Amelia Pais Rodriguez. Image: Supplied.
After devoting twenty years of her life to academia, teaching finance in universities across New Zealand and the UK, Amelia Pais Rodriguez took the leap to pursue one of her lifelong passions by founding The Collectrice with her friend, Kate. United through their shared love for vintage jewellery, The Collectrice is a curated collection of the duo’s finest vintage jewellery finds from auctions around the world. “We love travelling overseas to fairs, and to visit auction houses and antique dealers,” explains Pais Rodriguez. “It is a treat to be able to work in something you love with your best friend.”
Vintage jewellery became a passion for Pais Rodriguez at a young age, having been introduced to it by her mother. “She always bought vintage jewellery and the catalogues from the biggest auction houses in Spain arrived monthly to our home. I would read them from beginning to end and dream of the things I wanted,” she explains. For Pais Rodriguez, her interest in vintage jewellery is not just due to its unique aesthetic but the wider ethos around buying vintage. “I am not sure that I can say why we love vintage more than new jewellery except it is beautiful, well made, unique, and very cost effective as well as being good for the planet. If you are looking for something individual, then vintage jewellery, from a time when chain stores or mass manufacturing didn’t exist, is the right way to go.”
Jewellery from The Collectrice. Images: Supplied.
Although The Collectrice was officially launched in June of last year, it began initially as a lockdown project. “Because of lockdown rules around the world, a lot of the Christies Courses (online educational courses) that you had to take in person in London or New York could be taken online, so I did a Masters on the Business of the Arts with an emphasis in jewellery and Kate took some of the courses as well,” says Pais Rodriguez. “We already knew quite a bit about the vintage jewellery world and we realised that there was a gap in the New Zealand market for online vintage jewellery so we decided to start The Collectrice as an online seller of high quality, beautifully-curated vintage jewellery.”
Prior to starting The Collectrice Pais Rodriguez and Kate would travel overseas regularly to visit auction houses with the intention of buying for themselves. Since starting their business, this is a process they still regularly undertake. “We buy at two big vintage jewellery fairs in the USA – Miami and Las Vegas. We also buy at overseas auctions and before we buy we discuss everything to get a consensus,” says Pais Rodriguez. Despite the founders’ varying styles and tastes, they are able to work collaboratively to pick pieces that will cater to a diverse customer base. When asked about her favourite styles, Pais Rodriguez expressed her love for retro jewellery from the mid-20th century. “This was the time of the big and bold cocktail rings, demi-parures, the Schlumberger period at Tiffany’s, chandelier earrings, large flip earrings in textured gold, Hollywood glamour and the return of the big luxury jewellery houses after the impasse of the war.”
Image: Supplied.
Given the boom in the global vintage jewellery market over the last few years, it seems as though The Collectrice was born at exactly the right time. “The size of the market (vintage jewellery and watches) was around 25 Billion USD in 2021 and it is expected to grow at around 8% annually. We certainly see a huge interest in the trade fairs that we attend, so it also makes sense from an investment perspective,” explains Pais Rodriguez. As one of only a few New Zealand-based online vintage jewellery stores, what The Collectrice offers is unique and special. “Jewellery is an expression of your taste and style and we hope we can deliver one of a kind pieces to NZ customers.”
Quick-Fire Questions
My style icon is…Jenna Lyons and Audrey Hepburn (especially when dressed by Givenchy).
My guilty pleasure is…Shortbread and a cup of coffee.
Where you’ll find me holidaying this season… Spain.
If I could have dinner with any three people on earth, dead or alive, I would choose… My amazing three sons, we all live in different parts of the world so dinner together is a huge treat.
The three beauty products I can’t live without…Anything from Trinny London. She has simplified my whole skincare and makeup routine so I can look fabulous and spend little time thinking about it!
My favourite place to travel to…Spain.
The item at the top of my wish list…A Victorian coloured riviera necklace like the ones Anna Wintour wears.
Current season homeware purchase… Not exactly homeware, but Kiwiana art to decorate my apartment in Madrid.
