ABOUT
Elisa and Ruby are the mother-daughter team behind CHELSEA GIRL and TALES FROM THE JUNK PILE...
Elisa opened her first vintage boutique, Chelsea Girl, in downtown Manhattan in 1993, and in following years, 4 more businesses: Chelsea Girl Couture (couture vintage), Clutch! (vintage handbags), Laurel Canyon (rock-inspired unisex vintage), and City Girl Cafe (third-wave coffee and baked goods). For 20 years, her boutiques were among the pre-eminent vintage outlets in the world— she often styled celebrities (Chloë Sevigny, Brittany Spears, Demi Moore, Beyonce, to name a few) and was consistently featured in Vogue, NY times, NY Post, Time Out, InStyle, and more. In 2017, she decided to focus on antique diamond and estate jewelry, and recruited her daughter, Ruby— together they now run two epic brands, CHELSEA GIRL and TALES FROM THE JUNK PILE...
CHELSEA GIRL
Antique jewels for modern girls™️ — Established 1993 in NYC.
On Chelsea Girl, expect perfectly-curated antique jewelry... including but not limited to: high-end estate pieces, stunning diamond rings, anything Victorian-era, quality gold chains, lots of French goodies from a secret Paris source, and tons more...
TALES FROM THE JUNK PILE
Vintage gold jewelry rescued from the melter — Sustainable. Affordable. Remarkable.
Tales from the Junk Pile started as one Chelsea Girl source, and blossomed into its own thing... Every TFTJP piece has been found in what is often referred to as a scrap pile, aka thrown into big, dirty, tangled piles of pure 14k. Usually scrappers don’t care about the quality of the pieces, only the price of gold. When gold is down, they wait, and when gold goes up, they send it all to the melter and make their profit. In between, dealers rifle through the piles for treasures. Scrap pieces are sold by weight, way under retail value, so Tales from the Junk Pile offers special items at bargain prices...
Because of the one-of-a-kind nature of vintage jewerly, every piece is initially up for grabs via Instagram, both on @chelseagirl.nyc as well as @talesfromthejunkpile. This website has limited inventory. If you want first dibs, make sure to follow both accounts and turn on post notifications as every new piece drops first via stories! Chelsea Girl and Tales from the Junk Pile are based out of downtown NYC.
FAQs answered by Elisa
How long have you been selling vintage and antique jewelry?
I opened my first shop in November, 1993, in NYC, selling vintage clothing and antique jewelry, and quickly expanded to three stores. When I closed my last shop in 2011, I decided to phase out the clothing and exclusively sell jewelry.
Is everything you sell genuine gold and diamonds?
Yes! I clearly state in all my descriptions the gold karat and the type/size/weight of the stones. EVERY ITEM IS PROFESSIONALLY TESTED and I guarantee the authenticity of every item.
What about condition?
All my jewelry is in excellent condition, with no flaws, unless otherwise stated in the description. Of course, vintage and antique items will have patina (which I like, so I don’t polish) and minor wear, but nothing major.
What’s the difference between antique, vintage, and estate jewelry?
Antique jewelry is over 100 years old. Vintage jewelry is over 20 years old. Estate jewelry is a term that refers to previously owned jewelry.
Where do you find your stuff?
I’ve been a secondhand shopper all my life: all my clothes, furniture, books, art, and yes, jewelry, were purchased secondhand. So I've always been resourceful and expert at buying antique and vintage items. I buy jewelry at shows, online, from estates, when I travel, and, lastly, in NYC’s jewelry district, where I have dealer friends who source items for me on a daily basis. Many of my gold items are found in what I affectionately call “the junk pile” where I sift through pounds of gold and save antique and vintage jewelry from being melted! I also have a secret Paris dealer who sources amazing French jewelry for me and sends me shipments once a month.
Your items sell so quickly. How can I make sure I see them before they sell out?
New items drop on Instagram first, so turn on your notifications! That’s where you’ll see new items as soon as they’re available. Go to the @ChelseaGirl.NYC Instagram, click the bell in the upper right hand corner, turn on post and story notifications…and voilà!
How can I clean antique jewelry?
I like the natural patina of old gold, but diamonds can get dingy with wear, so we suggest gently cleaning your jewelry from time to time with warm water, soap and a soft toothbrush. Also, avoid wearing any pieces with stones while showering or swimming-- stones slightly expand when soaked in water, then shrink when dry, which can cause the setting to expand and therefore the stone to fall out. My daughter is always making this mistake 🙄
How can I pay?
We accept several different methods of payment, including most Amex/Visa/Mastercards, Paypal, Apple Pay, and Venmo.
Please note, Apple Pay only shows up when you use Apple's SAFARI browser, and Venmo does not show up on phones (only computers).
Can I pay in installments?
Yes! We offer to pay in 4 installments via a third party, 'SHOP PAY' when you are checking out.
Simply tap ShopPay's big purple button under Express Checkout. The following screen will explain installment terms to you, including:
Rates from 0%-36% APR. Payment options through Shop Pay Installments are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. State notices to consumers https://www.affirm.com/licenses.
Please note, this is operated by a third party so we cannot change these terms. If you feel like you're a special case, contact us.
What shipping methods do you offer? Do you ship internationally?
All shipping info here. Yes we ship worldwide!
What about returns and refunds?
We accept returns within reason. All return/refund info here.