E L L A X N K E

Q1. A/S/L?

27 – Young enough to make mistakes and old enough to know better…most of the time. Proud, Loud Woman. Ripping the LES of Manhattan since 2010.

Q2. Star sign, Moon sign, Moon stone ?

I’m a Cancer through and through, baby. I wonder if being a Water Sign has had anything to do with my obsession of the Moon. Probably… Anyway, Moonstones are a “Goddess stone” associated with intuition, femininity and balance; all things that i think we need to be more in touch with and be empowered by. Yes, even gents.

Q3. You are a desert girl, talk to me about where you grew up and how this has inspired your work ?

I grew up in the deep deserts of New Mexico, a teeny tiny no-where town on the Mexican border. You had to drive for 60 miles to get anywhere. As kids, my Mom would take us on trips to neighbouring towns where local Native American tribes would set up their blankets on the weekends and sell things that they had made. Hand woven baskets, silver & turquoise jewelry, pottery, beaded purses, dried herbs smoking in bowls…all of it was so beautiful and full of Tradition. As i got older i spent time studying silver smithing and later became a Metal Smith myself. Being surrounded by such an intense sense of culture, I learned to appreciated things not just because they were beautiful, but because they were made beautifully and with purpose.

Q4. How do you find living in New York City, compared to the desert? how do you stay true to your roots?

I drink a lot of Tequila. I kid, i kid. I love this city. I feel like i found myself here, you know ? You have to get out of your comfort zone to really and truly know what you are capable of, and what you’re made of. I moved here when i was 20 and thought i knew it all (what 20 year old doesn’t). I was running head first into everything and embracing every experience with total abandon, but the city teaches you to be a little more protective of yourself. You have to stop and listen to how you feel and make better, good-selfish choices, because if you don’t look out for yourself, no one will. But i feel like i also have a leg up coming from the Desert, because being alone is something that feels goods. You have so much beautiful SPACE in the desert, and it’s so quiet… you have this peace that you carry with you everywhere you go. When i feel like the city is getting to me i pull into that Peace Space. I also try and get out of the city as much as i can to be able to listen to myself better. Its probably time for another Southwest Roots trip now that i think about it….

Q8. How and where do you source these pieces from ? Do you work with any collectors or other buyers ?

If i told you I’d have to kill you, obviously.

Q9. What’s the process of selecting jewelry for your online store ? Is there anything specific you look for, or is this more of a personal exploration for you ?

I feel like i have the best job in the world because I’m essentially a full time Pirate, always hunting for booty, uh i mean treasure. I’m always paying attention to what people like and what they are asking for. My people really especially like moon conversion necklaces, which are a real devil to find I’ll tell you that much. But i also just really get these feelings about pieces and i have to have them. I find that my instinct is (almost) always right, even if i have to hold onto one for a year before it sells. That’s why the history and the story are so important to me, because it makes each ring or necklace personal. What’s better than that ?

Q10. What’s your favorite piece of Jewelry, Why ?

I’m going to sound like a total cheeseball, but my engagement ring is my favorite piece of jewelry i own. Pottsy (aka my Main Man aka my Love Doctor) went out and found this ring without even once letting on to what he was up to, which would be pretty intimidating if you wanted to propose to a gal who does jewelry for a living. But he trusted himself and trusted in me, which is what this whole love thing is about, isn’t it ? He chose something that he felt like represented ME and also something that he wanted to feel good seeing on my hand every single day. He inspired me to start doing engagement ring consultations for other fellas who might just need a little help getting started in the right direction.

Q5. Each piece online is unique in its own way, talk me through the reasons why antique jewelry is your focus ?

Oh Damn, where do i start? You know how you meet all these people everyday, in all these situations and they all start to blend together, right ? they all look the same, they sounds the same, they talk about the same things. And then you meet SOMEONE, who is just different somehow. They sparkle in a different way and you are inexplicably drawn to them. That’s how i feel about antique jewelry. I get so tired of seeing the same shit all the time, the giant diamond ring or that pair of designer earrings every other chickadee has. Give me a break; I want something that no one else has, something that has a history and a story to tell! I want to wear something that has previous lives and has seen more than i can even imagine. I want to have something with depth, with charm, something that’s crazy unique. It’s not about what it looks like, it’s about how it feels.

Elizabeth’s Favorite:

Stone: Moonstone

Book: Letters to Penthouse. I’m kidding, kinda. I’ll go with The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding. I own one that was published in 1875 and its one of my favorite things ever. Early satire at it’s best.

Album: Barry White, Let the Music Play 1976. I mean, come on. He’s the smoothest.

Place: Sedona, AZ

Word: TOAST

Person: My Mom. But not in that “oh, I love my Mom” kind of way. She’s actually the best human being I know and I would bet probably on the entire planet.

Q6. What are a couple of things to note when buying someone a piece of antique jewelry ?

Make sure it’s not fake, note numero uno. Do just a little bit of research or give me a call, I’ll sort that shit out for you. Secondly, TRUST yourself. When you’re buying someone a gift, you’re really trying to say something about that person. It’s not about how much money you spend, or the designer or whatever, its about your relationship / friendship. Victorian jewelry, especially has a sentimental aspect to it, so i try and write a little something about each piece and what it meant in that era. No one is going to be disappointed when you gift them a piece of history with a story you can tell them. And if they do, you tell that materialistic Jill or Jack to hit the road.

Q7. All these pieces have their own little history, has one specific piece resonated with you personally, and why?

I’m forever falling in love with new pieces i come across, it’s definitely the bittersweet about this job. There was one that just killlllllllled me when i sold it. It’s called a “posey ring”, which is a simple gold band with a short inscription or poem written on the inside of it. These typically date from the 16 and 1700’s and can be incredibly sweet and sentimental. This particular one read “If ne’er more we meet: god nite”. First off, the OG English spelling already has my heart, and then all i could imagine was some love stricken boy falling in love with a girl he sees across a room. Maybe he made this for her and had to figure out a way to get it to her in secret, because dating was mad strict and women were still being married off for property and status (ugh).

Somehow, that ring with that sweet sentiment meant something special to the wearer, because it survived 300+ years without being lost or melted down for scrap. I still think about that ring and am keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect posey ring to keep in my personal collection to pass down.