Frances Fitz-Gerald Jewelry and Antiques
Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Shown are just a few of the items available at Frances Fitz-Gerald’s: Treasures from the sea and genuine gemstone rings. She can also order loose diamonds and she buys gold, silver and fine jewelry such as a single earring, broken necklace or fine jewelry that no longer suits the owner.
Shown are just a few of the items available at Frances Fitz-Gerald’s: Treasures from the sea and genuine gemstone rings. She can also order loose diamonds and she buys gold, silver and fine jewelry such as a single earring, broken necklace or fine jewelry that no longer suits the owner.
Treasures are discovered in unlikely places. The store front for Frances Fitz-Gerald Jewelry and Antiques might look unassuming. Don’t be fooled. Inside, it is choc-a-block with the sparkling, the timeless and the unique. New merchandise is added often.
A stuffy, fine antiques and jewelry store, this is not. Frances Fitz-Gerald and her daughter, Kate Roane, are purveyors of classic and trending jewelry and interior design style. They have curated some of their most interesting and collectable finds at their Lake Charles store at 1830 Ryan Street, Suite D.
Discover the mother lode. Display cases hold strands of pearls, cameos, sweet vintage lockets, dinner rings, vintage repurposed into contemporary styles, bold statement pieces and everything in between.
Frances Fitz-Gerald is also able to special order diamonds to meet her customer’s quality and budget needs.
“Jewelry has really been moving quickly,” Fitz-Gerald said. “I just stocked the Lake Charles store with about 30 new pieces. We’re tagging those now.”
Explore. In addition to distinctive jewelry, Fitz-Gerald also offers fine antique furnishings, silver, collectibles, fine art and the unusual. The quality and workmanship of vintage and antique items are often better than the quality and workmanship of jewelry, furniture, rugs, lighting and décor produced and sold today. However, the pricing for these heirloom quality pieces is less at Frances Fitz-Gerald’s.
“Every Southern lady needs at least one strand of pearls,” said Fitz-Gerald with her distinctive Southern drawl. “These days, they’re not just considered classic. Pearls can also be contemporary.”
Frances Fitz-Gerald offers cultured, saltwater, freshwater and imitation pearls.
Check out the cache of treasure from earth and sea. Customers may be surprised at their tendency to linger longer at Frances Fitz-Gerald Jewelry and Antiques than planned. It may be because it takes a while to see what’s new. Or, they might be drawn to the mysterious powers of the malachite, amethyst, citrine, amber, mother-of-pearl or other natural treasures in the store, including fossils and riches from the sea.
“I don’t claim any of the folklore is true,” said Fitz-Gerald, with a wave of the hand. “But it’s awfully fun to talk about. It’s been said that if you keep malachite with money, it’s supposed to increase wealth.”
The solid malachite pieces in the shop, including a large solid box-like shape, are very rare.
Roane’s favorite is Mother of Pearl.
Antique Chinoiserie cabinet, a treasure for displaying treasures.
A quick online search of some of the properties of Mother of Pearl notes its iridescent blend of minerals may help dizziness, vision and heal wounds. Malachite is a stone of transformation, abundance and protec tion. Amber protects against the evil eye and attracts good luck. Amethyst symbolizes sincerity, fights cravings and keeps the life force in the home clean and positive. And citrine apparently improves the career potential of every single professional.
The power of gemstones is debatable, but one thing is for sure. The antique, the unique, the funky and the beauty of nature can really pull a room and an outfit together.
Fitz-Gerald attended the world’s largest gem show and brought back this amethyst geode and other geodes, fossils, minerals and gemstones, including large, solid pieces of malachite, a rarity.
Frances Fitz-Gerald purchases gold, diamonds and silver. She not only purchases quality jewelry and silver for resale. She is also a local source for customers who see the value of redeeming their unused or broken fine jewelry for cash, including that single earring, a ring without its stone or broken chain.
Fitz-Gerald and Roane also offer professional estate sale services for certain estates.
Fitz-Gerald began her Baton Rouge store, Goldsmith’s, in 1976 with only $6,000. She was told she would never make it. Nevertheless, the store was a success for over 30 years. The secret? The same reason the Lake Charles shop is a success.
“If people are going to spend money on something, they want it to be good quality and they want it to be different,” she said.
