“Everyone has a jewelry story,” says Karen Davidov, founder of The Jewelry Library (TJL), an inclusive, ever-evolving collaborative space that is, according to its website, “curated for jewelry people, by jewelry people.”
The one-of-a-kind adornment hub, located in the heart of Manhattan, embraces the same forward-thinking mission that America’s traditional public libraries have adopted in recent years: providing access to resources while fostering scholarship, creativity, and community. More than just a physical space, it’s the inspirational axis for a collaborative network of makers, researchers, curators, collectors, and jewelry
wearers, both casual and cutting-edge.
Drawing on her experience as both a vintage jewelry dealer and a library consultant, Davidov opened TJL in 2018 to facilitate and promote jewelry literacy. “I’ve always wanted to learn about the jewelry I’m buying. Who made it? What inspired it? What materials were used?” she explains. “I wanted the serendipity of discovering something new or having an enlightening encounter with a maker. Mostly, I wanted to speak the language of jewelry with others who spoke it.”
The library’s reading room houses a diverse print collection where monographs on contemporary art jewelers sit alongside rare books about Italian jewelry. (“I don’t have everything,” Davidov says, “but I do have some great surprises!”) And, of course, there’s the jewelry archive itself, an eclectic collection of pieces, primarily from the 20th century, frequently sought out by artists, stylists, and design students. For most patrons, though, the library’s main draw is its inventive programming, which combines exhibitions, workshops, discussions, demonstrations, storytelling events, and even walking tours, many of which can be accessed both online and in person.
Karen Davidov, founder, wearing The Gold Brooch by Mette Saabye.
