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c h i k k a
b u z z
Stories set
in (precious)
stones
Interested in local history?
Vintage hunter Mireille de Guia
lets jewelry do the talking
PHOTOS
COURTESY OF MIREILLE DE GUIA
q & a
IT MIGHT NOT BE
the most obvious
repository of a history, but sometimes a
piece of delicate-looking jewelry can hold
a thousand stories, especially if it’s been
passed on from one generation to the
next. That’s exactly what Manila-based,
42-
year-old designer, vintage hunter and
entrepreneur Mireille de Guia Jison loves
about antique jewelry, especially the pieces
she finds in the Philippines.
“
The tamborin necklaces, rositas
earrings and lanzadera rings I’ve found all
over the country all carry with them rich
backstories,” she says of the many finds
that she sells through Tambourine Jewelry
(
,
an online shop for vintage and upcycled
jewelry.
Apart from the personal history of each
piece — it’s often interesting to trace the
ownership of jewelry — vintage jewelry
in the Philippines also reflect a sense of
whatever state the country might have
been in at the time they were made. “Some
elaborate fan-shaped earrings with gold
rosettes, for instance, are from a time when
gold was in abundance but gemstones
were rare, so goldsmiths mastered different
techniques to diversify the appearance
of gold,” says Mireille. “They were very
inventive.”
What exactly is a
tamborin?
A tamborin is a traditional Filipino
necklace patterned after the rosary. It
has a
relikaryo
(
reliquary) that serves as
the pendant of the tamborin. In Spanish
colonial times, jewelry like crucifixes
replaced the talismans worn by native
Filipinos. For those new to the faith, it was
not only a way of showing devotion but
also of adorning themselves while still
following austerity measures imposed by
the Spanish regime. Although the original
neckpiece itself followed the rosary bead
pattern, pieces that were made by the early
1900
s began following different styles
and patterns. Even the pendant of the
tamborin, which originally had religious
designs, started to feature nature-inspired
themes like flowers or leaves. While most
tamborins were made of gold, jewelry
makers also began using materials such as
silver and brass.
Where does all the
treasure hunting take you?
I find many pieces in Luzon and some parts
of the Visayas, especially in old towns
where there’d been prosperous Spanish
settlements that then, obviously, became
proper cities. These beaded necklaces are
often heirlooms that have been distributed
among family members, who in turn
passed them on to their children. Sadly,
there are only a small number of authentic
gold tamborins remaining today, as most
have been melted and turned into modern
jewelry. Sometimes, one piece will have
been dismantled, and the beads distributed
among children so you might find a
necklace with missing components.
What inspired you to sell
them?
I’ve always thought that the tamborin
necklaces are incredibly beautiful. The
intricate craftsmanship is amazing, and the
unique and often unusual designs make
them so intriguing. Every piece charms me
into finding out the history behind each
one — what the design says of the original
owner, and how it had been passed on
from one generation to another. I’ve also
always wanted to sell something that can
only be found in the Philippines.
What do you like most
about antique jewelry?
The history behind it, the intricacy of the
design, the craftsmanship that must have
required such patience. Some pieces are
so well made that they survive over the
years with their luster hardly diminished.
All they’ll need is a quick clean and they
shine again.
A piece of tamborin made
of silver dipped in gold,
estimated to be from the late
19
th century; Mireille wearing
one of her pieces
