Nikki McVean is a local jewelry designer and owner of Danes Road Antiques, through which she sells her specialty pieces largely at local home shows. Her one-of-a-kind jewelry reflects a keen eye for beauty and a willingness to work hard to source her items. She specializes in creating and selling antique rings, necklaces, pins and bracelets that can be passed down for generations.
Q: How did you get started in the jewelry business?
A: My father took an early retirement and began a second career selling antique jewelry when I was young. I truly grew up going to every flea market we saw on our travels.
Q: Where do you find the antique jewelry you use in your creations?
A. I love going on buying trips to Brimfield, Massachusetts, where I purchase a majority of the jewelry I sell. I have met some amazing people in the business and they have become dear friends. They will reach out throughout the year to sell me special pieces that they know I would like. Brimfield is divided into fields and I go to every one each day that I am there because you never know if there are new dealers. The weather can be 30 degrees and raining or it can be 90 - or both all in one day. It’s a place of comfortable shoes, layers and a good attitude!
Q: Your jewelry is beautiful and special. How do you choose what to purchase?
A: Ahead of the trips, I never know what I am going to buy. Mainly, I purchase jewelry and antique items that I am drawn to and that I would want to wear myself. I will always buy starburst pins to turn into pendants because I absolutely love them. I think they are the perfect mix of antique jewelry that is also somehow modern in design. I also buy antique items that are unusual or interesting, like men’s pocket watches, and repurpose them into necklaces. I put all of the chains together, but any soldering is done by an amazing bench jeweler.
Q: Are there certain pieces of jewelry that you get the most excited about?
A. My personal favorite look is a mix of different types of jewelry worn all together. My love of turquoise is a problem and there really isn’t a piece of snake jewelry that I don’t like. I hate snakes but I love the idea of the meaning of new life, wisdom and reinvention. Who doesn’t need that! I’m loving bird jewelry right now. The Victorians saw birds as a message of love and loyalty, and then the more recent pieces symbolize freedom and hope. And a butterfly is deeply personal to me because I love the idea of the creation of something so beautiful coming out of a period of darkness.
Q: Where do you derive the most satisfaction in your business?
A: I really love the process of working with my customers to put all of the pieces together, creating beautiful jewelry that has meaning. I had a grandmother from Illinois drive to my house with her granddaughter and her bag of inherited jewelry. We sat at my dining room table and put these antique watch chains together and the resulting necklace became a piece that united four generations! It’s really the core of what I do. It may not always be inherited jewelry, but I really want each and every piece to mean something and to be an expression of the individual. There’s just something special about creating the right piece for each person.
Q: You have three wonderful daughters who are involved in various stages of your business. How has this evolved?
A: I love having my girls (and their friends) help me with Danes Road! They all have a great eye and truly know how to mix their antique jewelry with their Amazon finds. And to me, that is what I want. They really love a “stack” of rings, bracelets and necklaces and have created their own lines at Danes Road. I have brought all of my girls with me to Brimfield. It allows me to see antique jewelry through their eyes. Each daughter has a specific style and an opinion on what I should buy. I have no idea if they will follow me into this business, but I love that they appreciate antiques and are not afraid to hustle.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I have loved expanding my business and having Danes Road hit the road to stores and homes outside of Memphis. I don’t know if others feel this way, but I get overwhelmed by imposter syndrome before traveling to these shows. I worry about whether my jewelry will translate to these new places. But I feel like it has been such a great area of growth for my business and for me personally. I have loved being in homes and businesses throughout the South and the Midwest. I am currently working on new locations!
Follow Nikki on Instagram @danes_road_antiques or online danesroadantiques.com
I really love the process of working with my customers to put all of the pieces together, creating beautiful jewelry that has meaning.
Mainly, I purchase jewelry and antique items that I am drawn to and that I would want to wear myself.