Antique Shopping in Rome

Long before I became an estate jewelry seller, I was simply a die-hard jewelry lover and jewelry editor.  I hunted, collected, and treasured all sorts of jewelry from eras from Georgian to Mid-Century and beyond. In fact, I wrote over 600 articles for my former jewelry blog! I’m still that woman, but now I get to hunt for things to sell. How fun is that?! Especially since I can now treasure hunt while visiting all my cities for this website.

I spent a week and a half in Rome recently working on my Little Black Book for The Curated Shopper, and I made it a point to visit every antique jewelry store I came across.  I found three that I really love, and I want to share them with you.

The first one I found was right near my hotel by The Piazza del Popolo.

Antichita Ripetta (Via di Ripetta, 2A) is run by Diego, and his wife, Serafina.  Diego is a second-generation seller, and from the sounds of it, his daughter may follow in his footsteps. This petite store is as wide as the double doors you enter through, and it is chock full of jewelry, watches, and art. I came across a couple fabulous finds there, including a Sardinian coral necklace from the 1940s, and a vintage Cartier desk clock for my own apartment.

I made it a point to stroll along Via dei Coronari, which has historically been home to countless antique stores of all varieties.  Covid has really hit this street hard, but I was excited that Milena Tanca still has her wonderful store, which her parents founded in 1940. (Via dei Coronari, 33). Her lovely daughter Paola is also now in the business, and I visited this store twice to really take it all in.  Although it’s not jewelry, I was extremely interested in their selection of Catholic reliquaries, which are small containers to remember those who have passed. Some have pieces of hair or clothing of the person. If you’re lucky, you can find one with the seal from the Vatican still intact on the back. But back to the jewelry – Yes!  She has a lovely selection, as well as decorative objects and silver.

During my afternoon exploring Monti (read my journal article about that here), I came upon MDP Vecchie Gioie (Via Leonina, 3) which is run by a wonderful woman, Marina. I was taken with quite a few pieces, from a pear-shaped emerald ring to an antique beaded coral bracelet with a clasp made from rose-cut diamonds and an emerald. She has a well-edited selection of jewelry from various eras, showcased in her darling boutique. It’s definitely worth a visit when you’re in this part of town!

Have you discovered any cool antique jewelry stores in Rome? If so, I’d really like to hear about them.  And if you want access to my whole shopping list for Rome, I’d love to have you join me on The Curated Shopper!