The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
All About #GeorgianJanuary
The social media trend has become a favorite among antique jewelry dealers.

Recently, a hashtag on my Instagram feed caught my eye: #GeorgianJanuary.
It was popping up underneath posts of rings and brooches from some of my favorite antique jewelry accounts, like @TheMoonstoned, @MaeJeanVintage, @lady_lovelies_curio and @elizabethroseantiques.
The hashtag was coined by @dames_a_la_mode—IRL, Taylor Shelby—owner of Washington D.C.-based Dames a la Mode, a company that creates Georgian-style costume jewelry for “historical costumers, re-enactors, museums, movies and film,” Shelby said.
Shelby is an excellent historical costumer herself, and created her Instagram in 2015 to share not only her costume jewelry, but also her historical costuming projects and inspiration images from different periods.
In 2016 she launched #GeorgianJanuary, a daily challenge in which she asked her Instagram community to post images pertaining to the Georgian era that fit a different theme, one for each day of the month.
“They can be really specific,” Shelby explained, “like ‘necklace’ or really broad like ‘inside.’”
The themes are open to any aspect of Georgian life but many are a particularly good fit for jewelry, such as “blues” and “pastels,” and are embraced by antique aficionados and dealers.
Currently in its third year, the #GeorgianJanuary hashtag currently is linked to more than 7,500 posts.
“I love the Georgian Era and spend a lot of time doing research on the jewelry, costumes and general history from that time period,” said Shelby of her initial inclination to start the hashtag and challenge. “I wanted a way to find others out there in Instagram-land who felt the same. January is always such a bleak time for me because all of the fun of the holidays are over, so I thought it would be a great time of year to spend looking at pretty things.”
Elizabeth Potts, creator of online and New York City by-private-appointment antique jewelry company The Moonstoned, appreciates the camaraderie of the hashtag.
“We are all nerds, critics, historians, preservers and torch-bearers to bring awareness to the beauty of heirlooms,” she said of the antique jewelry community. “In a time where so much jewelry is mass-produced and bought without thought, I hope that #GeorgianJanuary makes people think a little more about their jewelry and what it means to hold onto something that could generate feelings and memories for another 300-plus years.”
Potts counts the Georgian era as one of her favorites for jewelry because of its “sentimentality and incredible level of detail,” noting the prevalence of
Elizabeth Rose of Elizabeth Rose Antiques, which sells both online on RubyLane.com and at a stand at the Grays Antiques Market in London, also remarked on the emotional aspect of jewelry that exemplifies the Georgian period.
Beyond mourning jewelry, she said that themes centered on love and jewelry that functioned as keepsakes and love tokens were extremely popular. These include cameos and portrait rings and brooches, as well as acrostic jewelry, jewelry that spells out messages according to the first letter of a particular gemstone (the most famous example of this is a “Dear” ring, featuring a diamond, emerald, amethyst and ruby.)
Potts said that the use of closed-back settings for diamonds and gemstones is a technical hallmark of the period. “Diamonds, garnets, agates and other gemstones were often placed in their settings with a thin piece of metal or ‘foil’ backing it to help the light reflect through the stone,” she said. “Open settings weren’t really used quite yet. Over time, the backings have mostly oxidized to create this really breathtaking, moody look to the diamonds.”
Rose added that "paste diamonds" (hand-cut glass) and gemstones, particularly in rivière necklaces and girandole earrings, old-cut and rose-cut diamonds, flat-cut garnets, pearls, imperial and pink topaz, and coral were all frequently utilized.
“We see absolutely top-of-the-top craftsmanship with very finely handmade pieces of art,” she said.
Several dealers with whom I spoke via phone and e-mail referenced the quality of Georgian jewelry, particularly the pieces in fine condition today.
Potts explained, “These pieces were all painstakingly made by expert hands without power tools, without electricity, without stores where you can order bits and pieces. Just think about that for a second before you look Georgian jewelry up. They are absolutely achingly beautiful works of art.”
The #GeorgianJanuary hashtag succeeded in converting this Instagram-user to a devotee of the era, at least in terms of jewelry. As February tends to rival January in dullness, might I suggest @Dames_a_la_Mode make #VictorianFebruary a thing?
The Latest

The pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.

The New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

The latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.


The new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.

Participants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

The investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.

Smith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.

The counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.

The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Casio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.

Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.

Originally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.

Allison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.

The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.

Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

The board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.