‘My Golden Finds’ is a site that specialises in vintage and antique gold jewellery. Sheyna Zaid Lam gets the opportunity to chat about the fantastic concept behind it, with owner, Lynsay O’Connor.

Sheyna: So Lynsay, tell me more about My Golden Finds (MGF) and how you came about starting the business?

Lynsay: Well, I have quite a varied background in fashion, graphics and print design - so a solid understanding of design in general. Before MGF, I actually ran my own stationery business for 10 years, providing bespoke stationery for events and weddings. But COVID hit, and within a few weeks, my successful business just disappeared.

During the lockdown I started doing all manner of things, learning French (she laughs), wine tasting (which she quickly realised wasn’t the best idea)... just to keep sane. I’ve always loved jewellery myself, and it was during that time I stumbled across the opportunities to source vintage and antique items via auction online. I bought my first piece about two years ago, a damaged bracelet - I fixed it up and sold it, and that was how MGF was born.

Since then, the business has grown very organically, from an Etsy shop in the beginning to our own dedicated website. I now have clients from around the world who are drawn by and love the idea of sustainable jewellery, it’s a real community of like-minded collectors. People in general are becoming more conscious of slow fashion and how it can be implemented into their own wardrobe and jewellery collection… and to find pieces that already have a history and legacy before them is extra special.

S: That is wonderful! Can you tell me more about how MGF works these days?

Lynsay: We still mostly acquire items via online auction houses, generally in the UK at the moment, but I do have hopes and plans to branch out and attend auctions in Ireland and mainland Europe in the next year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a different range of pieces. I also have customers who call me directly if they have items that they wish to sell, so sourcing is slowly becoming a mixture of those. I am very open to individuals contacting me about pieces, as a new way to source!

Aside from acquisition, I do everything for MGF from my base in central Scotland. I’m very lucky to have a studio here where I do all our photography, editing and basic repair work myself. In addition to that, I work with a very talented local jeweller who helps me with the more technical repairs that are beyond the scope of my capabilities, like stone setting and ring sizing.

My current clientele are mainly professional women between 30-60 years old; they have a love for gold jewellery and already own similar pieces, and more importantly, they have access to a disposable income.

Our jewellery collection is very curated and most of the pieces are quite minimalist, and very classic - mirroring my personal style. Throughout my design career, I have always had a preference for things being pared back and considered. I have a great appreciation of white space! Thanks to my experience and training for spotting what works visually, I am able to, almost instantaneously, tell whether a piece will resonate with my clients. I view MGF pieces as items that can be worn to dress an outfit up, or down.

I also like to ‘pepper’ the collection with some more distinctive pieces that are more ornate or brutalist in design. I am aware that these won’t be for everyone, and will take longer to sell, but I feel like it would be quite reductive to not include pieces that challenge and push design boundaries. I would say that the objective of MGF is to source items that people can cherish and love over a long period of time. They are pieces that come with a history of their own, and therefore some meaning, and will continue to build on that history and meaning with their new owners.

Sheyna: Tell me more about your hopes for MGF and the jewellery industry in general, if you have any?

Lynsay: I believe the industry is becoming more conscious of sustainability - it’s becoming a massive movement. To this effect, I’d love to start a collective of designers from across the country where I give them a piece of jewellery that is too damaged to be mended, which they can then repurpose into a new item of jewellery.

We can then promote, feature and sell their unique work, hopefully introducing contemporary designers to new clients around the world while simultaneously promoting UK design and craftsmanship.

Find your unique vintage, gold jewellery at mygoldenfinds.com and follow them on Instagram @my.golden.finds to see all their latest pieces.

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Sheyna Zaid Lam is a researcher-writer based in London with experience in the academic and commercial sectors, most recently, the film industry. People fascinate her. Their thoughts, motivations, behaviours, and feelings intrigue her, and any opportunity that will allow her to study and ruminate on her fellow human beings gives her much pleasure and satisfaction. Her favourite pastimes are reading, dancing salsa and overthinking.

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