From Lace to Jewelry

Gilded Lace jewelry is authentic vintage lace that we find at flea markets, estate sales and antique stores in the Unites States, France, Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain. The types of lace used include Guipure, Calais Puy-en-Velay, Valenciennes, and an American version of Valenciennes known as Raschel. These are intricate bobbin laces, dating as far back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each piece is dipped in silver or gold, so it's solidified into jewelry.

At Gilded Lace, we highly value making ethical and responsible jewelry. We repurpose the lace, so it needn't be in great condition when it is transformed into jewelry. After carefully studying the design motifs, we cut and shape small sections. Each piece is taken to a Brooklyn plant for metalization. The plant, which has been in business for over 100 years, has a minute ecological footprint, with a contained water system, its own power production, and a strict policy to send none of its waste to a landfill.

Below is a step-by-step demonstration of how our jewelry is created. The example we use is the Dorothy cuff, made out of 1940s warp-knit Raschel lace, which had been designed and produced by Wiener Laces in New York (a company that's still in existence) and was used in lingerie manufacturing.

Once we have found the perfect lace for a bracelet, we place an acrylic pattern on top and mark the lace carefully.