Luxury, history, craftsmanship, and storytelling all come together in the work of Timothy Vanover, founder and chief designer of Gilded Age Jewelry. A new member of the North Essex Chamber of Commerce, Timothy is building a fine jewelry house rooted in heirloom-quality design, old-world artistry, and meaningful personal legacy.

Founded in December 2024, Gilded Age Jewelry specializes in bespoke fine jewelry design and limited-production heirloom pieces inspired by the Belle Époque, Edwardian, and Gilded Age eras. The company offers custom commissions, gemstone sourcing, estate jewelry redesign, and handcrafted small-batch collections created alongside skilled artisans in New Jersey and New York City.

What sets Gilded Age Jewelry apart is its intentional approach to craftsmanship. Rather than producing mass-market jewelry, every piece begins with a story — often inspired by a carefully selected gemstone — and evolves through close collaboration with master artisans. The result is jewelry designed not just to be worn, but treasured and passed down for generations.

For Timothy, the business is deeply personal. Gilded Age Jewelry continues a family legacy that dates back more than a century. His great-grandfather, Oliver E. Doty, was a jeweler in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Timothy sees his work today as both a tribute to that lineage and a modern reinterpretation of it.

Interestingly, the spark for the business came from a single gemstone: a 50-carat amethyst Timothy purchased online. He carried the stone in his pocket for weeks, studying how it reflected light and imagining what it could become before finally sketching his first design by hand. That moment launched what would become Gilded Age Jewelry.

After spending 30 years working for an investment firm in New York City, Timothy decided to pursue the creative path that had long called to him. Today, he says the most rewarding part of his work is transforming exceptional gemstones into wearable art and future heirlooms.

“I fall in love with the stone first,” Timothy explains. “Jewelry isn’t just an accessory — it becomes part of someone’s story.”

That sense of storytelling influences every aspect of the brand. Timothy draws inspiration from the grandeur and symbolism of historical jewelry worn by kings, queens, and aristocrats throughout history. He admires contemporary jewelry artist Wallace Chan for his fearless innovation and artistic approach to gemstones.

Despite being a young company, Gilded Age Jewelry has already celebrated several notable achievements, including high-visibility advertising placements with the Montclair Film Festival and the Metropolitan Museum Real Estate Council Benefit, while also cultivating strong relationships with respected artisans and industry professionals throughout the region.

Timothy joined the North Essex Chamber of Commerce just a few months ago to deepen his connection to the local business community and contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of Essex County. He believes strongly in collaboration, supporting fellow entrepreneurs, and reinvesting in local arts and cultural initiatives.

When he’s not designing jewelry, Timothy enjoys gardening from spring through autumn, while winters are spent watching classic films and relaxing with his two dogs.

The one word Timothy says best describes him? “Intentional.”

“Nothing I do — design, sourcing, branding, partnerships — is accidental,” he says. “Every gemstone is chosen deliberately. Every design decision is considered. Intentionality is what transforms a stone into an heirloom — and a business into a house.”

At its heart, Timothy says Gilded Age Jewelry is about more than jewelry. It’s about building a legacy through craftsmanship, artistry, and timeless storytelling.

Timothy Vanover
Gilded Age Jewelry
129 Union Street, Montclair
tim@gildedagejewelry.com
917-504-6158