Podcast: The Estate Dealer’s Job

Ronald Kawitzky, owner of DK Bressler in New York, initially trained as an accountant, but his love of jewelry and history led him to embrace a career as an estate dealer. In the latest episode of the Jewelry Connoisseur Podcast, he talks to Rapaport Editor in Chief Sonia Esther Soltani about how the sector and the profession have evolved in the past 30 years.

Knowing the social and historical context in which a jewel was made is essential to appreciating its full meaning, Kawitzky says. For instance, French neoclassical jewelry in the Napoleonic era featured a lot of cameos, as the emperor and his court were promoting an ancient Roman revival in arts and fashion.

Kawitzky also reminisces about the wonderful finds he and his late wife Sherry, with whom he founded DK Bressler in 1990, came across as they scouted small shows and antique markets. He recalls how they’d decide whether or not to buy in the early days of their venture.
“We’d look at something and [wouldn’t be] exactly sure about the value, because it takes time to build up that knowledge, deal with things to know what they’re worth in the marketplace,” he relates. “We would look at each other and say, ‘Well, if we didn’t sell a piece, would you be happy to wear that?’ And if the answer came back as ‘Yes, we’d be happy to keep it,’ it was the time to buy it. And those are the pieces that always sold first!”

From his vantage point of three decades in the business, Kawitzky analyzes the changes in consumer demand, the fluctuating opportunities for sourcing estate jewels, and the “nightmare stories” that can come of a failure to appreciate vintage pieces.

When asked what advice he’d give a consumer looking to buy estate jewelry, he says, “Buy things that you love. Look at the workmanship. Just because it’s old doesn’t make it good. Enjoy wearing it. If you love it enough, somebody else will love it more, and you can always sell it. But meanwhile, you get a lot of pleasure handling it and knowing that it’s survived [through the ages]. And it’s just a pleasure to be able to wear something with provenance and workmanship. It’s about the continuation of our species in many ways, especially given the times as they are at the moment. It’s life-affirming.”

To listen to the Jewelry Connoisseur Podcast, click below.

Main image: Five hard stone cameo necklace; Ronald Kawitzky, founder, DK Bressler.