling Silver Bracelet is another favourite. It's beautifully made and has the sort of craftsmanship that makes you wonder why we don't see more of it.
And then there's the Artesano Madrid Medusa Necklace, a relatively modern pre-loved piece but a particularly good find. It's one of only 250 made, comes with its original presentation box and is in exceptionally good condition.
That's one of the great things about buying pre-loved.
You can sometimes find something genuinely unusual for considerably less than you might expect.
The Vintage Greek Key Opal Ring in my collection is currently reduced too, and it's a particularly good example of why I love vintage jewellery. It's sterling silver, has a Greek Key design and an absolutely gorgeous opal inlay. It's already lived one life and is perfectly ready for another.
You're not just buying jewellery
This is probably the bit I like most.
When you buy something pre-loved, you're buying a little bit of its history.
You don't necessarily know where it has been. You don't know who wore it, where they wore it or why they eventually decided to part with it.
And I like that.
There's something much more interesting about wearing a necklace that has already been somewhere than one that has just come off a production line.
Maybe it was bought on holiday.
Maybe it was a present.
Maybe someone wore it every Christmas for twenty years.
Maybe it spent thirty years at the back of a jewellery box waiting for someone to rediscover it.
And now it's yours.
Pre-loved doesn't mean second best
I think this is the most important thing.
Buying pre-loved shouldn't feel like settling for something because you couldn't afford the new version.
Sometimes the pre-loved version is the better version.
It's more unusual. It's better made. It has character. It has history.
And nobody else is likely to walk into the room wearing exactly the same thing.
That's certainly true of the pieces I choose for RainbowRegalia. I don't want the Pre-Loved Collection to feel like a jumble sale where I've simply put a price on anything that looked vaguely interesting.
I'm looking for the good stuff.
The unusual stuff.
The stuff that makes me stop and think, Oh, that's lovely.
And then, usually, I have to have it.
So, should you give pre-loved a go?
Yes.
Obviously I'm going to say yes. I have a whole collection of it.
But genuinely, next time you're looking for jewellery, have a look at what's already out there before automatically buying something brand new.
You might find a piece of 1980s French jewellery.
A vintage Murano necklace.
A piece of sterling silver.
An old ring with an extraordinary opal.
Something made in Bali.
Something that was probably somebody's favourite piece once upon a time.
And if you're lucky, it might become yours.
Because old isn't necessarily old-fashioned.
Sometimes old is just another word for good enough to keep.
And I think we could all do with a bit more of that.
Take a look at the RainbowRegalia Pre-Loved Collection here.
Who knows? Your next favourite piece might already have a story.
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