Tiina Smith has always had an eye for the finer details in life, but it wasn’t until she went through a major career reroute that she began to lean into that keen eye. After leaving her career on Wall Street, she took the valuable skills and knowledge she obtained and applied them to a completely different pursuit--vintage jewelry curation.

Through Tiina Smith Vintage and Exceptional Jewels, she wants to spread her love for high-quality design to the masses. She aims to disseminate the importance of investing in yourself, and, although the types of investments that she now endorses may look different, she maintains that education still lies at the heart of it all. For her, all that glitters really is gold, as her pieces are not only gorgeous accessories but works of art that will grow in value over time.

We at PhotoBook sat down with Tiina Smith to discuss her career shift, how she curates her fabulous pieces, and how sustainability and history play a part in her curation process.

What led you to shift from working on Wall Street to the fashion and jewelry world?
I left Wall Street when my children were born and spent my energies enjoying raising them and doing board work in healthcare, sports, and education. After they became self-sufficient, I founded Tiina Smith Vintage and Exceptional Jewels. I had been a collector of vintage jewelry for several decades, and I wanted to share my knowledge about curating a special collection of unique signed pieces by the master jewelers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Managing a money-making portfolio of stocks and putting together an interesting collection of vintage jewels employs many of the same steps. First, one must set the overall strategy of the portfolio or, in our case, the aesthetic for the collection. Ours is feminine with lots of color and a focus on design-centric pieces, which often have a unique aspect such as an interesting clasp or they are convertible to other “looks,” or are made of a rare material like Paraiba or padparadscha.

Next, comes the rigorous analysis. What is the best airline stock for this client or, in our case, what is the best Retro bracelet that offers a high level of interest, craftsmanship, and value to the client? Diversification is important. We offer a diverse collection of pieces from different eras and by various makers, made from various materials, all of which fall under our general aesthetic. Finally, portfolios and collections contain a bit of risk or, in our case, whimsy.

We even have a Michele della Valle orange sapphire and brown diamond gecko pin. It has a great personality.

What do you look for when curating your gorgeous pieces? Are there certain qualities that really make something stand out to you?
We focus on offering hand-crafted, beautiful pieces made by the master jewelers of the 20th and 21st centuries including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Boucheron, Chopard, David Webb, and many more. We can source pieces for clients from our network of private collectors, dealers, jewelry houses, and auctioneers all over the world. We offer vintage jewelry that retails for $5k to one million dollars. Even though $5k is a lot of money, we encourage people interested in vintage jewelry to learn and save up for a piece that really matters to them. We also just started offering vintage bridal items, including beautiful old diamonds as well as colored stones. Just like the rest of our collection, we do bridal with a focus on the unique and one-of-a-kind.

We look for feminine pieces with lots of color. Many of our jewels are one-of-a-kind or one of a limited series. We have pieces that are not available elsewhere. Pieces that are rare by the top makers from their best periods are magical. For example, at the moment we have two unique pieces by Bulgari that were made in the 1960s, which was their Dolce Vita period, and considered by many, including Elizabeth Taylor, to be one of their finest periods.

How does your personal style inform the pieces you gravitate toward?
Very much. I have to love what I add to the collection , maybe I would not choose to wear it myself but it must be highly crafted and beautiful.

Why is the history and story behind a piece of jewelry important to you? How do you aim to share the importance of history with others?
One of the main pillars of our business is education. We seek to educate people we meet with and our clients about what was happening in the world at the time a certain piece was made and how that may have affected its design, materials used, and character. We do this during in-person meetings and trunk shows, at our Gallery at 33 Newbury Street in Boston, on our website at TiinaSmithJewelry.com, through social media, and through a series of emails called “Tiina’s Takes.” Education is at the core of our brand and differentiates us from many other vintage jewelers.

What type of advice would you give those who are looking to curate more functional, long-lasting pieces within their wardrobe?
Do your research. Buy only what you love. Spend most of your money on signed pieces. Buy only from people whom you trust.

Why is it important that the jewelry you curate is of top-notch quality and made to last the test of time? How does sustainability factor into this for you?
Vintage jewelry is, by definition, made in the past and most often by hand and in limited quantities. This results in pieces of tremendous quality and scarcity. These days I have found people looking for quality and unique things that can define who they are or even who they seek to be. There is a romance to the past, to old designs, and to the stories that surround vintage. People seek vintage out for the sustainability benefit to it. This seems particularly so with bridal.

What do you hope a piece of Tiina Smith jewelry brings the wearer, whether that be emotionally or tangibly?
Pure joy!

Article by Kayla Curtis-Evans, Contributing Sustainable Editor PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Alexa Dyer, Graphic Design Coordinator, PhotoBook Magazine
*All photos courtesy of Tiina Smith

Tiina Smith: From Financial Portfolios to Fine Jewelry