Secret Histories

Antique jewellery with a story

Secret Histories is an Australian online shop for antique and vintage jewellery curated by Dr Aurelia Carbone. Its selection includes rings, necklaces, pendants, charms, earrings, bracelets and brooches. Rather than selling standard designs in multiple sizes, the catalogue presents individual pieces with their period, materials and details of manufacture where known.

How the collection developed

Carbone describes herself as an artist and academic with a doctorate in Fine Art. She began collecting unusual objects while exploring towns around Australia, and started selling finds to other collectors through social media and Etsy in 2016. The shop grew from that collecting practice. Its current listings include Australian antique jewellery as well as Georgian, Victorian, Art Deco and later vintage pieces.

Examples on the site range from an Australian heart pendant dating to around 1890 to early twentieth-century rings and mid-century gemstone jewellery. The descriptions specify metals and stones, and the seller says each item is tested for metal content using X-ray fluorescence while gemstones are checked by an independent gemologist. Those procedures are part of the shop's stated approach to describing objects accurately.

Buying from the collection

Visitors can browse all available pieces, recent finds, engagement rings and items under a stated price threshold. A separate archive shows previously offered objects. The site says Australian orders receive complimentary shipping, US orders are delivered duty paid and returns are accepted within seven days; buyers should check the current terms for an individual purchase. New items are also announced through Instagram and an optional mailing list, reflecting the one-off nature of much of the stock.